Several women have been sharing their stories of sexual assault, as part of the #MeToo movement on social media. This has encouraged Delhi’s youth to speak up too.
By sharing experiences, they hope to raise awareness on the state of women in society and bring to light the magnitude of predatory behaviour, specifically against women.
At colleges across the city, students have started speaking about the impact the movement has had on them. Whether it is the demand for an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in college or support to students who have shared similar stories, the buzz on social media has become a part of conversation on campus to help bring about a change and provide support to those speaking up.
‘It was my grandfather ’
A second-year student of a Noida-based law school said, “I was molested by my maternal grandfather when I was 10-year-old. I could not comprehend what had happened to me then but did not tell anyone about the incident. When I noticed him trying to touch my best friend two months ago, I decided to not to stay quiet and told my mother about him. To my horror, she already knew about it. She had sneaked a peek at my personal diary a few years back but decided not to confront him since he was paying for her sisters’ education. She was scared he would stop paying for their education if she confronted him. I do not plan to come out publicly. If my mother cannot stand up for me, I don’t know who can.”
She said she does not have faith in human relationships, thanks to her grandfather.
Several stories like hers came up as part of discussions around the #MeToo movement, with students sharing why they do not believe in speaking up .
A third-year Delhi University student told The Hindu , “A new peon at my father’s office sexually harassed me when I was 8-year-old. At that time I did not understand what had happened. I only broke my silence when I was 15. I shared the incident with my mother. She felt as helpless as me, since my violator had left the office long ago. There was nothing we could do about it. I do not speak about what happened to me because I do not want to be reduced to a victim and also because it will only lead to memories I want to get rid of.”
Some students were critical of the movement, saying it should not be limited to women alone.
A Delhi-based theatre artist said, “I was about 8-year-old when I was molested by someone my mother considers a brother. I have not been able to talk about it with anyone. I feel horrible each time I see him, so I try to avoid him.”
‘Men are victims too’
To a question on why he did not speak up even after he witnessed people sharing their stories, he said, “I don’t think the #MeToo movement has any merit. It is another social media movement that has risen like a wave and will leave us soon, without any substantial change in society.”
He highlighted how people do not think that boys or men can be victims of harassment since they are only seen as “perpetrators” of such crimes.
Many students and victims felt there was a dire need to take strong action so the movement has greater social impact.
Aastha Arora, a first-year DU student, said, “I have come across many stories of sexual assault shared on social media. These include stories by my acquaintances. Each story is of a woman who was wronged by a man. We need to analyse social factors that lead to such incidents. The kind of values attached to men and women, and the differential treatment and restrictions imposed lead to a different power dynamic.”
“The campaign has become a strong movement on social media for women to speak about sexual abuse at workplace. However, the authenticity of these cases and the treatment given to them still remain the biggest issues. There is need to bring in a law to handle the cases revealed by people on social media,” said IIMC, Jammu, student and DU alumna Neelam Bagha.
The administration of Delhi-based National Law University recently came up with measures to support students who spoke about harassment.
‘Violated by senior’
A second-year student at the college said, “I was sexually violated by a senior during my first year but did not speak about it after seeing how girls were labelled and reduced to victims. It was this movement that pushed me to share my story. I later discovered that the same senior had violated another girl too.”
“Before this movement, the 8-year-old ICC in the college did not even follow UGC guidelines. It did not have a student representative since May 2018. Now, a female student has been elected to the ICC. The administration has appointed counsellors, who are available to students. They have have postponed our exams, taking into account our mental well-being,” she said.
She said she found most ICC members intimidating and unapproachable, but the administration recently constituted another committee to look into the functioning of the ICC and suggest changes based on student recommendations.
