Sexual Abuse Archives

How Do We Sustain the #MeToo Movement?

Even as we debate how to keep the #MeToo momentum going, the best way forward probably rests on our ability to be relentless with our rage, our demands, and our solidarity. Our refusal to let go of our long overdue rage could possibly lead to a culture where angry women aren’t dismissed as hysterical.

Ayushi Murli July 24, 2016

Gender

Dear Nice Guys, Stop Congratulating Yourself for Not Being Harassers

If you think you are a “nice guy” who doesn’t harass women, please stop behaving like you have a halo around your head. And if you are eager for the great guy tag, you will have to do much more than look the other way when you see any woman getting molested and humiliated.

Purba Ray July 9, 2016

Pop Culture

F/riction: Asaram, Spotlight, and the Unchecked Power of Faith

Welcome to F/riction, a column on films and books that mirror the big nasty of the week. This week, the conversation around sexual assault and the sentencing of Asaram, the godman who raped a teenager in 2013, takes us back to Spotlight, which lifted the veil on systemic child abuse in the Boston area by Roman Catholic priests.

Vishwas Kulkarni June 28, 2016

Gender

Hey Indian Men, Let’s Talk About Enthusiastic Consent

Over the last weekend, a number of men who spoke the right language, were equipped with the right vocabulary to express the right kind of views on liberal issues were named as sexual harassers. None of these progressive men seemed to know about the concept of enthusiastic consent.

Jackie Thakkar June 15, 2016

Gender

What an MRI Scan Taught Me About the Lifelong Burden of Sexual Abuse and Trauma

When I was five, my friend’s grandfather forced himself on me. I called for help repeatedly but none came. In that moment, inside that MRI machine, I was that little girl whose almost lifeless body was on the floor, being violated.

Manjiri Indurkar June 5, 2016

Gender

The Decline of “Aunty Feminists”: Why Feminism Needs an Update in a Post-Me Too World

The rage-fuelled few weeks of India’s #MeToo moment, are the cathartic blowing of the lid of collective pent-up aggression. Now that we’ve examined male behaviour across the spectrum of awfulness, where do we go from here?

Karanjeet Kaur June 2, 2016

Gender

India’s #MeToo: Where Sexual Harassers Decide Their Own Punishment

Why are India’s men silent on our #MeToo movement? It is as if men without women, especially daughters to protect, have no stake in this. Their silence speaks volumes: It tells us that women’s concerns are not important, that businesses can continue running with their band of mediocre boys.

Samina Motlekar May 18, 2016

Pop Culture

Jessica Jones and the Superhuman Power of Female Anger

Jessica Jones is an eloquent portrait of female rage that makes you glad for the anger. The women aren’t merely outraged about the abuse they’ve faced. They’re furious about a whole spectrum of systemic injustice of which sexism is only the tip.

Nolina Minj May 17, 2016

Gender

Asia Argento, Tinder Date Rape, and What Makes a “Good” Sexual Assault Victim

The #MeToo movement has changed our perception of who a sexual abuser can be – but not our view of victims of sexual assault. Who exactly is the “perfect” victim? The Asia Argento case challenges that notion, letting us know that a victim of assault can also be a perpetrator.

Kahini Iyer May 9, 2016

Gender

Open Letter to the Man Who Sexually Abused Me. And Never Got Reported

Think long and hard about the way you – all of you, men – have abused, harassed, molested, and hounded women. The floodgates have opened. India’s #MeToo moment has arrived. There’s no going back from here.

Ayushi Murli April 27, 2016