Indian women respond on social media to another victim blaming statement

[NoLoveofMine]

I was shown this by a friend and thought others here might like to see it: www.bbc.co.uk/news/40872788

A politician whose son was one of those arrested for attempting to kidnap a woman said she shouldn't have been out at night, prompting this response. Sadly, though somewhat predictably, at least one of the women who posted an image has been met with threats and misogynist abuse. Such pernicious hatred for women who oppose this misogyny though the friend who sent it to me, whose parents are from India, tells me there are many fantastic feminists in India campaigning strongly against this culture, despite such aggressive and violent opposition.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/40872788

It seems public opinion has largely shifted in India against these kind of men. And the police reacted quickly, that is actually very encouraging.

I also saw a panel discussion on an Indian television channel after another politician blamed numerous women being sexually assaulted on New Year's Eve in Bangalore on their clothing in which the presenter and a couple of the women on it roundly condemned and obliterated the (misogynist) arguments of a man arguing in favour of the politician's statement. Not that they should have had to but it was reassuring.

I like the attitude. But I wish, (I'm sure like you, OP), that their tweets had included a hashtag or comment saying 'male violence'.

Name it.

Good for them. I think the attitude of "what was she doing out at night alone" is fairly pervasive here too, as if you would talk about somebody driving at 120mph in the rain without a seatbelt or something.

I agree Datun although it's difficult for women to speak up about it especially when met with such abuse even for doing what they have done. We've discussed before it's not always easy - I find it difficult to always label such things as "male violence" with relative privilege to these women if that makes sense. Though it should always be named as such there are definitely many feminists in India who do name it and possibly even some who responded to this campaign (as the article only selected a handful)?

It definitely is powershower. Though misogyny is even more rife and women in India (and other countries) have huge hurdles and battles to overcome, this is certainly an attitude which persists here and a comment regularly made (as with the 14 year old girl raped twice in Birmingham recently). Also the general trying to excuse male violence or blame women/girls who are victims of it.