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A 31 year old Italian woman, Tiziana Cantone committed suicide after a video of her engaging in a sexual act became viral on the internet. Here’s more.
According to the Guardian, Cantone had sent the video of herself to some friends including an ex-boyfriend, although other sources including La Repubblica report that she had sent the video to five friends whom she trusted.
She was unaware that the video would subsequently be posted on the internet and social media, and be viewed almost a million times. In the video she said, “You’re filming? Bravo”, to her lover. The phrase became a mocking joke and was printed on memes, T-shirts, smart phones and other items.
People started recognizing Cantone and random strangers would insult her. She had to quit her job, move cities and even tried to change her name.
After a long court battle she won a “right to be forgotten” ruling, ordering the video to be removed from various sites and search engines but it was too late. She had also been ordered to pay huge legal costs.
“She was suffering from everything she saw and heard and in particular from the outcome of the legal proceedings, because she believed justice had not been done,” said her mother.
The image of her shattered mother being carried away during her funeral is heartbreaking. In a video, she is seen inconsolable after losing her child in such an imaginable way.
Some people have continued to condemn her and blame her for this fate, as she had consented to being videotaped and had herself shared it, although she never intended for it to become public. This tragedy again highlights how vulnerable women are to cyber bullying and other cyber crimes.
I had recently written about women’s ‘honour‘ and how it is a patriarchal, regressive concept used to deny women of their freedom. But how does a woman in such an unpleasant situation feel, and cope with the damage? Vincenzo De Luca, the governor of Campania, Cantone’s home region, said something very meaningful:
“We need to do more work to prevent this sort of thing from happening, starting with schools, where we’ve seen an increase in bullying and girls who commit suicide because of what happens on the internet. I want to send a message to girls – don’t be ashamed. Everyone has moments of weakness and poor judgment.”
Cyber laws need to be regulated, big time. We may not like to accept this, but the reality is that our generation is susceptible to online abuse and we are not equipped to deal with it, technologically, emotionally, psychologically.
As families we could tell girls that no matter what, we would be there for support. If she becomes a victim of misuse of a picture / video she should be told that it was NOT her fault. It could be a mistake or a judgment error, but not a crime.
Whatever humiliation she may face because of it would be temporary but she can recover from it. We should not just provide education to our daughters, but empower them to face any situation in life with courage.
Image Source: Youtube
I like to write about the problems that have plagued the Indian society. I feel that the concept of gender equality is still alien , and that has been the focus of my articles and posts. read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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