“About 2 girls were gang raped by a group of 30 men in Kelantan; 6 soldiers remanded over the alleged rape of a 5 year old child in Johor; 13 year old girl raped then assaulted by the alleged rapist’s wife; 15 year old teenager raped his mother while a 42 year old man raped his 69 year old mother- in- law”
These are just some of the stories that have been unfolded in Malaysia last year. However there still many more untold stories that continue to haunt our nation. Unbelievably, the youngest rapist in Malaysia is aged 6! In the first-ever global picture of sexual violence, the respected British medical journal The Lancet, establishes that in the world, 7.2 percent of women of at least 15 years old have suffered sexual violence from a stranger. In Malaysia, from 2005 till July 2014, out of the 28,471 rape cases that have been reported, the majority have been children below 18 years. Only 4,514 were brought to court.
Day in day out, we read and hear about all composites of victimization on women that too in a country that is deemed harmonious and progressive in development. Whenever I come to know of such incidents, I ask myself; Why so much of cruelty and suffering? Has there been justice for all these victims? How does society look upon them after the unexpected tragedy? Where is compassion, love and mercy?
In the current era, social media has caused a very significant influence in the lives of many children, teens and young adults. So much so, one’s self worth is determined by the number of ‘likes’ one gets on Facebook. They are vulnerable to exposure to strangers, putting themselves into unwanted trouble.
Sexual assault is a daily reality that occurs at an unacceptably high rate. Victims of sexual violence are also vulnerable to suicidal feelings, and show a high rate of suicide attempts. Help for victims can be nonexistent in many areas of the world. We don’t need to be anti-men or pro-women…..we just need to be a human to stand up against cruelty! And that is what LIPSTICK Series 2 is all about…sHE, woMAN, feMALE.
In the journey of my life, I’ve realized that success is about giving back to society. Living a self-centred life will not give contentment and satisfaction as obtained when serving humanity. Realizing the word ‘Art’ itself remains in ‘Heart’, I’ve chosen to use the art which has been part and parcel of my life to create awareness on social issues and propagate compassionate living and its values.
LIPSTICK has been a tough journey for me as I wear many hats in this production. I do not only dance, but I also manage other aspects of the production such as marketing, public relations, finance and etc. My driving factor has always been those victims who have been abused and some unfortunately murdered. I reflect upon their suffering whenever I feel distressed. However, the suffering which I have encountered has indeed made me stronger and wiser. LIPSTICK has indeed been a journey of enlightenment for me to realize the truth about life.
In Malaysia, it has always been a struggle for funding, especially if the artiste dreams of creating an extraordinary masterpiece. Having known that, I have introduced an addition to LIPSTICK this year, a premium 8gb Sandisk flash drive that comes with a metal casing and a velvet pouch, to raise sustainable funds for our ongoing projects. At this juncture, I would like to convey my gratitude to my family, sponsors, orchestra, production team, and everyone who has made LIPSTICK possible.
Throughout the ages, it was possible for evil to triumph because there has been inaction of those who could have acted, the indifferences of those who should have known better and the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most. Ignorance is never bliss when it comes to fighting over crime. It is collectively our responsibility to curb the problem.
Let us not just teach our girls on safety and empowerment, let us also teach our boys on chivalry and equality!
With abunDANCE of LOVE,
Kamini Manikam
