Eve-Teasing: A Word Used Beyond Its Usage
Posted on September 23rd, 2007 by bizboy • Filed under: Social Issues
Eve-teasing is one major harassment for women across the world. Its been known by different words all around the world. “Tease” according to the Merriam-Webster is: to disturb or annoy by persistent irritating or provoking especially in a petty or mischievous way
But should lewd comments, indecent touch, pinching, groping be categorized as only mischievous ?? These certainly are way beyond petty mischief and hence calling them eve-teasing is completely incorrect. These are crimes bigger than robbery and theft, since you are violating the privacy or trespassing someone else’s body & mind.
Today, Women in India are such a big voice. They are holding major posts at offices, have a bigger voice at homes, have a bigger representation of India to the world. But then, street harassment has also increased as more and more women come out of their homes. Government needs to make strict laws to curb street harassment of women. But tackling the roots of the problem in this case is more important. The root cause for this crime is the male mind/body and the female mind/body. Social acceptance to women liberties is one necessity to reduce such crimes against women. Men should be inculcated with values of respect towards women, while women should gather the respect for herself. Shoma Chatterji here, analyzes the issue beautifully, with some remedies to the issue. The Blank Noise Project, is another idea that is gathering momentum on issues of eve-teasing and different experiences shared by women on eve-teasing.
Just support from women is not enough to tackle this issue. Men need to be made aware about the dignity of women. MAVA is another organization that’s working towards this cause and has organized various workshops for men on this issue. It also has a popular “Defense Workshop For Women” which aims to make women more self-reliant when such harassment takes place.
Hopefully, the work from these and many other organizations will help shape a free, liberal society for women, where men and women live in harmony
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There is no doubt that Eve-Teasing is wrong and should not be tolerated. But it is seen that many women ignore such harassment happened to them and because of which the road romeos and other bad minded men get courage for harassing more and more women.
So, until and unless, women don’t take any firm steps against it, the eve-teasing wont reduce… And at the same time, the mentality of men about women should also got changed…. I mean the improvement should happen from both the sides….
I conveys my best wishes for organizations like MAVA who is active against eve-teasing and working for women development.
No matter what we do… this evil seems to go on endlessly… Indian laws regarding eve teasing are not stringent at all. In fact… there is not even the mention of the words ‘eve teasing.’ Though there are equivalent terms used… this is the term with which people file complaints and thus it’s easier for people to escape the cases. For this to stop… women should first of all understand that, they can compete physically, on par with men with just basic training skills in martial arts. Schools should impart this compulsorily as part of their curriculum. Until this is not done… men will always continue to harass women thinking that they have an added physical advantage over women.
Swati, I couldn’t agree more with you on this topic. But along with physical strength, men know that a female is weak because of the social stigma that she receives. The bigger goal that society needs to achieve is freedom of its own mind.
You said it! But smaller steps first. It’s not very easy to change the mindset of a hundred thousand people… To change school curriculum is relatively easier! And the statement ‘men know that women are weaker…’ correction: men THINK that women are weaker. No offense!
Swati, I really mean, that men know women are weak because of social stigma.
Even the strongest women are made to feel weak by the society, including other women…
I agree that the school curriculum should compulsorily teach martial art or self-defense techniques to girls
You have made a very valid point where you said that women themselves put down the efforts of the ones who try to make a difference.
I was just talking about your word’s usage (the ‘know’ and ‘think’), not your point, which is inarguably correct.
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