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Context
India needs gender justice, not draconian laws
What has happened?
While the government has permitted people who wield power to defend rapists and obstruct due process, and while some of India’s lawmakers are under a cloud, we have been presented with the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, as a deterrence against the commission of rape
Sex and Gender are two different constructs
Sex
- Refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women
- Aspects of sex will not vary substantially between different human societies
Gender
- Refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women
- While aspects of gender may vary greatly
Real cause of sexual violence
It is the lack of gender equality that leads to sexual violence, and not biological constructs
Attacking women journalists
- The law-enforcement system never really moves against the blatant misogyny of ruling party members
- But it misses no opportunity to move against women journalists who seek accountability from the ruling regime
- The term ‘presstitute’, popularised by a sitting Minister, is not only an insult but a call to instigate violence against women journalists
Example: Based on a complaint by a self-styled organisation, the Hindu Sangathan, there is an FIR against journalist and cartoonist Swathi Vadlamudi for her stinging cartoon referring to the recent incidents of sexual assault
Conclusion
The time has come to conduct gender-sensitive training workshops for those in power so that we are not left with draconian laws and no justice.
