In Her Shoes

In India, #MeToo needs to address deeper questions of misogyny

- Anjuly Mathai

I In the west, the #MeToo movement exposed how pervasive the problem of sexual harassment was. The Harvey Weinstein scandal prompted a number of women to come out with their stories, and accusations were levelled against some of the most famous public figures in the country—like actors Kevin Spacey and Ben

Affleck, and fashion photographer Mario Testino. In India, the movement has been more subdued. Yes, of course, there are those like actor Jeetendra and Seedfund co-founder Mahesh Murthy whose alleged sexual offences #MeToo exposed. Then, there was the controversial list of academic offenders in India brought out by a law student in the US. But, on the whole, #MeToo did not take off like it did in the west.

Maybe it is because matters of sex are still largely swept under the carpet. Or maybe because those who have come out have faced the backlash. As entrepreneur and singer Ananya Birla said: “Society does not always provide a safe space for women [to come out]. There is an overwhelming fear of being judged or discredited. When women come forward, they can be accused of being complicit, as if they are somehow to blame for what happened.”

When Ann Rachel George, a third-year student of political science at the Madras Christian College, was 15 years old, she was molested outside the church that she attended. When #MeToo happened, she decided to share her story on the platform. She had to pay the price for her decision. Many of the men in her college thought she was merely showing off. “What was the need to put it up on a public forum?” they asked her.