Recently, Mumbai-based stand-up comedian Agrima Joshua received rape and death threats after a controversy erupted over her jokes that allegedly insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A number of celebrities, social media influencers and fellow stand-up comedians strongly condemned the incident, extending their full support to Agrima.
Now, actors Sayani Gupta and Maanvi Gagroo and writer Nikhil Taneja have started a campaign in a bid to stop abuse and harassment of women online.
The trio released a statement saying that the Agrima Joshua incident should be a wake-up call towards the unsafe environment that women are living in today. "It is safe to say that this wasn't the first time and this wouldn't be the last.. even if Shubham is arrested and tried for his open rape threats. The environment on social media is hugely misogynistic and abusive towards women, who are in the public domain, or have public profiles", their statement read.
They go on to say that content creators and actors are constantly being targeted with vulgar memes, abusive sexual comments, bullying, name calling and graphic images.
"Most women on social media have been the recipient of this behaviour meted out towards them, and rape and death threats have become normalised", the statement added.
Sayani, Maanvi and Nikhil appealed to people to sign their change.org petition that demands a safe space for women in all public forums and social media, and creates an environment where abusive trolling, rape threats, vulgar memes about us will not be tolerated. The petition also urged social media platforms and the government to work together and ensure that toxic masculinity is not celebrated by thousands of followers and a rape joke or bullying a woman on a public platform cannot be any longer deemed funny and be made the new normal.
The celebs said that once the petition gets enough signatures they will send it to Twitter, Instagram and YouTube and even take it to National Commission for Women.
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