A Bollywood horror film showing to packed cinemas across India features a demon that hunts and kills "modern women".
The headless bogeyman, the literal embodiment of patriarchy, targets women who work or study, wear Western clothes or simply use smartphones.
The roaring success of this campy movie aptly titled Stree, or Woman, is in part because it resonates deeply with Indian women who feel preyed upon at work and in public.
Its release coincided with a horrifying tragedy hitting the headlines.
On Aug 9, a 31-year-old trainee doctor, resting after a 36-hour shift in a government hospital in eastern India's Kolkata city, was raped and murdered.
The incident unleashed protests across the country, as it was a graphic reminder that India has not become much safer for women in the past decade.
And just a few weeks before, a 33-year-old nurse in Uttarakhand state was raped, robbed and murdered, allegedly by a labourer, as she walked home.
"Why does this keep happening? When will this stop?" a teacher friend texted this reporter, echoing the existential question Indian women are asking today in family living rooms, hospitals, classrooms, offices and WhatsApp groups.
Women in India are constantly on high alert. Obscene comments from strangers on the street, molestation on buses, workplace harassment and intimate partner violence have schooled most women not to expect respect from men, even those who are friends or family members.
The Aug 9 attack has been a painful deja vu, reminding most Indians of the brutal gang rape of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student in a moving Delhi bus in December 2012.
She succumbed to her injuries about two weeks later in Singapore, where she was receiving emergency treatment.
The media, prohibited under law from disclosing the victim's name 12 years ago, had called her Nirbhaya, which means "fearless".
この記事は The Straits Times の August 26, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は The Straits Times の August 26, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
NUS team discovers way to rejuvenate eggs of older women
Researchers' breakthrough could boost success of assisted reproductive tech
US senator slammed for saying Muslim advocate supports extremism
Republican Senator John Kennedy accused a leading Muslim civil rights advocate of supporting extremism during a Senate hearing on hate incidents in the US, drawing criticism from many rights groups.
Canadian PM shows no sign of stepping down despite election loss
Doubts about the leadership of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intensified after his ruling Liberal Party suffered a second humiliating loss in a special election, but the unpopular leader is determined to cling to office ahead of a looming national vote.
Golf – a refuge for US presidents but a headache for the Secret Service
Security risks abound on golf courses, with their wide-open spaces offering easy access
More women aged 50 and older having babies
The boundary of motherhood has shifted over the past few years as more women aged 50 and above are having babies.
Developers offered new incentives to use greener cooling solutions
Bonus floor space for those that build new district systems or tap existing ones
COE prices mostly higher; Open category premium hits $113,104
Certificate of entitlement (COE) premiums climbed across most categories on Sept 18, with the Open category recording the biggest rise to hit $113,104.
Turn phone or laptop into health screener with new software
A new software that analyses users' vital signs can turn any laptop or phone camera into a fullyfledged health screening device.
New Silkroutes ex-director gets jail for key role in market rigging
A former finance director of Singapore-listed New Silkroutes Group was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison on Sept 16 after pleading guilty to manipulating its share prices to allow its shares to be used as consideration for corporate deals.
Circle Line services hit again after fire in depot
Transport Correspondent For a second day, passengers on the Circle Line (CCL) had their journeys disrupted after several trains briefly lost power at about 8pm on Sept 18, stalling for about 15 minutes.