Unit – IV: ISSUES OF VIOLENCE

Unit – IV: ISSUES OF VIOLENCE

CHAPTER 1 –  Sexual Harassment: Say No!

Eve teasing is a euphemism used throughout South Asia for public sexual harassment or molestation (often known as "street harassment") of women by men.

Stalking and its impacts on the Society:

A popular category of Eve teasing is stalking. The general definition of Stalking can be described as repeated harassing or threatening behaviour by an individual, such as following a person, appearing at person’s home, person’s workplace, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects or vandalizing person’s property.

Eve Teasing: Sections 294 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) prohibit any individual or group of people pass any kind of offensive comment or execute any such gesture towards a girl of any age

Films Make Sexual Harassment A Joke

We as moviegoers often consume and laugh at sexual harassment without even noticing it. The harassment here functions as part of the scenery, more or less unaddressed and is purely atmospheric.

Further reading: "Chupulu"

Chupulu, a poem translated as 'looks' or sometimes 'stares', written by Jayaprabha, is a poem about the male gaze. It begins with the poet-persona describing the assault of stares she endures daily and ends with the poet hoping for the day when women can return the stares and reclaim public spaces for themselves.

Sexual harassment: Considered a problem related to delinquency in youth, it is a form of sexual aggression that ranges in severity from sexually suggestive remarks, brushing in public places and catcalls to groping. Sometimes the severity of these incidents grew as well, in some cases leading to acid throwing.

Sexual harassment by strangers, as with any type of harassment, has been a notoriously difficult crime to prove, as perpetrators often devise discreet ways to harass women, even though Eve teasing usually occurs in public spaces, streets, and public transport.

This behavior is sometimes referred to as a kind of "little rape". Some people warn women to avoid attracting the attention of these kinds of men by wearing conservative clothing. However, this harassment is reported both by the conservatively dressed Indian women  and by the modern women including women in foreign countries.

The problem first received public and media attention in the 1970s. In the following decades, more and more women started going to college and working independently, meaning that they were often no longer accompanied by a male escort as had been the norm in traditional society. In response, the problem grew to alarming proportions, despite this not being the case in other cultures where women go and come as they please. Soon the Indian government had to take remedial measures, both judicial and law enforcement, to curb the practice. Efforts were made to sensitize the police about the issue, and police started rounding up Eve teasers. The deployment of plain-clothed female police officers for the purpose has been particularly effective. Other measures taken in various states by the police were setting up of dedicated women's help lines in various cities, police-stations staffed by women, and special police cells.

Also seen during this period was a marked rise in the number of women coming forward to report cases of sexual harassment, due to changing public opinion against this practice.

CHAPTER 2 –  Domestic Violence: Speaking Out

Domestic violence is abuse that happens in a personal relationship. It can happen between past or current partners, spouses, or boyfriends and girlfriends. Domestic violence affects men and women of any ethnic group, race, or religion; gay or straight; rich or poor; teen, adult, or elderly. But most of its victims are women. In fact, 1 out of 4 women will be a victim at some point. 

The abuser may use fear, bullying, and threats to gain power and control over the other person. He or she may act jealous, controlling, or possessive. These early signs of abuse may happen soon after the start of the relationship and might be hard to notice at first. 

After the relationship becomes more serious, the abuse may get worse.

• The abuser may begin making threats, calling the other person names, and slamming doors or breaking dishes. This is a form of emotional abuse that is sometimes used to make the person feel bad or weak.
• Physical abuse that starts with a slap might lead to kicking, shoving, and choking over time.
• As a way to control the person, the abuser may make violent threats against the person's children, other family members, or pets.
• Abusers may also control or withhold money to make the person feel weak and dependent. This is called financial abuse.
• Domestic violence also includes sexual abuse, such as forcing a person to have sex against her will.

When Women Unite: The story of an Uprising” by Shabnam Virmani

It recreates a piece of history that took place in Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh, India, between 1992 and 1995. Arrack, a type of country liquor, was being manufactured by the government and supplied to the villages through middlemen. Since arrack was easier to obtain than water, the village men were staying intoxicated and becoming more and more abusive to their families. The women of the villages in Nellore District rallied and got the government to stop the sale of arrack in the villages.

 

CHAPTER 3 –  Thinking About Sexual Violence

 What should you do if you're being abused?

It's important to get help. Talk with someone you trust, such as a friend, a help center, or your doctor. Talking with someone can help you make the changes you need.
Your first step is to contact a local advocacy group for support, information, and advice on how to stay safe.

Here are some other things you can do:

• Know your legal rights. Consider asking the police for help.
• Make sure that you know phone numbers you can call and places you can go in an emergency.
• Teach your children not to get in the middle of a fight.
• If you think you may leave, make a plan to help keep you safe. This will help when you are getting ready to leave.
•  Your plan might include:
• Putting together and hiding a suitcase of clothing, copies of your car and house keys, money or credit cards, and important papers, such as Social Security cards and birth certificates for you and your children. Keep the suitcase hidden in your home or leave it with friends or family or at work if possible.
• Open a savings account or get a credit card, if you can do so in secret.
• If you are a teen, talk to a trusted adult, such as your parents, family friend, or school counselor.

Divorce and Domestic Violence:

Domestic violence affects millions of households each year. Over the past several decades, every state has enacted laws to protect domestic abuse victims. Many laws specifically address how domestic violence or other abuse affects court decisions in divorces.

I fought for my life:

Sohaila Abdulia is an Indian born author and journalist who currently lives in the U.S.  In 1980, at the age of 17 she survived a violent gang rape in India.  Faced with a gang of violent men, Sohaila makes a choice to survive. Three years later she wrote about her experience in the Indian magazine, Manushi.
She has researched and given numerous public talks on issues of sexual violence.  She’s Senior Editor at Ubuntu Education Fund, an international NGO working with children in South Africa. Her website is www.sohailaink.com

The Caste Face of Violence:

Bhanwari Devi (also spelled Bahveri Devi) is an Indian dalit social-worker from Bhateri, Rajasthan, who was allegedly gang raped in 1992, by higher-caste men, angered by her efforts to prevent a child marriage in their family. Her subsequent treatment by the police, and court acquittal of the accused, attracted widespread national and international media attention, and became a landmark episode in India's women's rights movement.