in a country where,
no is seen as yes
a dress ‘too’ short is an invitation
a neckline too deep makes you ‘cheap’
heels too high make your chances of getting home safe, steep
lipstick too bright is not considered right
where anyone who has a body is oh so irresistible
in a country where people look for reason to blame the victim and give the culprit asylum
in a country where owning your body is ‘asking for it’
in a country where everything but consent, is consent
in a country where men think that the women’s clothes speak for them and not the women themselves
in a country where women’s safety is an everlasting joke
I wonder why they are still surprised when people ask them, “so, what were you wearing that day?”
~Ananya Trivedi, Amity International School, Noida
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