The Ripple Effect of Silence: Are We Part of the Problem?

There are moments when I struggle to type even a single word. I write, erase, rephrase, delete, and eventually feel exhausted. To top it off, every time I open LinkedIn there’s so much written out here, that I get lost in the forest here.
I began drafting this post on August 9th, while I was at IIT Indore, conducting a Mental Health First Aid Workshop. The group of faculty members and students I worked with was remarkable. During our sessions, we discussed the tragic rape-murder case in Kolkata. I could feel a wide range of emotions in the room, from anger and anxiety to denial and apathy.
The truth is, we often convince ourselves that we are safe because admitting our constant vulnerability is a terrifying reality—one that feels too overwhelming to endure.

Over the past 13 days, I’ve been meeting and speaking with young women from various parts of the country—medical students, psychologists’ doctors, law enforcement officers, and women from different backgrounds. The pain, agony, and vulnerability that surfaced in our conversations have been emotionally draining.

What struck me the most during these discussions was a young woman who expressed her deep concern about feeling responsible for what had happened. She shared how each time she ignored or failed to confront men who were assaulting her or others, she feared she was, in some way, enabling future harm. She knew it didn’t make sense logically, but she couldn’t shake the thought—the butterfly effect, as she called it. If a butterfly’s wings can trigger a typhoon, could her silence contribute to the next assault? She asked, “How do I rid myself of this guilt?”
And I was left to face the question myself too, the number of times I remained silent, decided to not fight fearing more harm, believing if I ignored this too shall pass.

Are we women guilty for not speaking up? For sweeping these conversations under the bed? Perpetuating the knight in shining armour stories and not teaching our girls to be their own knights?

I can’t help thinking of the butterfly effect for days now.

Let me know what you are thinking, comment here: Women safety