Women are scolded and scrutinised at home for unwanted male attention; they are whistled at, groped and manhandled on the road, by random people; taunted and looked at, scoffed at and sexually harassed at work. And if they manage to cross the hurdles, and do well at the job, it is because they flirted, looked hot, seduced or slept with the boss. It sounds harsh, but it is common if not rampant.
No doubt, there are examples of “the other way round,” where women have used sexuality and authority to achieve their ambitions. But that issue is of breakdown of ethics at workplace, which applies in equal measure for men and women.
Here we speak of overtures that have not been sought. Here we speak of women who did not know how to handle the verbal abuse and therefore did not react adequately. “If you snap, you come across as snooty and no-nonsense. Then you get the bad shifts and bad assignments because you do not want to be friends with bosses after work hours. I was ok with bad shifts because I remember feeling violated when someone made a pass at me at my previous job,” says another former journalist.
So where does that leave you? “There is no option but to stand up for yourself as soon as something happens. If you can’t do that for yourself, no one will. One needs to make a noise, shame the person in public and send a clear signal that one won’t take crap,” says a woman, who points out that even when she screamed at the offender in a room full of people, everyone looked but no one really stepped in. “No matter how big or small the incident may be, every one needs to point it out, complain and make a noise about it. If you let it pass, he will only get bolder,” she says, reminding of the audacity of Tarun Tejpal, a rape accused now.
When you went to school, college, university no one told you about this “internal matter” battle in the closed-door meetings and outbound training sessions. But who are you kidding? Did you not see this coming? It happens in the family, on the road and in the classroom. What option do you have but clench your fists and fight back? That is not the only thing to do but also the only right thing to do.
and FYI -
For Information of all : Definition of Sexual Harassment as per the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013
Section 354 A.
1. A man committing any of the following acts—
i. physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures; or
ii. a demand or request for sexual favours; or
iii. showing pornography against the will of a woman; or
iv. making sexually coloured remarks, shall be guilty of the offence of sexual harassment.
2. Any man who commits the offence specified in clause (I) or clause (ii) or clause (iii) of sub-section (I) shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
3. Any man who commits the offence specified in clause (iv) of sub-section (I) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both