Eye opening: Anoushey Ashraf shares harrowing accounts of male abuse victims

RJ and actor Anoushey Ashraf, known for rallying for mental health awareness, took an unpopular – though much needed – route to destigmatise mental health by providing a space to the male community to voice and share their experiences with abuse and neglect.

May is mental health awareness month and Ashraf’s effort at collecting narratives is eye opening. They serve as a startling revelation of how many stories go unheard under the cloak of society-mandated masculinity.

Taking to Instagram, the host assembled as many "horrific stories" as she could of men who faced abuse as children. Ashraf added a trigger warning and highlighted how the matter is often brushed under the carpet.She emphasised on parents’ responsibility to not only educate their children about their bodies but also be open to listening to their children when such unfortunate incidents happen to them.

"I usually talk about women’s issues but this May I finally decided to also highlight men’s mental health which is key to a stable society. Young boys are often bullied and abused in schools, at home or by madrasahs, which is why I insist there is no need for clergy in religion,” the actor captioned the post.

Encouraging and validating the “brave” men who were strong enough to share their stories, anonymously and otherwise, she further added, "These posts have been shared by some very brave men. Ones I’d like to appreciate by letting them know how much respect they have in my eyes. Despite their abuse and trauma, they’re choosing to be better people. They’re actively working on themselves to be okay.”

Ashraf firmly believes that reaching out for help should be a common phenomenon. The purpose of sharing these stories on her platform was "to shed light on what goes on with the vulnerable throughout the world.” Along with that, she wanted her audience to understand that their experiences can be different from others, but that doesn’t mean they’ve the right to dismiss and invalidate others by alienating them based on their truths.

“Teach your sons and daughters the rights they have over their own bodies and the lack of rights they have over others' bodies. Start young. It’s an awful world.” Ashraf urged.