Honor in a Vagina?

Image : “The Rape of Europa (Titian)”

Switched on the news and my heart ached
“Breaking news!!” “Another Girl Raped!!”,

Now people say “Her honor is gone!”
“Our community’s honor is gone!”
But she asks “how is the honor gone?”

“Was my honor in my Vagina?!”
“Was their honor in my Vagina?!”
“Who placed “Honor” in my Vagina?!”

Is this how our society is shaped?
The culprit arrested, the proof red taped,
The justice given or delayed!
But she will be forever shamed,
just because her “Honor” was scraped !!! ???

 

PS: Inspired by one of  Kamla Bhasin quotes and this poem is tribute to her.

 

“When I’m raped, people say that I’ve lost my honour? My honour is not in my vagina. It is a patriarchal idea that my rape will defile the honour of my community. I’d like to tell everyone, why did you place your community’s honour in a woman’s vagina? We never did that. It is the rapist who loses his honour, we don’t”. – Kamla Bhasin