Stalking Is A Serious Crime Against Women. Stop Taking It So Casually!

Stalking is not love. It is a serious crime against women that needs to be addressed on a war footing say #WomenOnTheMove.

Stalking is not love. It is a serious crime against women that needs to be addressed on a war footing say #WomenOnTheMove.

Stalking can be defined as a course of conduct where an individual, especially a woman, is subjected to repeated or continuous mental or physical turmoil.

Is stalking gender specific? No, stalking is not gender specific and perpetrators and victims can both be male and female. However, most of the times it is seen that the stalkers are men. The harasser is often under a false impression that he/she is just trying to profess his/her love, although forcefully. The repeated harassment causes immense emotional distress including fear, intimidation and apprehension in the victim.

 

 

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This tweet is a true representation of how misinterpreted stalking is. Stalking is not love; stalking is a serious crime against women. Yes, stalking is not equal to rape, but stalking may lead to rape, kidnapping, acid attacks and also murder.

Most Indian women are familiar with street harassment and stalking. Our weekly #WomenOnTheMove chat got the Twitterati talking and sharing real life incidents of stalking and intimidation. We also discussed how to take stock of the situation and do something about it. Here’s what they said.

Street harassment in India is as common as the holy cow on the streets

Some real life incidents shared

Growing up as a woman in India is an everyday fight. Being groped, eve-teased, sexually assaulted, harassed on the streets, being stalked, are so common in women’s lives, that finding an exception to the narrative is hard to believe.

Should movies, actors and directors be held accountable for perpetuating the idea of stalking as a way of professing love?

Movies mirror the society and vice versa. Actors and actresses are no less than demi-gods for people in India. No wonder if anyone dare speak against them, the “bhakts” take matters in their own hands by viciously trolling the mere mortal who dared to speak against their god without even verifying the facts or acknowledging the right to free speech. Now imagine, when these demi-gods dance to the tunes of “achi baat karli bahut, ab karenge gandi baat” or “tere peeche aaunga main, apna banaunga main, jayegi bach le kahaan“, the kind of dangerous message they inadvertently propagate!

We don’t need any more laws, we need proper implementation of those laws to make women feel safe in their own country

Image: You Tube

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Jyotishree Mohanty

A part time backpacker, an accidental baker, a doting mother, a loving wife, a pampered daughter, an inspired blogger, an amateur photographer read more...

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