JNU’s Circular Says Girls Should ‘Draw Tangible Line’ To Avoid Sexual Harassment. Victim Blaming At Its Best,
As a woman, I can confidently say that victim blaming is real and it’s nothing new. I have been in situations where I was asked what clothes I WAS WEARING when A MAN flashed me. I kid you not, even in today’s time it really does happen. And I don’t think we’re anywhere near changing this line of thought. For years and years, girls have been schooled on how to dress, how to talk, how to behave, what to do and what not to do in order to save themselves from sexual harassment. Come to think of it, it’s really sad that we have conveniently failed to teach our boys how to treat girls with respect and take no for an answer. Before I go further, let’s get one thing clear – if a woman faces sexual harassment, it is only because the man chose to harass her and that’s about it. But this simple and easy to understand the concept is the one thing that Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) seems to have failed to understand.
The Internal Complaints Committee of Jawaharlal Nehru University recently issued a circular regarding a ‘counselling session’ on sexual harassment and it literally stinks of misogyny. According to this JNU circular, women are supposed to ‘know how to draw a tangible line between them and their male friends’ so as to avoid getting sexually harassed. If that’s not victim-blaming, I wonder what is! Because a girl who has male friends and goes out with them, drinks with them, parties with them, chats with them, is obviously an easy target for sexual harassment, hai na? ‘Coz men clearly cannot keep it in their pants, is it? Remember when Amitabh Bachchan in Pink said, “Jo ladkiyan party mei jaati hai aur drink karti hai, wo pushtaini haq ban jaati hai aapki?” I honestly feel that someone needs to show the JNU staff the movie and give them a wake-up call.
This supposed ‘counselling session’ is aimed at teaching the students the ‘dos and dont’s’ of sexual harassment and making them aware about ‘what consists of sexual harassment’. “ICC come across a number of cases where sexual harassment takes place among close friends. Boys generally cross (sometimes advertently, sometimes inadvertently) the thin line between friendship’s bantering and sexual harassment. Girls suppose to know how to draw a tangible line (between them and their male friends) to avoid any such harassments,” the circular read.
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According to JNU’s ICC, such sessions are held during their orientation programme to sensitise the students. The circular also said that these sessions will now be organised on a monthly basis starting with the first one that is scheduled to be held on January 17, 2022. Well, I am honestly thanking my stars that I do not have to attend this ‘counselling session’ that reeks of victim-blaming, shaming and misogyny. And it seems like I’m not the only one who feels this way. The students of JNU have taken to the streets to raise their voices against this circular.
While speaking to SheThePeople, the President of JNU Students’ Union, Aishe Ghosh pointed out that it does sound a lot like ‘victim blaming’. She further added, “Women have been asked to draw a tangible line for the gender sensitisation counselling this is putting the onus on the woman or the survivor and not the accused or the harasser. This has been a continuous practice of ICC and a complaint that we have been receiving from the survivors.”
Such a remark, creates a space where harassment in such lines will become rampant and will lead to become an unsafe space for women.
Reject ICC !
Reinstate GSCASH !
(2/2)— Aishe (ঐশী) (@aishe_ghosh) December 28, 2021
In fact, during the above interview, the President of JNU Students’ Union also pointed out that before ICC came into effect, Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) was the body that dealt with cases of sexual harassment and other such issues. She further pointed out that the ICC does not have any teacher or student representation while alleging that the body has resorted to ‘victim blaming’. Ghosh also recalled some recent cases of sexual harassment wherein ICC put the onus on the woman.
While no official statement has been issued by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a member from JNU, under the condition of anonymity, also agreed that the statement that “girls are supposed to know how to draw the line” is pathetic and should be condemned.
Speaking in their defence, the Presiding Officer of JNU’s ICC, Punam Kumari told The Indian Express, “We get several complaints where sexual harassment cases take place between men and women who are close friends. They touch each other, hug each other. But the moment women feel that they don’t feel comfortable about this, they should state this clearly to their male friends. Till the time they don’t speak, and if they keep it to themselves, then it doesn’t work. If he continues to do it despite being told, then the ICC is there.”
So basically, men don’t understand boundaries according to JNU’s ICC. While I’m not one for stereotyping, as per JNU, men don’t understand the concept of consent. Hey JNU, wouldn’t it just be more convenient for you if women just did not exist?
Reacting to the circular that went viral on Twitter (and drew criticism from netizens), the chairperson of the National Commission of Women (NCW), Rekha Sharma said that it’s ‘time to teach harassers, not the victims’. Terming JNU’s circular ‘misogynist’, she sought its withdrawal and point out that ICC should have a ‘victim-centred approach and not otherwise’.
Why all the teachings are always for girls only? Time to teach harassers not the victims. The misogynist circular of #JNU should be withdrawn. Internal commattee should have Victim-Centered approach and not otherwise. pic.twitter.com/Z6x4h7L351
— Rekha Sharma (@sharmarekha) December 28, 2021
In all honest, JNU should be ashamed!
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