Stop Victim-Blaming And Shaming Women For Nude Leaks. Call Out Those Who Circulate Them Instead!
It’s a harrowing experience for a woman to have her nudes leaked on a public platform. But what makes it worse is that a woman whose pictures or videos are leaked is shamed and questioned more than the person leaking it. And women hold their heads down because random people saw them naked which in turn makes them feel like their respect and dignity have decreased a little but the truth is far from it. TBH, the people leaking and sharing this content should be ashamed of themselves and should be shamed to no end for their behaviour. The recent video leak of the girls from Chandigarh University is the perfect example of how women are victim-shamed. But girls, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Your dignity is beyond your body.
It’s so easy for society to shift the blame on the women in the videos instead of calling out the person who posted them or those who are actively sharing them. But have you ever wondered what is the root cause of this? Why are nude leaks used to shame and degrade women? Well, TBH, the cold hard truth is that women and their bodies are inherently sexualised. Moreover, a lot of respect aka izzat has been attached to women’s bodies. Women’s naked bodies are viewed as something shameful and dirty. In fact, the shame is so deeply ingrained that women have been told to hide their bodies and be ashamed of them. Even female anatomy is considered to be a taboo topic.
Apart from teaching consent, we need to create a society where leaking of nudes/mms, is not considered shameful for the victim BUT for the person who recorded and shared it without consent. There is NOTHING wrong in having sex, or clicking nudes WITH consent. (Contd)
— Dr.Pallavi Tripathi ਪੱਲਵੀ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਾਠੀ (@DoctorPallaviIn) September 18, 2022
Dear Vagina-owners, ur dignity or shame DOES NOT lie in your body.if someone else leaks your personal photos, THEY should be ashamed and not you. You are not wrong, your dignity does not decrease just because few people saw you naked. Hold your heads high. #chandigarhuniversity
— Dr.Pallavi Tripathi ਪੱਲਵੀ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਾਠੀ (@DoctorPallaviIn) September 18, 2022
Nude Leaks Don’t Make A Woman Less Respectable!
Let’s begin by understanding that women’s bodies are not dirty and nothing to be ashamed about. Moreover, if someone sees a woman naked, it doesn’t reduce her izzat or dignity. As a woman, I can assure you ladies, your naked pictures or videos out on the internet don’t make you a bad person or less respectable. The blame must be shifted back to the culprits and those shaming the victims of these nude leaks. Let’s hold those who shot these videos without the woman’s consent responsible and also those who downloaded, watched and shared these videos. Every single person who watched the nude videos of Chandigarh University girls bathing, knowing full well that these videos were taken without their consent and shared these videos with others engaged in the lowest and most sadistic form of voyeurism. All those forwarding those videos may not have committed a sex crime but they did contribute to it. They engaged in voyeurism, violated the privacy of these girls and then shamed them instead of feeling ashamed for watching and sharing such content.
Victim blaming isn’t going to get us anywhere, TBH. I remember, years ago, a video of a teenage girl dancing topless at a party in Delhi went viral. An acquaintance shared the video on a group when I called it out and pointed out how it’s unethical to share the video and make it worse for the girl. In response, I was chided for supporting the girl and was told that she should never have been dancing topless at a party in the first place. So, here’s the thing. Consent plays a big role in all of this. If a woman consents to be clicked naked or recorded naked, that’s her right and she consents to it but is she consenting to that video or photos being shared on a public platform? No, she isn’t unless she explicitly says it.
Would These Nude Leaks Go Viral If We Refused To Share It Or View It?
There is nothing wrong with clicking and sharing nudes as long as consent is involved. But for a woman to be recorded or clicked naked without her knowledge or consent and then have it put on a public platform is where things go wrong. In 2022, we need to begin by shaming the person clicking/recording nudes and leaking them as well as those who circulate them. Nothing would go viral if we simply stop consuming such content and circulating it. The simple fact is that online communities not only flock to see these nude leaks and indulge in voyeurism but they also forward it for others to view and the toxic cycle continues. In most cases, this content is used to take women down and shame them. We’ve all heard of revenge porn and how it works. But would revenge porn be a thing if we simply refused to view this content?
Also Read: Amanda Seyfried Faced Uncomfortable Nude Scenes To Keep Her Job. Sean Bean, Now You Know Why We Need Intimacy Coordinators?
In conclusion, I have a little message for all the women whose videos have been leaked in the Chandigarh University leak. This is something my mentor once told me years ago. A nude leak does not make you less respectable and it’s not the end of the world for you. There’s more to women and their izzat than just their bodies. Your dignity is not in your body or vagina or who saw you naked. Women are more than just their bodies. And the honest truth is that a few months down the line, no one is even going to remember these videos or what happened. There will be some new controversy and everything will be forgotten. But remember to never let anyone shame you for something that is not your fault. Hold your head high.
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