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Women are told to report harassment promptly - but does the world we live in make it easy for women to speak up against harassment?
Women are told to report harassment promptly – but does the world we live in make it easy for women to speak up against harassment?
It was 9:21 PM and no bus was in sight. I squinted my eyes towards the approaching vehicle, willing it to be a BMTC* bus. It was not. I could almost hear people at the bus shelter sigh with collective disappointment.
The day had been long and I couldn’t wait to get home, take a relaxing shower and slide under the covers. A few minutes later, a bus arrived, trudging forward like an old, drunken giant. I stepped in and squeezed my way into the center of the bus as the conductor yelled at women to move away from the exits. Poof! There it went. My dream of catching a seat.
Well, atleast I had the pole to hang on to. No, wait. That was gone too as an elderly woman authoritatively took my spot by stepping on my foot. I moved further down the bus and established myself in a tiny spot. And regretted it as the driver began to apply the brakes and hordes of men used the opportunity to get their bodies in close contact with mine. I glared at one. It continued. I politely asked him to move away. He ignored me, without looking at me. It continued. I launched a verbal attack and he stepped a respectable distance away. Now, it was the women’s’ turn to stare. Not at him, but at me. It’s not everyday that one bears witness to an incident such as this.
My stop finally arrived and I got off the bus, relieved. The incident was certainly not the first of its kind and I was certainly not the first woman to endure it. Bangalore police launched the Bengaluru, Get Ready to Report initiative which helps women report harassment without hesitation. Every senior officer is supposedly active on Twitter and Facebook and can be reached via social media. But how could I report an incident such as the one I was just involved in? Would the miscreant tell me his name, his address or other details? Should I suffer in silence as I wait for the city to bring back women-only buses? Why should it be so uncommon for a woman to cause an uproar?
Meanwhile, inside my mind, a furious second verbal attack was being launched on him. I was proud of how I sounded in my mind. When I was finished, satisfied that I had told him all that I had to say, I looked around me. More women stared at me as the scene unfolded. Some whispered among themselves as they glared. A kind soul (a creation of my imagination, of course) reiterated a few things that I had said and berated the miscreant. More stares.
But would the scene that just played in my mind stop him from continuing harassment in other buses? Would it really ensure the safety of other women on the same bus? The only way I could rid the bus of the miscreant, at that very moment, was to get him off the bus. Once again, I imagine my ideal world with a handy solution. I revisit the incident in my mind and tug the recently installed emergency cord to stop the bus. This alerts the bus conductor and the miscreant is asked (read, forced) to step out.
Women around me are quite familiar with such incidents and it is common for a man who attempts to harass a woman to be taken off the bus. No stares this time. Everything goes back to normal and I reach home, take a shower and go to bed.
*Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corp
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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.
It is shameful that in today's world too, women are abused and even killed for giving birth to a girl, and the infant's life is also of no value.
Trigger Warning: This deals with domestic violence, suicide, and violence against women, and may be triggering to survivors.
I am so glad that the esteemed courts are now giving the much-required verdicts regarding certain ideologies that were not at all entertained earlier. I mean we all have studied this much biology at our school level and it is our duty (our generation) to educate our elders about it.
Why someone have to lose a life to bring such awareness to the society. Delhi High Court gave this judgement concerning a case that filed by the deceased daughter’s parents against her in-laws. She committed suicide as she was harassed and tortured for dowry and giving birth to two daughters.
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