You’re walking down the street, perhaps thinking about your day and what you plan to accomplish. Then you hear a voice yelling at you, perhaps mixed with whistles or noises, saying something about your body or appearance. Sometimes it feels unclear whether or not you are allowed to feel offended by whatever was said, and sometimes it’s perfectly clear that the words are meant to reduce you to an object for sexual gratification. However, what’s almost never clear is exactly what you should say or do in this situation. Just ignore them? Tell them that their commentary is unwelcome? Or go even further and seek justice?
This dilemma is familiar to women the world over, but in India, it’s so ubiquitous that, according to one study, 95% of women reported that their mobility was restricted because of fear of male harassment in public places, and the majority of these women fail to report such harassment because it has been taken for granted that nothing can be done about it.
Distance and scorching heat were not the only things that made Rajkumari dread her long journey from her village of Nagla Mai to her secondary school in the neighboring village of Mai. Each day, a boy in the neighboring village would harass Rajkumari with lewd comments as she passed. While many girls just try to ignore these kinds of comments, Rajkumari did not shy away from confronting the boy. She made it clear to him that she would not tolerate this kind of disrespect.
As a part of Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program, Rajkumari attended life skills classes where topics like confidence, self-respect, initiative, and tenacity feature heavily in the discussions. Rajkumari brought up her problem with her class-mates and mentor. Full story...
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This dilemma is familiar to women the world over, but in India, it’s so ubiquitous that, according to one study, 95% of women reported that their mobility was restricted because of fear of male harassment in public places, and the majority of these women fail to report such harassment because it has been taken for granted that nothing can be done about it.
Distance and scorching heat were not the only things that made Rajkumari dread her long journey from her village of Nagla Mai to her secondary school in the neighboring village of Mai. Each day, a boy in the neighboring village would harass Rajkumari with lewd comments as she passed. While many girls just try to ignore these kinds of comments, Rajkumari did not shy away from confronting the boy. She made it clear to him that she would not tolerate this kind of disrespect.
As a part of Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program, Rajkumari attended life skills classes where topics like confidence, self-respect, initiative, and tenacity feature heavily in the discussions. Rajkumari brought up her problem with her class-mates and mentor. Full story...
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