We come across many cases of gender-based violence like sexual assault, domestic violence, rape (including marital rape), acid attacks etc. on a daily basis. The reason is the ingrained gender inequalities present in our society and the social agencies of sexism and patriarchy, which force women into subordination. This is perpetuated by the prevailing “rape culture” in which gender-based violence is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes/behaviours. These behaviours range from victim blaming, slut-shaming, sexual objectification to trivializing rape cases and refusing to acknowledge the gravity of such incidences by gender-insensitive enforcement agencies including politicians.
Employing the tool of gender-based violence in any society is the outcome of the cult of masculinity, and this cult is sustained through authority and subjugation. Some men fear their identity as a “MAN” will be threatened without this idea of masculinity (although it constitutes a false persona of manhood), and in their view, a woman has to exist perpetually in the theatre of male control/gaze. In such a culture, it is quite inevitable that the “honour” of the families/societies will be positioned in the chastity of women.
If we want change, we have to construct a culture devoid of the cult of masculinity and femininity that defends it. Once raped/sexually assaulted, their own families/societies ostracize women, and “whore” and “slut” often become convenient terms for such victims. And many times, women are part of this entrenched system as we come across many incidences where women are involved in shocking cases of moral policing. In recent times, there have been several cases where girls were raped/sexually assaulted by cab drivers. In their own value set-up, these cabbies take the victim’s digital/English fluency and being tech-savvy at using services like Uber etc. and being out with her friends at night, as markers of her “sluttiness” and hence, she deserves the sexual violence.
In this perspective, it is imperative that we secure every woman’s right to say “NO”, especially when the cult of masculinised love and its naturalizing violence is considered entirely justifiable in the society. The causes may vary and are endless: men’s inability to adjust to metro modernity, having been abandoned as children by parents, rejection at the hands of women and jealousy among others. The older blames the excesses of contemporary consumer societies which create voracious sexual appetites in women. There are some absurd justifications as well like the Khap panchayat in Haryana blaming consumption of chowmein behind the growing incidents of rapes in the state, saying it leads to hormonal imbalance, evoking an urge to indulge in such acts.
The name of a movie comes to my mind and it’s “Pink”. The film portrays how within the boundary of socially accepted norms of patriarchy, women are denied the option of “NO”. Limits are imposed in the form of socio-cultural norms which affect every aspect of their life, be it their movement, their dresses, their right to work, their right to love someone etc. In this way, “Pink” exposes our society’s hypocrisy regarding the problems faced by women on a daily basis e.g. male privilege, slut-shaming and misogyny. If girls party/drink/smoke; get around with male friends; wear skirts and shorts etc., i.e. if they live on their own, they are judged to be licentious and therefore sexually available.
And thus, being guilty of not subscribing to the socially set conservative norms, they deserve abuse, insult and humiliation. It also shows the insensitiveness of institutions about women’s rights and dignity. In the end, “Pink” highlights a woman’s right to her body and sexuality, and propounds their right to say “no”. When she says no, it’s over. It’s her choice to be friendly with a guy, to have a drink/smoke with him or to have a conversation with him with a smile. She can also be sexually active, and it should not be considered as a marker for her sexual availability. On a positive note, it puts the issues of gender equality and patriarchy into mainstream Bollywood, and its critical appraisal is a sign of undergoing societal changes.
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