Voices of the Voiceless

Have you ever thought about how many people and even animals just don’t get heard? The one who suffers in silence—the voiceless people whose pain and struggles often go unnoticed. They’re right there in our daily lives, but nobody listens. Sometimes it’s the girl who never speaks up in class, sometimes it’s that boy who everyone calls “weird,” or even that stray animal that sits outside your building looking for food. We notice them—maybe even talk about them—but do we really listen? Do we really care? We live in this loud world of music, opinions, and social media, with big talks about love and humanity, but somehow, the ones who actually need to be heard are the ones who stay silent. Or worse, they’re silenced: truths suppressed by powers and lies.

I have always felt there’s this strange thing about silence. It’s peaceful when you choose it, but painful when it’s forced. Think about the girls who are told to “stay quiet,” the boys who are told “real men don’t cry,” the animals who can’t even speak up when they’re hurt. Even for the individuals who do speak out about their mistreatment, it is too often that their experiences are not believed or are overlooked. It’s as if they are screaming inside, fighting their own battles alone. No one notices their pain behind their smile, because the world is too busy scrolling to hear. You know what’s even more sad? It’s not just those far away or in a fairy tale meant to inspire; People around us can also be the ones struggling—friends, classmates, maybe even family—silently carrying burdens we may never notice, yet feeling their pain every single day. So many people don’t speak up for themselves because they’re scared of judgment, of being labelled “too sensitive,” “too emotional,” or just “too much.” Society establishes rigid expectations of how to act, how to talk, and how to feel. And when the voiceless finally try to say something real, they’re laughed at or ostracized, forcing them to shut down. Slowly, they stop trying, and not because they don’t want to speak, but because they don’t think anyone’s listening. 

I’ve always felt that “voiceless” doesn’t always mean someone can't speak or talk. It also means they’re speaking, but no one’s hearing them or caring about their feelings. Some people cry for justice but get ignored. There are stories of people who were heard—a viral post, a breaking news, a protest—with their names trending for a week, a month, or even a year, but then…silence…no justice. People’s real stories become just another headline we pitied for some time before they disappeared. We move on. But justice doesn’t. It stands still, waiting for someone to care long enough to act. That’s the worst part: when voices finally reach the ears and hearts, but still get buried under hashtags and trends. 

Some stories end before they even begin, and some voices are silenced even before the world hears them. In a world full of voices, some are still unheard. Some scream for help, but their cries disappear in silence. Some fight for justice, but their truth is buried under power and lies. When justice is delayed, the voiceless suffer, and when justice is denied, the voices drown forever and maybe never rise. Nirmala Panta, a 13-year-old girl from Nepal, was brutally assaulted and murdered in 2018. Her death sparked outrage across the country, but the investigation was filled with negligence, tampering of evidence, and abuse of power. Despite years of protests and public demands, no true justice was served, and those responsible still walk free. Her story reflects how the innocent are silenced, and even the voices that rise for them are crushed by corruption and indifference. And so the question rises- How many voices must be silenced before we finally start listening? They all needed a voice, but without support, they were left alone. 

Yes, we should also stand for ourselves; we shouldn't wait thinking “someone will speak for me, stand up for me, and give me justice.” But when someone lacks support and confidence, we should give them courage. No one should suffer in silence just because they feel powerless. 

I think that it’s not anyone’s duty to speak for others. However, choosing to act, to listen, and to stand up anyway is what changes the world. Sometimes the smallest gesture and even the softest voice can be the loudest support someone needs. Remember, a small action can make a huge difference. A small voice can change a life, and a brave voice can change the world. 

And it’s not just humans who suffer like this. Animals suffer quietly, for example, animals used in production farms, testing labs, and stray dogs kicked for being viewed as dirty or noisy. They don’t have a language we understand, so we, as a society, decide their pain doesn’t matter. But it does. Maybe more than ours, because they can’t even explain it. A real-life example is dairy cows in factory farms. Many of these cows live in extremely cramped unsanitized conditions, often unable to move freely or lie down comfortably. To keep producing milk, they are repeatedly impregnated, and many undergo daily injections to stimulate milk production, which can leave them bleeding or in constant pain. Male calves are usually considered useless in the dairy industry, so in countries like India, they are often abandoned on the streets or left to die. Once a cow stops producing milk, she is typically slaughtered, despite having lived her entire life in suffering. These cows endure constant stress and pain, yet because they cannot communicate it in human language, most people remain unaware of their suffering.

It is interesting how being loud or popular gets you attention, while being soft or quiet gets you forgotten. Why does the world seem to value noise over truth? That’s what being “voiceless” really means; it’s not about having no voice, it’s about the world refusing to listen. But that can change, with people like us deciding we will not ignore it anymore. Because once you start hearing the silence, you can’t un-hear it. 

So what can we even do? It starts with just one thing: LISTENING. We must listen when someone says they’re not okay. We must feed that stray animal. We must call out unfairness even if it’s uncomfortable. We must use our voices when someone else feels that they don’t have one. We all have this hidden power to change something, if not everything, not by shouting the loudest you can, but by hearing the quietest. Instead of quickly judging, think about the action instead of the reaction. Maybe the classmate who’s always alone isn’t “weird,” but is just tired of being unheard. Maybe that stray dog hiding near the station doesn’t need pity, but it just needs kindness.

And maybe that’s where hope begins, with us. With our generation choosing empathy over ignorance, listening instead of judging, and standing up instead of scrolling past. Because if we can be the ones who hear the unspoken, who see the unseen, and who care even when it’s uncomfortable, then the world won’t just get louder, it will get better. We can’t give everyone a voice, but we can make sure no voice is ever lost again. We must listen to them, because every voice matters. If we don’t speak up, silence becomes normal, and I think that’s scarier than any shout. Everyone deserves to be heard: the forgotten, the ignored, the innocent, and the hurting. The real power lies in us: the ones who can still choose to listen. But listening alone isn’t enough. We must also stand up for them, speak out when injustice happens, and defend those who cannot defend themselves. The truth is, standing up for others doesn’t just help them; it strengthens our own character, reminding us who we truly are. If we choose courage over comfort and empathy over ignorance, then every voice we lift echoes into a better, fairer world. Remember, every silent life is a call. When we stand together, we give power to the powerless. 

This isn’t just about giving voices to the voiceless. It’s about reminding the world that they already have voices: strong, fearless, real ones. They just need space to be heard. And maybe, we can be that space. 

Ask yourself: If we don't speak for them today, who will speak for us tomorrow?