Meera Vijayann: Find your voice against gender violence

翻译人员: Chenyang Lin 校对人员: Yumeng Guo

Talking about empowerment is odd,

说到赋权，听起来会有点奇怪，

because when we talk about empowerment,

因为当我们讨论到它的时候，

what affects us most are the stories.

最能深入人心的是一个个鲜活的故事。

So I want to begin with an everyday story.

我想从一个日常的事情说起，

What is it really like to be a young woman in India?

印度的年轻女性究竟过着怎样的生活？

Now, I've spent the last 27 years of my life

我已经在印度住了27年,

in India, lived in three small towns,

其中包括三个城镇，

two major cities,

两个大城市，

and I've had several experiences.

我经历了很多，

When I was seven,

当我7岁的时候，

a private tutor who used to come home

一个经常来我家教我数学的家教

to teach me mathematics molested me.

性骚扰了我。

He would put his hand up my skirt.

他把手伸进了我的裙子，

He put his hand up my skirt and told me

伸到我的裙子里，

he knew how to make me feel good.

对我说他知道怎么让我感觉很好。

At 17, a boy from my high school

17岁时，一个跟我同在一所高中的男生

circulated an email

转发了一封电子邮件给我，

detailing all the sexually aggressive things

邮件详述了各种粗暴的性行为，

he could do to me

because I didn't pay attention to him.

因为我没怎么关注他，他也会这么对我做。

At 19, I helped a friend

19岁时，我的一个朋友被父母强迫

whose parents had forcefully married her to an older man

嫁给了一个老男人，

escape an abusive marriage.

我帮助她逃脱了这场屈辱的婚姻。

At 21, when my friend and I were walking

21岁时，一天下午，

down the road one afternoon,

我与朋友走在路上，

a man pulled down his pants

一个男人脱下裤子，

and masturbated in front of us.

在我俩面前自慰。

We called people for help, and nobody came.

我们呼喊着寻求帮助，但没有人理会。

At 25, when I was walking home one evening,

25岁的一天晚上，在我回家的路上，

two men on a motorcycle attacked me.

骑着摩托车的两个男人袭击了我，

I spent two nights in the hospital

我在医院待了两晚，

recovering from trauma and injuries.

才从痛苦和伤害中恢复过来。

So throughout my life, I've seen women —

总之，

在我的一生中，我见过了太多女性

family, friends, colleagues —

——家人，朋友，同事——

live through these experiences,

经历过类似的事情，

and they seldom talk about it.

但她们几乎从来不提及这样的事。

So in simple words, life in India is not easy.

简单来说，在印度生活真的很不容易。

But today I'm not going to talk to you about this fear.

但是今天我不打算跟你们谈论恐惧。

I'm going to talk to you about an interesting path

我要跟你们讲的是一段有趣的心路历程，

of learning that this fear took me on.

而这正是那恐惧教会我的。

So, what happened one night in December 2012

2012年12月的一个晚上发生的事情

changed my life.

改变了我的人生。

So a young girl, a 23-year-old student,

在新德里，一个23岁的年轻女学生，

boarded a bus in Delhi with her male friend.

和她的一个男性朋友上了一个公交车，

There were six men on the bus, young men

当时公交车里有6个男人，

who you might encounter every day in India,

那种在印度每天都会碰见的年轻男人，

and the chilling account of what followed

接下来发生的一系列可怕的事件

was played over and over again

在印度和国际媒体上

in the Indian and international media.

被一遍又一遍地报道。

This girl was raped repeatedly,

这个女孩被轮奸了，

forcefully penetrated with a blunt rod,

下体被插入了一根钝器，

beaten, bitten, and left to die.

被殴打、撕咬，被抛弃在荒郊等死。

Her friend was gagged, attacked,

恶徒堵住了她男友的嘴，

and knocked unconscious.

并围殴至昏迷。

She died on the 29th of December.

在12月29号，她不治而亡。

And at a time when most of us here

我们这里大多数人

were preparing to welcome the new year,

在准备过新年的时候，

India plunged into darkness.

印度却陷入了黑暗。

For the first time in our history,

历史上第一次，

men and women in Indian cities

印度的男人们和女人们被

woke up to the horrific truth

印度女性真实生活状态的可怕事实惊醒。

about the true state of women in the country.

Now, like many other young women,

那时，像很多其他的年轻的女性，

I was absolutely terrified.

我陷入了恐惧的深渊。

I couldn't believe that something like this

我无法相信，在一个国家的首都

could happen in a national capital.

会发生这种事情。

I was angry and I was frustrated,

我生气，我沮丧，

but most of all, I felt utterly, completely helpless.

但最重要的是，我完全绝望了。

But really, what do you do, right?

说真的，你能做什么？

Some write blogs, some ignore it,

一些人写了博客， 一些人漠然无视，

some join protests.

一些人参与了抗议。

I did all of it. In fact, that was what everyone was doing

这些事情我都做了。

事实上，两年前每个人就这样做了。

two years ago.

So the media was filled with stories about

媒体上充斥着印度男性

all the horrific deeds

能做的种种恶行。

that Indian men are capable of.

They were compared to animals,

他们被比作动物，

sexually repressed beasts.

性压抑的禽兽。

In fact, so alien and unthinkable was this event

事实上，最离奇而不可思议的是，

in an Indian mind

印度人看来，

that the response from the Indian media,

印度媒体、公众和政客做出的回应只证明了一点：

public and politicians proved one point:

No one knew what to do.

没有人知道该怎么做，

And no one wanted to be responsible for it.

也没有人愿意为此负责。

In fact, these were a few insensitive comments

事实上，针对性侵犯女性一事，

which were made in the media

许多名流面对媒体的表态可谓漠不关心。

by prominent people

in response to sexual violence against women in general.

So the first one is made by a member of parliament,

第一条句出自一位议员之口；（强奸成年女性是可以理解的, 但是对儿童下手却是难以想象的）

the second one is made by a spiritual leader,

第二句来自一个精神领袖； （女性应该称强奸者为兄弟）

and the third one was actually the defendants' lawyer

第三句事实上来自被告律师； （被害人自己不检点）

when the girl was fighting for her life

受害女孩为生命抗争，

and she passed away.

却已离开了人世。

Now, as a woman watching this day after day,

作为一个女性，

每天都看到类似的事情，

I was tired.

我看倦了。

So as a writer and gender activist,

身为一个作家和两性社会活动家，

I have written extensively on women,

我在女性话题上挥洒了诸多笔墨，

but this time, I realized it was different,

但这次的事件不同寻常，

because a part of me realized

因为部分的我意识到我也是年轻女性的一员，

I was a part of that young woman too,

and I decided I wanted to change this.

我下定决心要去改变它。

So I did something spontaneous, hasty.

我立即开始行动，甚至有些仓促。

I logged on to a citizen journalism platform

我登录到一个叫 "iReport"

called iReport,

的民间记者平台上，

and I recorded a video talking about

录制了一个视频，

what the scene was like in Bangalore.

讲的是班加罗尔现在的情形。

I talked about how I felt,

我讲了我的感受，

I talked about the ground realities,

我讲了当地的实际情况，

and I talked about the frustrations of living in India.

我也讲了在印度生活所感受到的失望。

In a few hours, the blog was shared widely,

几个小时内, 这个博客被广泛地转发，

and comments and thoughts poured in

评论和想法

from across the world.

从世界各地涌来。

In that moment, a few things occurred to me.

那时，我突然意识到一些事情。

One, technology was always at hand

第一，对于像我一样的诸多女性，

for many young women like me.

科技总是触手可及的；

Two, like me, most young women

第二，像我一样，

hardly use it to express their views.

大多女性很少利用科技来表达自己的观点；

Three, I realized for the first time

第三，我第一次意识到

that my voice mattered.

我的声音起作用了。

So in the months that followed,

因此，接下来的几个月中，

I covered a trail of events in Bangalore

我揭露了一系列发生在班加罗尔的事件，

which had no space in the mainstream news.

这些事件都不曾被主流媒体提及。

In Cubbon Park, which is a big park in Bangalore,

在Cubbon公园，一个位于班加罗尔的大型公园，

I gathered with over 100 others

我召集了超过100名群众，

when groups of young men came forward

这时，一群穿着裙子的年轻男人进入我们的视野，

to wear skirts to prove that clothing

does not invite rape.

他们是为了宣扬

着装并不是诱发强暴的借口。

When I reported about these events,

当我报道这些事件的时候，

I felt I had charge, I felt like I had a channel

我感到了力量，

我找到了一条宣泄内心情绪的渠道。

to release all the emotions I had inside me.

I attended the town hall march

我参加了小镇游行，

when students held up signs saying

学生高举标语，大声疾呼

"Kill them, hang them."

「杀了他们， 吊死他们」

"You wouldn't do this to your mothers or sisters."

「你不会对你的妈妈或者姐妹做这些事情。」

I went to a candlelight vigil

我参加了一个烛光守夜活动，

where citizens gathered together

众人围聚在一起，

to talk about the issue of sexual violence openly,

公开讨论性暴力事件，

and I recorded a lot of blogs

我写了很多博客，

in response to how worrying the situation was

展现出当时印度的状况是多么让人揪心。

in India at that point.

（我有很多住在城市和国外的兄弟姐妹，但他们从未对我说过或抱怨过你们所说的困难）

["I am born with sisters and cousin who now live in cities and abroad but they never talk to me or complain about their daily difficulties like you say"]

Now, the reactions confused me.

社会的反应让我茫然所措。

While supportive comments poured in from across the world,

虽然支持我的言论从世界各地涌来，

as did vicious ones.

但恶意的评论同样袭来。

So some called me a hypocrite.

有些人说我虚伪，

Some called me a victim, a rape apologist.

一些人叫我牺牲品，一个强奸辩护者，

Some even said I had a political motive.

一些人甚至说我有政治动机。

But this one comment kind of describes

但这一条评论在某种意义上来说

what we are discussing here today.

体现了我们今天要讨论的事情。

But I was soon to learn that this was not all.

但很快我了解到这并不是全部。

As empowered as I felt

虽然民间记者的渠道

with the new liberty that this

赋予我权力，

citizen journalism channel gave me,

也赋予我自由，

I found myself in an unfamiliar situation.

我却发现自己并不熟悉自己的处境。

So sometime last August, I logged onto Facebook

去年八月的某天，我登录Facebook，

and I was looking through my news feed,

浏览最新动态，

and I noticed there was a link

我注意到一条链接

that was being shared by my friends.

被多个朋友分享。

I clicked on the link; it led me back

我点击了这个链接，

to a report uploaded by an American girl

看到一份美国女孩Michaela Cross写的报告。

called Michaela Cross.

The report was titled,

标题是，

"India: The story you never wanted to hear."

「印度： 你永远不想听到的故事」

And in this report, she recounted her firsthand

在这篇报告里，她讲述了她在印度时

account of facing sexual harassment in India.

遭受性骚扰的全过程。

She wrote, "There is no way to prepare for the eyes,

她写到，「那些眼睛防不胜防，

the eyes that every day stared

每一天，那些眼睛毫无羞愧地

with such entitlement at my body,

地盯在我的身上，

with no change of expression

无论我是否对视，

whether I met their gaze or not.

他们的表情都毫无变化。

Walking to the fruit seller's or the tailor's,

在去水果铺或裁缝铺的路上，

I got stares so sharp

投向我的目光如此犀利，

that they sliced away bits of me piece by piece."

几乎都要把我切成碎片。」

She called India a traveler's heaven and a woman's hell.

她称印度是旅行者的天堂，女人的地狱。

She said she was stalked, groped,

她说男人们跟踪她，调戏她，

and masturbated at.

对着她自慰。

Now, late that evening, the report went viral.

那天晚上，这篇报告被疯狂地流传，

It was on news channels across the world.

出现在世界各地的新闻报导上。

Everyone was discussing it.

每个人都在讨论它，

It had over a million views,

浏览量超过了一百万，

a thousand comments and shares,

评论和分享数以千计，

and I found myself witnessing

我发现我当时目睹的事情似曾相识。

a very similar thing.

The media was caught in this vicious cycle

媒体陷入了这种充斥着讨论与激辩的恶性循环，

of opinion and outburst

and no outcome whatsoever.

但没有任何行动产生。

So that night, as I sat wondering

所以，那天晚上，我坐在那里想，

how I should respond,

我应该如何回应，

I found myself filled with doubt.

我的内心充满了疑虑。

You see, as a writer, I approached this issue

你们知道， 身为一个作家，

我以观察者的角度看待这个问题；

as an observer,

as an Indian, I felt embarrassment and disbelief,

身为一个印度人，我感到难堪，不敢相信这真的发生了；

and as an activist, I looked at it as a defender of rights,

作为一个活跃分子，我将其看作维护权利的利器；

but as a citizen journalist,

但是作为一个民间记者，

I suddenly felt very vulnerable.

我突然感觉到自己是如此脆弱。

I mean, here she was, a young woman

我意思是，这样一个女孩，

who was using a channel to talk about

通过网络渠道

her experience just as I was,

来谈论那些我也经历过的事情，

and yet I felt unsettled.

我却觉得非常不安。

You see, no one ever tells you

你们看，没有人曾经告诉过你

that true empowerment comes from giving yourself

真正的赋权来自于

the permission to think and act.

主动地思考和行动。

Empowerment is often made to sound as if

赋权这个词时常被塑造成一个理想化的概念，

it's an ideal, it's a wonderful outcome.

一个美好的结果。

When we talk about empowerment, we often

当讨论赋权的时候，

talk about giving people access to materials,

我们通常会说要让人们享有物质，

giving them access to tools.

享有工具。

But the thing is, empowerment is an emotion.

但事实上，赋权是一种情绪，

It's a feeling.

是一种情感。

The first step to empowerment

赋权的第一步

is to give yourself the authority,

是赋予自己权力，

the key to independent will,

这是独立的意志的关键。

and for women everywhere,

对于世界各地的女性而言，

no matter who we are or where we come from,

不管是谁，无论来自何方，

that is the most difficult step.

那才是最困难的一步。

We fear the sound of our own voice,

我们害怕自己的声音，

for it means admission, but it is this that gives us

因为这代表承认自己所遭受的一切，

但正是我们的声音赋予我们力量，

the power to change our environment.

改变周边的环境。

Now in this situation where I was faced

如今，我身处在这个纷乱的环境中，

with so many different kinds of realities,

I was unsure how to judge,

我不知道该如何决断，

because I didn't know what it would mean for me.

因为我不知道我的决断对我而言意味着什么。

I feared to judge because I didn't know what it would be

我害怕决断，因为如果我不支持这个女孩的观点，

if I didn't support the same view as this girl.

我不知道在我决断后会发生什么；

I didn't know what it would mean for me

如果我的决断动摇了某些人的信念，

if I was challenging someone else's truth.

我不知道这个决断对我而言意味着什么。

But yet, it was simple.

但是，事实很简单，

I had to make a decision:

我必须做出决定：

Should I speak up or should I stay quiet?

我要说出自己的观点，还是保持沉默？

So after a lot of thought,

深思熟虑后，

I recorded a video blog in response,

我录了一段视频予以回应，

and I told Michaela, well,

并且告诉Michaela，

there are different sides to India,

印度有阳光的一面，也有阴暗的一面，

and I also tried to explain

我努力去向她解释，

that things would be okay

事情会变好的，

and I expressed my regret for what she had faced.

而且，我对于她经历的一切表示歉意。

And a few days later, I was invited to talk

几天之后，我被邀请与她通过网络对话，

on air with her,

and for the first time, I reached out to this girl

那是我第一次跟这个从没见过的女孩来往，

who I had never met, who was so far away,

这个女孩虽然离我很远，

but yet I felt so close to.

但彼此内心的距离很近。

Since this report came to light,

自从那篇报告发布之后，

more young people than ever

在校园里，越来越多的年轻人谈论性骚扰的话题，

were discussing sexual harassment on the campus,

从数量上讲是前所未有的。

and the university that Michaela belonged to

Michaela 就读的大学

gave her the assistance she needed.

为她提供了必要的帮助。

The university even took measures

学校甚至培训学生，

to train its students to equip them

让她们在面对侵犯时具备应有的技能。

with the skills that they need

to confront challenges such as harassment,

and for the first the time, I felt I wasn't alone.

也是第一次，我感受到我并不孤单。

You see, if there's anything that I've learned

作为一个民间记者已有数年，

as an active citizen journalist

若说我多少学到了一点东西的话，

over the past few years,

it is our dire lack as a society to actively find

那就是，

社会给予我们发出内心声音的平台太少了。

avenues where our voices can be heard.

We don't realize that when we are standing up,

我们之前没有意识到，

当我们挺身而出，

we are not just standing up as individuals,

我们并不是孤零零的，

we are standing up for our communities,

我们站了出来，是为了社会，

为了朋友，为了同伴，

our friends, our peers.

Most of us say that women are denied their rights,

大多人会说女性被剥夺了权利，

but the truth is, oftentimes,

但事实是，通常情况下，

women deny themselves these rights.

是女性没有使用自己的权利。

In a recent survey in India,

根据一个近期在印度的调查，

95 percent of the women who work in I.T.,

在IT、航空、医疗和话务中心行业工作的女性，

aviation, hospitality and call centers,

有95%称她们在加班后或夜里回家时感觉不安全。

said they didn't feel safe returning home alone

after work in the late hours or in the evening.

In Bangalore, where I come from,

在班加罗尔，我来自的地方，

this number is 85 percent.

这个数字是85%。

In rural areas in India,

在印度的农村地区，

if anything is to go by the recent

列举一些近期发生的事情，

gang rapes in Badaun and acid attacks in Odisha

如步道恩的轮奸事件，

and Aligarh are supposed to go by,

奥里萨邦和阿里格尔的硫酸袭击事件。

we need to act really soon.

我们需要尽快的做出行动。

Don't get me wrong,

不要误解我，

the challenges that women will face

女性们为讲述自己的故事

in telling their stories is real,

所面临的挑战是真的，

but we need to start pursuing

但我们需要努力寻找媒体，

and trying to identify mediums

让它们加入到我们应对挑战的过程中，

to participate in our system

and not just pursue the media blindly.

而不只是盲目地跟随媒体。

Today, more women than ever

今天，比以往任何时候都多的女性

are standing up and questioning

站了出来，

the government in India,

质问印度政府，

and this is a result of that courage.

这是一种有勇气的表现。

There is a sixfold increase in women

报道性骚扰的女性数量增长了六倍，

reporting harassment,

and the government passed

政府在2013年通过了刑法修正案，

the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act in 2013

to protect women against sexual assault.

保护受性骚扰的女性。

As I end this talk,

在我的演讲接近尾声之时，

I just want to say

我只想说，

that I know a lot of us in this room have our secrets,

我知道，在这个房间里，许多人都有难言之隐，

but let us speak up.

请我们一起说出来，

Let us fight the shame and talk about it.

让我们不怕难为情大声说出来吧。

It could be a platform, a community,

可以在一个平台上，或一个集体中，

your loved one, whoever or whatever you choose,

你喜欢的就好，无论是哪一种，

but let us speak up.

但无论如何请发出你的声音。

The truth is, the end to this problem

事实的真相是，

begins with us.

终结性骚扰问题，要从我们自己开始。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）