Making sure folks here see the "Eve teasing" post

[noamnety]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3166380

Interesting concept, making it illegal to harass women who are just trying to go about their business.

[ismnotwasm]

1. Imagine that

But didn't you know it was supposed to be a complement? (insert sarcasm smilie here)


Scary thing is, the casual objectification can and does lead to violence in certain individuals. Leads to attitudes like the one about the "drunk woman" who gets raped is at fault for being "drunk". Which in turns leads to things like "date rape" drugs. Or why was she wearing that mini skirt? She wanted it. Always blaming the woman. Always.

The sentence proposed, while excessive to me at first glance, tells me there a much bigger problem here. If these are women who need this sort of protection, I hate to think what else is happening.

And this sentence is terrifying;
"The need for a new law on sexual assault was felt as the present law does not define various kinds of sexual assault that women are subject to in the country. Offenses such as eve-teasing and molestation are never regarded as criminal offenses and there is a need now to include them in the definition of sexual assault, Ms. Vyas explained."

[La Lioness Priyanka]

2. indias battle with eve teasing has continued for years. when i was growing up

i thought i hated walking. it was only after i moved to nyc that i realized i didnt hate walking. i hated being grabbed at constantly while walking

[ThomCat]

3. I'm glad you're here. And I hope they're successful there.

Attitudes would change very quickly if the straight guys had to meekly put up with that behavior from gay men. We know damned well there would be laws passed in less than a week.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. you know its a sexist and class related issue too

[ThomCat]

5. There are some class differences

But I don't think it's that much of a class issue. There are a whole lot of weathly men I've met in the corporate world who are every bit as sexist and condescending towards women. It's just that the more they have the more cautious they are about their reputations. So they conceal the extent of their sexism.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. no thats not what i meant. i was only talking in context of eve teasing not general sexism

but eve teasing in india has many roots: general misogyny in society, huge class/wealth differences that cause poor men to strike out at wealthy/middle class girls because of the anger and stifling poverty they live in etc.