Published : 30 Sep 2026, 12:02 PM
Updated : 30 Sep 2026, 12:02 PM
Recent alleged rape and sexual assault cases in Delhi and Bihar have renewed concerns over women’s and children’s safety in India.
Amid the discussion over sexual violence, Indian actress Dia Mirza has spoken about the importance of raising boys with care, empathy and respect, urging parents to teach their sons about consent, personal boundaries and how to accept rejection.
On Tuesday, Dia shared a post on Instagram that read, “Don’t raise girls to avoid harm. Raise boys who won’t cause harm.”
Alongside the post, she wrote about the values she tries to teach her son.
“Every single day, I strive to teach my son the value of care, respect, empathy and kindness towards all,” she wrote.
She said this includes teaching him “how to respond to rejection, respect boundaries, and recognise and honour even the subtle ways in which a person may convey discomfort.”
Dia also stressed that consent should not be understood simply as the absence of refusal.
“I want him to understand that consent is not merely the absence of a ‘no’; it is the presence of a willing and comfortable ‘yes’,” she wrote.
She added that no one owes another person their attention, affection or intimacy, and that rejection should not be treated as an insult or something to be challenged or negotiated.
“This is something every parent raising a son must strive for today. Only then can we build a world that is safer, more equitable and healthier for our girls,” she wrote.
Dia and her husband, Vaibhav Rekhi, welcomed their son, Avyaan Azaad Rekhi, on May 14, 2021. He is now five years old.
Her post comes amid a series of alleged rape and sexual assault cases reported in Delhi, including cases involving minors.
Among them are the alleged rape of a 17-year-old at Aastha Kunj Park near Lady Shri Ram College, the alleged gang rape of a minor in Swaroop Nagar, and the alleged sexual assault of another minor on a bus travelling from Greater Noida to Delhi.
A harassment case involving minors in Bihar’s Jamui, has also drawn attention.
The Indian Supreme Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of recent cases of alleged rape and sexual assault in Delhi involving women and minors.
The court sought a response from the Delhi Police and said public spaces such as parks, buses and roads cannot be allowed to become “zones of high risk”.
