Last year, this time, the country was still reeling from the death of the young rape victim who fought for her life in a hospital in Singapore. Some responded with placards in their hands and protest on their lips and others with silent prayers. A wave of protests erupted all over the country, starting a movement which has since found resonance in mainstream media, social networks and in street corners across the country. People began to gather locally to protest crimes against women, discussions held on women’s right to public space and gender equality in the workplace, legislations were changed, and news articles, personal testimonies, quotes and videos went viral. Hyderabad too had its own share of protests, campaigns and police measures.
The year 2013 was in a sense a transformative year for feminism in India and while we still have a long way to go, here is a look at what transpired in the last year so you can decide if what began as cries for safety turned into a larger movement.
Law and order
The three-member Justice Verma Committee was constituted on December 23, 2012, to look into the possible amendments in the criminal laws related to sexual violence against women. The committee’s major recommendations included increasing penalty for rapist, with not less than 20 years of imprisonment for gang rape, punishment for sexual offences like stalking or acid attacks and a review of the roles of the police and judiciary. The government also announced the setting up of a ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ of Rs.1000 crores for women’s safety; its first project to install GPS, CCTV cameras and panic buttons in public buses in 32 cities was approved last week. A few states, including Haryana and Maharashtra also introduced relief for acid attack victims.
Taxis and trust accounts
India’s first all-women bank, Bharatiya Mahila Bank was inaugurated on November 19, 2013. The move was lauded by many as one that will empower women but many others pointed out that the move was populist, “Why can’t women simply go to normal banks?” asked many. Usha Ananthasubramaniam, its first Chief Executive Officer, is positive that the bank will serve a large section of women who haven’t yet got the opportunity to invest. The bank will also touch the lives of those women who work for it, who won’t have to fight against the glass ceiling.
November also saw the Kerala government launch a taxi service – She - taxi, to ensure safe travel for women at all hours. While this is not the first taxi service developed for women, by women She-taxi will have women drivers trained in self-defence, a panic button and a GPS service through which they can be tracked by the passenger’s friends or family. While Hyderabad launched its own fleet of ‘Pink Autos’ in December 2013, the service is not as complete as She-taxi. Perhaps, the Andhra Pradesh government can learn a thing or two here.
Going viral
When it came to videos, none gained more momentum than those that contained a message about women’s safety. As difficult as it might be to make a film about a subject which has more grey areas than black or white, ‘It’s my fault’ subtly shows you how ridiculous and cruel it is to blame the victim, ‘That day after everyday’ talks about fighting back, the most recent ‘Dekh le’ about turning the violent male gaze upon itself… filmmakers left very few stones unturned. Whatever their shortcomings, these films initiated debate on many aspects of the issue. Products like Dove and Pantene added to the mix by making commercials that talked about the idea of beauty and gender equality in the work place, albeit to sell a product that stood for the very opposite.
Short dresses and Chinese food — strange ‘reasons’
“Women who are participating in candle-light vigils and those who are protesting have no connection with ground reality. These pretty ladies coming out to protest are ‘highly dented and painted” — Abhijit Mukherji, MP
“To my understanding, consumption of fast food contributes to such incidents. Chowmein leads to hormonal imbalance evoking an urge to indulge in such acts.” — Jitender Chhatar, khap panchayat leader
“Earlier if men and women would hold hands, they would get caught by parents and reprimanded but now everything is so open. It’s like an open market with open options.” – Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister
“It is very easy to say that if you can’t enforce it, it’s like saying if you can’t prevent rape, you [should] enjoy it.” — Ranjit Sinha, CBI head
“Only 5-6 people are not the culprits. The victim is as guilty as her rapists… She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop… This could have saved her dignity and life. Can one hand clap? I don’t think so. Had she recited the Saraswati mantra, she would not have boarded any bus after watching a movie with her boyfriend.” — Asaram Bapu, spiritual leader and alleged rapist
