9.2.06

Hello Bombay!

Okay, I know that harassment happens in this city. I was called an 'item' three days ago, while dressed in old tracks, looking very harassed and unkempt with frizzy hair. That's my story. Where are all of yours? Wake up, Bombay! Mail me. Give us clothes. Get on your feet. Chop chop!

I've got only two responses so far! :-(

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey. Congrats on this initiative. Women in Mumbai do have it better than other cities in India as far as safety goes. But that's not to say that there's less of eve-teasing here.

I do feel that a two-pronged approach would help. One in the short run, is to make women in the city better prepared to tackle this problem. The ways could be reporting the incident to police authorities, place it occurred, self-defence strategies and how to garner a crowd and public suport, when an incident like this occurs.

In the short-run sutitably severe punishments will serve as deterrents.

However, in the long run, the only thing that will work, is recognising the root of the problem and seeing what can be done to change perceptions.
Eg Mumbai sees a lot of immigrants come in from villages, men coming without families and staying without them. In Northern Indian villages, women are looked at very differently than here. Educating these people on the role of women in a progressive society and the dress culture there-in will help sensitize these men to the new environment.

Also potrayal of women in media, especially urban women being shown as sexually explicit gives a wrong notion to immigrants about urban women.

Using ads/ short films/media to reach out and bust some of these myths would help.

All the best in this endeavour!

Anonymous said...

..and what exactly are you going to do with those clothes ?? Burn them on the streets if you are serious. Make a huge bonfire and bury the ashes forever.. that is if you are serious. and for God sake remove the picture of the naked mannequins from your clothes campaign.

Anonymous said...

Guy who are desperate or have only seen chicks in a bollywood flick ,would consider female (irrespective of the clothes or the hair do) to be an item .Wierd!lol