Temples & Sexism
In yet another first, a woman has been selected unanimously as president of the trust that governs the famous Shani Shinganapur temple. However, activists say that this is an eyewash to tackle mounting protest from women right groups and rationalists against the gender discrimination at the temple.
The Congress-led government in Kerala has indicated that it will side with the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple authorities to bar women aged between 10 and 50 years from entering the shrine.
Action from Judiciary
The Delhi High Court sought the government’s response on a PIL petition challenging a provision in the penal law, which does not consider sexual intercourse of a man with his minor wife as rape.
Taking note of the recent rape of a nine-year-old girl at her school in Dadar, the Bombay High Court asked the state Education Department to reply on the checks and vigilance arrangements in schools and if the state can make installation of CCTV cameras in state-aided schools mandatory. Is surveillance really the response we need?
Social Media as News Source
The Humans of Bombay Facebook page recorded the shocking details of the child sexual abuse of a now adult man. He started being abused ever since he was 7 years of age.
Vyjayanthi Vasata Mogli, a prominent transgender activist, took to Facebook to record the transmisogyny she faced in her school as a child. She was bullied and raped owing to her gender identity.
Pop Culture
A popular Delhi-based ‘food curation’ portal, Food Talk India, shared a sexist picture, on their Instagram handle and Facebook page, of what it means to be married in an arranged set-up as against in a love marriage, and feminists took note of it immediately!
Kalki Koechlin’s video on media and sexual violence went viral last week. She performed a self-written monologue titled ‘The Printing Machine‘: a rhythmic and scathing satire against daily broadsheets, magazines, social media and textbooks.
Other News
A 22-year-old security guard was arrested on Thursday for allegedly raping two minor girls for five months. The survivors approached their teachers during a lecture on sexual harassment being delivered by police officials in their school. This just goes on the prove how important sexuality education is in schools.
At the recently concluded 7th National Conference for Women Police, for the first time, women personnel across ranks and forces are demanding for gender-friendly equipment, firearms designed with the body specifics of women, ergonomically designed uniforms, construction of toilets, hostels and gender friendly personal policies.
Rape Cases & Reported Rapes
The US research scholar, who has accused filmmaker Mahmood Farooqui of rape, said that she “did not resist” because she feared being killed like the victim of the December 16 gangrape, her counsel told a trial court.
In Muzaffarnagar, the ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) worker who was raped, committed suicide after her rapist circulated the video of the act via WhatsApp.
Several cases of rape and child sexual abuse were reported. Some verdicts and sentences were handed down.
