Am I coward?

Prescript: It's not intended to hurt anyone personally. Some people are genuinely working for social issues, It's not to hurt their feelings. It's about the issues which is growing in our society, and intended to flow a message not to use them for personal benefit.

I beg your pardon if it hurts you personally.

To know the difference between right and wrong is one of the basic idea in all human being. We all know the right path and decision should be followed. But implementing the right ideas in practical life is quite different than learning. Sometimes, we know the path we are following is wrong, but we don't dare to take the right one. Due to lack of some courage, starts cowardice that leaves a guilt in us.

Once I was back to home from a campaign named "Stop Dowry". At home, I found a girl's parents were paying dowry for her marriage with one of the boy of my family. I was asked to keep the money in locker. As my step of protest I disobeyed my family and did not keep the money but I could not raise a single word for stopping dowry at my own home. I felt guilty for the event then and now. I just decided "Dowry needs to be stopped" inside me. Since then I am haunted by a question, "Am I coward?"

After completing my bachelor's studies I worked in different sectors. Within my small professional life I traveled more. I met females working  in different sectors and at different levels, from VDC level to national levels. During the conversations, I came to know that most of the females have suffered sexual harassment during their professional carrier. Some of them were victimized physically whereas some of them were victimized by rude words of their seniors.

If I suppose those talks as literal proofs, then most of the females have the idea about the right against sexual harassment. But they don't use it. In most cases they are harassed by their office heads. If they file a case or raise a voice against it, firstly they are most probably fired from the job in case of private companies. But the scenario is more complicated at government sectors. If the girls are new comers and working on some contract, and if  they ask for leave or any support for their office works, first question from their office head is "Can you meet me alone?" It's not the issue at VDC level only. From ward levels to ministries, the conditions are same until the head is too female. Either they ask for transfers or any contract renewal, they face the same question. Some of them even resign to get out of that situation, whereas some of them ignore their question as well as their problem, whereas in worse situation some get victimized. If they raise their voice, then heads have more links and they settle it easily by relating it with their bad performance at work.

Most of the offices have the idea about women empowerment, but I have met even the persons who deliver fine lectures about these issues while holding a mike in public but when they leave the mike they ask the same question. The lecture about gender empowerment and social inclusion is a way to earn money.

I met the children too who are victimized by sexual abuse. I have seen the children working at hotels. I have seen persons charging money to uneducated people for their basic rights which needs no money according to government rules. I have seen the husbands torturing their wives. I have seen untouchability. I have seen the people who just raise the issues to earn money and make the social issue a business. But  all I could perform was sympathizing me and the victims. I could not raise the voice for them. So I get haunted by the question, "Am I coward?"