Rape. Say it out loud. RAPE. What do we know about rape? That it is probably the most atrocious act a (de)human is capable of? That 2019/20, on average, saw about 6 cases of rapes reported every day in Nepal? That we live in a society that treats the victims of rapes as 'damaged goods'—that is if they are not brutally murdered before we have the good fortune of labeling them that? Or, that 3 days of outrage demanding JUSTICE, in the aftermath of such depravities being headlined by the mainstream media, eclipses public discourse and constructive conversations aimed at stamping out deep-rooted causes of rapes and related horrors?

Well, "बलात्कारीलाई फाँसी दे" sure is a good place to start. But is that it? What about the centuries of patriarchy that has led to dehumanization of generations of women paving the way for emotionally-dead savages to exert their putative superiority and dominance onto others in the most inhuman way thinkable? What about the concept of consent that seems to be non-existent? Or, the fact that our legal system decided to wait until 2020 to recognize that men and boys could be victims of rapes as well? Or, the notion of marital rape—that people seem to find laughable rather than grave? Let's talk about it.

Disclaimer: All the views and arguments are our own, some well-informed, some less so. The point is not to demonstrate our expertise about the issue but to contribute to and continue the discussion on it. So, feel free to reach out to us to let us know if you think we have overstepped the mark.