In light of the recent gangrape and murder of a 27 year old veterinary doctor in Hyderabad, which shook the nation, the Hyderabad Police decided to come out with a 14 point advisory for women to ‘stay safe.’
Ever since the Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar issued the 14-point “advisory”, women have taken to the Internet to voice their opinions against it. Why so? Because even after the news of this brutal gangrape made headlines, instead of making stricter laws, reinforcing them sternly and rounding up the accused on time, the advisory continues to tell women to adjust their lifestyle and their Right To Safe Public Spaces in order to be safe.
One of the most bizarre points of them is - “Be confident and talk loud when confronted. Shout for help if situation requires.” Women in India are being raped at home, in school, being harassed at their own workplaces. Minor girls are being raped, so this particular point in the advisory does not make sense. In a situation when a woman is vulnerable, she can hardly be expected to “put on a show” and “scream and act” her way into being safe.
Hence, The Quint debunks a lot of things put in this document and reinstates the need to make a shift from victim blaming to the need of owning up and changing mindsets. It also appeals to the leaders of this country to come out in solidarity of the women who undergo these heinous crimes, instead of adding to their misery by making sexist and bizarre statements that do more harm than good.
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