PaRCha - JNU - AISA chits - 2013 ID-14561
.
Vote Support and Elect Abhiruchi Ranjan as your representative to GSCASH.
.
17.3.13 From the Paradigm of `Modesty' and `Protection' to Freedom,.
Autonomy and Consent : Respect Women's Autonomy! Respect Her.
.
Seen the latest Tata Sky ad? Right Over Her Own Body and Mind, and Her Right to Say NO!.
.
A young man builds up towards asking his male friend if he can take the latter's sister out to dinner. There is a tense silence as the.
.
sister (sitting demure and silent with downcast eyes) and the young man wait for the brother's rage to explode. Then the brother says.
.
gruffly, "Yes, but bring her back before 10 pm." The `humour' in the ad draws from the possibility of the brother's violent rage. What is.
.
it that makes us, as a society, consider such situations perfectly `normal'? Why is it part of our everyday lives that women.
.
have to be constantly `protected' by guardians, they have to ask permission to go out for dinner with friends, to choose.
.
partners, to choose careers..
.
A spurned lover makes a video film of his girlfriend, on the sly in the act of love, in order to avenge her refusal. Morality of the girl in.
the footage became coffee table conversation in Jawaharlal Nehru University even as some of us were taking vicarious pleasure in.
watching the tape in private. This, despite the fact that the guy who shot it, was in the same footage. Women are the objects of desire,.
at the same time, `morality and chastity'. Women on campus have often been asked to sign in when they enter the boys hostels, fined.
for staying back over-night, chastised by the security guards over their `modestly' while sitting in public..
.
Women are constantly told that for the sake of their `protection', they cannot venture out in the evenings, they cannot dress the way.
they like, they have to keep seeking `permission' for anything they do even when they are adults perfectly capable of making choices.
for themselves. For millions of women, every single important choice in life is mediated and controlled in the name of `protecting' their.
`safety and honour'..
.
What exactly is this `raksha'? Is this `raksha' - this protection by families, brothers, fathers, mothers and cousins - just a show.
of love and care? The Tata Sky ad reminds us that `raksha' is more than a bond of affection. Let us recall how the young journalist.
Nirupama Pathak was brutally killed by her family (ostensibly with the help of her mother, father and uncle) because she dared to.
choose a partner. In the past few months there have been any number of instances from different states of brothers chopping off the.
heads of their sisters (because the latter had a sexual relationship of which the brother disapproved). The Tata Sky ad doesn't seem.
that funny anymore when you recall how two brothers killed Nitish Katara for daring to love their sister. This `raksha' is clearly not a.
protection of freedom, choice and autonomy..
.
Think of the Government's move to raise the age of consent from 16 to 18, in the context of families, vahinis and khaap panchayats..
If the age of consent were to be 18, and consensual relationships of young people between 16-18 to be automatically criminalised and.
branded as rape/sexual violence. With third parties allowed to file statutory rape complaints, every possessive family, khaap panchayat.
or `moral police' brigade will use the law to get the girl's male classmate/friend/boyfriend arrested for rape and sexual assault! The.
more so if the boyfriend in question is from a dalit/oppressed caste background while the girl is not..
.
What kind of `sensitisation' does GSCASH (and other institutions outside JNU) need to do?.
.
In the name of `gender sensitisation', Gillette runs an ad asking men to be `soldiers' to protect women. It's another matter that actual.
`soldiers' often sexually assault women, and men who believe they have to `protect' women end up policing her own freedom, like the.
protective brother in the ad! In fact protection is nothing but deployment of patriarchal control over women. Women's freedom lies in.
freedom from control of bearing the patriarchal burdens of `modesty', `purity' and `honour'. Sensitisation isn't about teaching some.
abstract concepts of gender justice. Sensitisation is actually a project of `unlearning' what society teaches us about gender..
Perhaps the most important lesson of sensitisation has to be the one of autonomy..
.
· Parents, families and friends have to learn the difficult lesson that they have neither right nor duty to be women's `guardians'. That.
women have every right to have friends, wear clothes, go where they wish, without seeking `permission' from brothers, fathers.
and families!.
.
· Sex education in schools must of course teach the basic biological facts about sex, as well as the basic lessons of sexual health..
But far more important is the lesson of autonomy over one's own body. We need structured programs where men are taught to.
respect women's sexual autonomy and women are made aware of their right over their body and consent..
.
· Girls need to learn that their bodies are their own: not to be handed over by parents in marriage over to the husband. Women have.
the right to say no, even withdraw consent, in "committed relationships". Everyone should learn to take NO from friends and.
partners, without behaving self-destructively and violently, without inflicting unwanted `love,' threats or violence on the person.
who says NO!.
.
Some Concrete Steps for Campus to Resist Protectionism and Surveillance.
.
· Campus security needs to stop monitoring, disciplining and interrogating couples sitting out late in the night by flashing torches in.
their faces, or women visiting men's hostel rooms..
.
· It should be ensured that security personnel and hostel wardens do not think it is their `job' to maintain vigil over women's `moral'.
conduct..
.
· CCTV cameras used as a tool for surveillance, infringement of privacy and enforcement of patriarchal codes need to be done.
away with..
.
The mandatory gender orientation programme started last year must be enriched and broadened in consultation with the Centre for.
Women's Studies by introducing lecture modules/courses in various centres to expand the reach of the gender discourse across.
disciplines and centres in JNU. Based on the resolutions of SSS Board of Studies steps have already been initiated in this direction..
.
· In keeping with this (and along with several crucial issues for the GSCSAH I have detailed in other leaflets), I propose that.
the GSCASH in JNU develop a module for workshops on masculinity, autonomy, and sexual harassment with the help of.
filmmakers, theatre persons, activists and academicians. This module, using interactive tools and literature (leaflets/folders.
etc) can be used in JNU in future, for every class/centre..
.
- Abhiruchi Ranjan, candidate for GSCASH.
..
PaRCha - JNU - AISA chits - 2013 ID-14561
.
Vote Support and Elect Abhiruchi Ranjan as your representative to GSCASH.
.
17.3.13 From the Paradigm of `Modesty' and `Protection' to Freedom,.
Autonomy and Consent : Respect Women's Autonomy! Respect Her.
.
Seen the latest Tata Sky ad? Right Over Her Own Body and Mind, and Her Right to Say NO!.
.
A young man builds up towards asking his male friend if he can take the latter's sister out to dinner. There is a tense silence as the.
.
sister (sitting demure and silent with downcast eyes) and the young man wait for the brother's rage to explode. Then the brother says.
.
gruffly, "Yes, but bring her back before 10 pm." The `humour' in the ad draws from the possibility of the brother's violent rage. What is.
.
it that makes us, as a society, consider such situations perfectly `normal'? Why is it part of our everyday lives that women.
.
have to be constantly `protected' by guardians, they have to ask permission to go out for dinner with friends, to choose.
.
partners, to choose careers..
.
A spurned lover makes a video film of his girlfriend, on the sly in the act of love, in order to avenge her refusal. Morality of the girl in.
the footage became coffee table conversation in Jawaharlal Nehru University even as some of us were taking vicarious pleasure in.
watching the tape in private. This, despite the fact that the guy who shot it, was in the same footage. Women are the objects of desire,.
at the same time, `morality and chastity'. Women on campus have often been asked to sign in when they enter the boys hostels, fined.
for staying back over-night, chastised by the security guards over their `modestly' while sitting in public..
.
Women are constantly told that for the sake of their `protection', they cannot venture out in the evenings, they cannot dress the way.
they like, they have to keep seeking `permission' for anything they do even when they are adults perfectly capable of making choices.
for themselves. For millions of women, every single important choice in life is mediated and controlled in the name of `protecting' their.
`safety and honour'..
.
What exactly is this `raksha'? Is this `raksha' - this protection by families, brothers, fathers, mothers and cousins - just a show.
of love and care? The Tata Sky ad reminds us that `raksha' is more than a bond of affection. Let us recall how the young journalist.
Nirupama Pathak was brutally killed by her family (ostensibly with the help of her mother, father and uncle) because she dared to.
choose a partner. In the past few months there have been any number of instances from different states of brothers chopping off the.
heads of their sisters (because the latter had a sexual relationship of which the brother disapproved). The Tata Sky ad doesn't seem.
that funny anymore when you recall how two brothers killed Nitish Katara for daring to love their sister. This `raksha' is clearly not a.
protection of freedom, choice and autonomy..
.
Think of the Government's move to raise the age of consent from 16 to 18, in the context of families, vahinis and khaap panchayats..
If the age of consent were to be 18, and consensual relationships of young people between 16-18 to be automatically criminalised and.
branded as rape/sexual violence. With third parties allowed to file statutory rape complaints, every possessive family, khaap panchayat.
or `moral police' brigade will use the law to get the girl's male classmate/friend/boyfriend arrested for rape and sexual assault! The.
more so if the boyfriend in question is from a dalit/oppressed caste background while the girl is not..
.
What kind of `sensitisation' does GSCASH (and other institutions outside JNU) need to do?.
.
In the name of `gender sensitisation', Gillette runs an ad asking men to be `soldiers' to protect women. It's another matter that actual.
`soldiers' often sexually assault women, and men who believe they have to `protect' women end up policing her own freedom, like the.
protective brother in the ad! In fact protection is nothing but deployment of patriarchal control over women. Women's freedom lies in.
freedom from control of bearing the patriarchal burdens of `modesty', `purity' and `honour'. Sensitisation isn't about teaching some.
abstract concepts of gender justice. Sensitisation is actually a project of `unlearning' what society teaches us about gender..
Perhaps the most important lesson of sensitisation has to be the one of autonomy..
.
· Parents, families and friends have to learn the difficult lesson that they have neither right nor duty to be women's `guardians'. That.
women have every right to have friends, wear clothes, go where they wish, without seeking `permission' from brothers, fathers.
and families!.
.
· Sex education in schools must of course teach the basic biological facts about sex, as well as the basic lessons of sexual health..
But far more important is the lesson of autonomy over one's own body. We need structured programs where men are taught to.
respect women's sexual autonomy and women are made aware of their right over their body and consent..
.
· Girls need to learn that their bodies are their own: not to be handed over by parents in marriage over to the husband. Women have.
the right to say no, even withdraw consent, in "committed relationships". Everyone should learn to take NO from friends and.
partners, without behaving self-destructively and violently, without inflicting unwanted `love,' threats or violence on the person.
who says NO!.
.
Some Concrete Steps for Campus to Resist Protectionism and Surveillance.
.
· Campus security needs to stop monitoring, disciplining and interrogating couples sitting out late in the night by flashing torches in.
their faces, or women visiting men's hostel rooms..
.
· It should be ensured that security personnel and hostel wardens do not think it is their `job' to maintain vigil over women's `moral'.
conduct..
.
· CCTV cameras used as a tool for surveillance, infringement of privacy and enforcement of patriarchal codes need to be done.
away with..
.
The mandatory gender orientation programme started last year must be enriched and broadened in consultation with the Centre for.
Women's Studies by introducing lecture modules/courses in various centres to expand the reach of the gender discourse across.
disciplines and centres in JNU. Based on the resolutions of SSS Board of Studies steps have already been initiated in this direction..
.
· In keeping with this (and along with several crucial issues for the GSCSAH I have detailed in other leaflets), I propose that.
the GSCASH in JNU develop a module for workshops on masculinity, autonomy, and sexual harassment with the help of.
filmmakers, theatre persons, activists and academicians. This module, using interactive tools and literature (leaflets/folders.
etc) can be used in JNU in future, for every class/centre..
.
- Abhiruchi Ranjan, candidate for GSCASH.
..