Helal Uddin Ahmed :
Many people consider feminist movement as a movement of the women community only. Most do not agree that male participation is also required for it to succeed. Many educated people were consulted about the incidents of women’s repression within the boundaries of capital Dhaka during a cross-border survey in 2001. The most alarming aspect of it all was that men held the womenfolk responsible for the incidents of women’s repression.
The Indian cities of Delhi, Jaipur and Kolkata of India were also visited in connection with that survey. It was observed while collecting information that although awareness on the subject had increased among the educated people of India, the females were still facing harassment and falling prey to the patriarchal mentality of the males while on the roads, ports, railway stations and offices.
The follow-up of the news on women’s repression at Jahangirnagar University near Dhaka some years back shook the entire mass media as well as the society at large. The incident put basic human values to test while fellow female students of the same university were sexually harassed by their male counterparts.
This article shall limit the deliberations on women’s repression at the universities during the mentioned time. The situation faced by women at Delhi University was in no way better than that of Jahangirnagar. While talking to the male students of that university, it was apparent that they lacked a clear perception even about the definition of women’s repression. They considered the episodes of eve-teasing or harassment they indulged in regularly as their birthright. A male student wanted to know what was the harm if somebody made a comment on seeing a beautiful girl (?).
He did not consider making one or two such comments as unjust. According to another male student women coming from the ‘mofussil’ areas wore offbeat modern dresses faced harassment most.
Many girls even hailing from Delhi itself were harassed without any ground by the male students of the university. In dresses also, they were not offensively modern. It was reported that the female students also had to cope with obscene behaviour of their male friends there.
All students interviewed at Delhi University conceded that the boys were going astray due to rising influence of the media. The captivating attraction of satellite television was acting as a hindrance to development of good taste. According to the girls, a patriarchal social outlook was the main cause of women’s repression. The boys were not interested to understand the problems of girls. There were even complaints that although the progressive-minded students supported the women’s liberation movement, they were inclined to keep the girls belonging to their own households outside this movement.
Many times human chains are formed on the Dhaka University campus against sexual harassment. It found that, a majority of students and teachers involved in this harassment, do not face prosecution. In the survey, another serious allegation came up that, many teachers elicited different favours from the girls by promising good marks in their examinations. If the girls disagreed, then its impact was found in the marks they obtained.
This problem also persisted in Delhi University. According to a survey conducted at Delhi University, many girls were embarrassed due to many of their teachers’ behaviour and attitude. When a girl protested such behaviour, the defaulting teacher did not dare to do the same anymore. But those who did not protest were subjected to that same treatment on a continual basis.
According to that survey, male students of the same class also did not hesitate to embarrass their female counterparts. When male students proposed friendship with female students and then wanted to upgrade that relationship into love affair, the females faced harassment if they rejected the proposal. Even the university library was not free of these incidents. A group of boys went to the library only to look at girls. Their only job in the library was to pass indecent remarks. The ordinary students did not get an undisturbed working environment in the library in many cases.
There were many instances of harassment on the roads in the campus. Around 91.7 percent of those interviewed claimed they had faced harassment while on the roads more than once. If crime or unfair practice was really resorted then legal measures should have definitely been taken after proper enquiry. Experts opined, if punishment was not meted out to the offenders, then crime was also likely to rise, similar to other crimes in the society.
Most respondents in the Delhi University survey gave their own versions regarding the difference between ‘eve-teasing’ and ‘sexual harassment’. One girl said that eve-teasing did not cross one’s tolerance capacity while sexual harassment crossed that tolerance level. Another said that verbal abuse was eve-teasing, while physical abuse was sexual harassment. Many said that eve-teasing temporarily affected the mind while it took a long time to erase the memory of sexual harassment from the mind. Sometimes it was never erased.
The answers received from the male students of Delhi University are no less startling. One person said, eve-teasing was done only for fun. It was never dangerous. Another said, many girls liked to hear remarks about them. Yet another said, “I have the right to dub beautiful girls ‘beautiful’, saying this does not fall in the category of teasing”.
From the survey carried out at Delhi University, it was found that 20 percent of the respondents were of the opinion that rapes and physical abuses were ‘sexual harassment’, while verbal abuse was eve-teasing. There were divergent views among the Delhi University students on whether obscene jokes, display of pornographic view-cards, looking indecently at girls, etc could be termed sexual harassment.
The saddest part of it all was that a major segment of the male students did not consider the girls to be their equals. The UN declaration on human rights speaks about the rights of all human beings, but application of these rights varies from region to region, as human relationships are not on the same plane in different societies.
On the other hand, some of the ultra-feminists consider all males to be their enemies. They consider ‘tit for tat’ as the basis of their relationship with males. This view is prevalent among many university-going girls. They consider imitation of all bad habits of the males as a step towards women’s emancipation.
In fact, both males and females should come forward for women’s emancipation. This awareness should emanate from within the family structure. Only then would the movement spread throughout society. The introduction of the issue of male-female relationship at the school-level may free the students from unclear and unjust ideas on the subject.
It should be ensured that the boys do not get any perverted notion of sexuality. We have to teach our children that human beings can be compared only with other human beings. It should be understood that males and females are both human beings.
As long as the patriarchal outlook of the society, harmful influence of satellite television and internet, distorted application of religion and tendency to abuse females for demonstrating heroism do not subside, the alarming rise in sexual harassment in our universities or those in New Delhi or Jaipur of India would not diminish. It is difficult to accept in this modern age that women should remain constantly alert in order to remain safe from their male counterparts.
Human chains have been formed in many of our universities against sexual harassment. There have been many allegations of harassment against teachers, students and non-students alike, and there is no reason why these complaints should be taken lightly. The girls are feeling insecure not only on the campuses they are subjected to harassment on the streets as well. Conscious efforts should therefore be made to ascertain the status of the womenfolk. The notion that men and women give rise to the human race and the truth of humans is above all else can aid in the reduction of disparity between males and females, leading to its ultimate elimination.
Everybody should be vocal about those who disrupt the security of female students. The rapists can be expelled from the political arena if they are involved in politics. The faces of those who patronise these people should be unmasked. Our awareness and boldness practice of patience and honour for each other can show us the real path of peace to gain and exist.
Many people consider feminist movement as a movement of the women community only. Most do not agree that male participation is also required for it to succeed. Many educated people were consulted about the incidents of women’s repression within the boundaries of capital Dhaka during a cross-border survey in 2001. The most alarming aspect of it all was that men held the womenfolk responsible for the incidents of women’s repression.
The Indian cities of Delhi, Jaipur and Kolkata of India were also visited in connection with that survey. It was observed while collecting information that although awareness on the subject had increased among the educated people of India, the females were still facing harassment and falling prey to the patriarchal mentality of the males while on the roads, ports, railway stations and offices.
The follow-up of the news on women’s repression at Jahangirnagar University near Dhaka some years back shook the entire mass media as well as the society at large. The incident put basic human values to test while fellow female students of the same university were sexually harassed by their male counterparts.
This article shall limit the deliberations on women’s repression at the universities during the mentioned time. The situation faced by women at Delhi University was in no way better than that of Jahangirnagar. While talking to the male students of that university, it was apparent that they lacked a clear perception even about the definition of women’s repression. They considered the episodes of eve-teasing or harassment they indulged in regularly as their birthright. A male student wanted to know what was the harm if somebody made a comment on seeing a beautiful girl (?).
He did not consider making one or two such comments as unjust. According to another male student women coming from the ‘mofussil’ areas wore offbeat modern dresses faced harassment most.
Many girls even hailing from Delhi itself were harassed without any ground by the male students of the university. In dresses also, they were not offensively modern. It was reported that the female students also had to cope with obscene behaviour of their male friends there.
All students interviewed at Delhi University conceded that the boys were going astray due to rising influence of the media. The captivating attraction of satellite television was acting as a hindrance to development of good taste. According to the girls, a patriarchal social outlook was the main cause of women’s repression. The boys were not interested to understand the problems of girls. There were even complaints that although the progressive-minded students supported the women’s liberation movement, they were inclined to keep the girls belonging to their own households outside this movement.
Many times human chains are formed on the Dhaka University campus against sexual harassment. It found that, a majority of students and teachers involved in this harassment, do not face prosecution. In the survey, another serious allegation came up that, many teachers elicited different favours from the girls by promising good marks in their examinations. If the girls disagreed, then its impact was found in the marks they obtained.
This problem also persisted in Delhi University. According to a survey conducted at Delhi University, many girls were embarrassed due to many of their teachers’ behaviour and attitude. When a girl protested such behaviour, the defaulting teacher did not dare to do the same anymore. But those who did not protest were subjected to that same treatment on a continual basis.
According to that survey, male students of the same class also did not hesitate to embarrass their female counterparts. When male students proposed friendship with female students and then wanted to upgrade that relationship into love affair, the females faced harassment if they rejected the proposal. Even the university library was not free of these incidents. A group of boys went to the library only to look at girls. Their only job in the library was to pass indecent remarks. The ordinary students did not get an undisturbed working environment in the library in many cases.
There were many instances of harassment on the roads in the campus. Around 91.7 percent of those interviewed claimed they had faced harassment while on the roads more than once. If crime or unfair practice was really resorted then legal measures should have definitely been taken after proper enquiry. Experts opined, if punishment was not meted out to the offenders, then crime was also likely to rise, similar to other crimes in the society.
Most respondents in the Delhi University survey gave their own versions regarding the difference between ‘eve-teasing’ and ‘sexual harassment’. One girl said that eve-teasing did not cross one’s tolerance capacity while sexual harassment crossed that tolerance level. Another said that verbal abuse was eve-teasing, while physical abuse was sexual harassment. Many said that eve-teasing temporarily affected the mind while it took a long time to erase the memory of sexual harassment from the mind. Sometimes it was never erased.
The answers received from the male students of Delhi University are no less startling. One person said, eve-teasing was done only for fun. It was never dangerous. Another said, many girls liked to hear remarks about them. Yet another said, “I have the right to dub beautiful girls ‘beautiful’, saying this does not fall in the category of teasing”.
From the survey carried out at Delhi University, it was found that 20 percent of the respondents were of the opinion that rapes and physical abuses were ‘sexual harassment’, while verbal abuse was eve-teasing. There were divergent views among the Delhi University students on whether obscene jokes, display of pornographic view-cards, looking indecently at girls, etc could be termed sexual harassment.
The saddest part of it all was that a major segment of the male students did not consider the girls to be their equals. The UN declaration on human rights speaks about the rights of all human beings, but application of these rights varies from region to region, as human relationships are not on the same plane in different societies.
On the other hand, some of the ultra-feminists consider all males to be their enemies. They consider ‘tit for tat’ as the basis of their relationship with males. This view is prevalent among many university-going girls. They consider imitation of all bad habits of the males as a step towards women’s emancipation.
In fact, both males and females should come forward for women’s emancipation. This awareness should emanate from within the family structure. Only then would the movement spread throughout society. The introduction of the issue of male-female relationship at the school-level may free the students from unclear and unjust ideas on the subject.
It should be ensured that the boys do not get any perverted notion of sexuality. We have to teach our children that human beings can be compared only with other human beings. It should be understood that males and females are both human beings.
As long as the patriarchal outlook of the society, harmful influence of satellite television and internet, distorted application of religion and tendency to abuse females for demonstrating heroism do not subside, the alarming rise in sexual harassment in our universities or those in New Delhi or Jaipur of India would not diminish. It is difficult to accept in this modern age that women should remain constantly alert in order to remain safe from their male counterparts.
Human chains have been formed in many of our universities against sexual harassment. There have been many allegations of harassment against teachers, students and non-students alike, and there is no reason why these complaints should be taken lightly. The girls are feeling insecure not only on the campuses they are subjected to harassment on the streets as well. Conscious efforts should therefore be made to ascertain the status of the womenfolk. The notion that men and women give rise to the human race and the truth of humans is above all else can aid in the reduction of disparity between males and females, leading to its ultimate elimination.
Everybody should be vocal about those who disrupt the security of female students. The rapists can be expelled from the political arena if they are involved in politics. The faces of those who patronise these people should be unmasked. Our awareness and boldness practice of patience and honour for each other can show us the real path of peace to gain and exist.
(PID feature by Ex. Additional Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration)
