Doctor Aileen Souza* was examining a patient at a bustling private hospital in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu when a senior male colleague approached her from behind and rubbed up against her. “There was enough space for at least 10 people to queue up behind me. And yet, my senior came and rubbed his dick against my butt in public,” Souza, who was 25 when she began her internship at the hospital, tells The Independent.
Born to parents who were doctors and alumni from the same prestigious medical college she attended in the southern city of Vellore, Souza says she entered the profession with a certain sense of security. That illusion was quickly shattered, as she was sexually harassed and assaulted by several colleagues over the years. She says it made her aware of her vulnerabilities as a woman despite the privilege of class, and where it leaves others who are not from similar backgrounds.
Three years after her ordeal she’s speaking out, emboldened by the national outcry over the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the eastern city of Kolkata. More than a million doctors in India went on strike this month amid snowballing protests over the 9 August rape and murder of a resident medic who had settled down for a nap in a lecture hall after working nearly 20 hours of a 36-hour shift at the government-run RG Kar Medical College.
Since then, junior doctors have taken to the streets in protest, demanding justice and better workplace safety for women in hospitals. This comes amid what is being seen as a second wave of the #MeToo movement in India as women actors in a southern film industry speak up about systemic sexual abuse by top professionals, emboldened by a government-appointed factfinding committee backing their allegations.
Denne historien er fra September 01, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 01, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
'Fight days are for fighting, not chatting to each other'
This Saturday, Joshua Buatsi will share a card with his friend Anthony Joshua for the fourth time, boxing Willy Hutchinson for an interim title at Wembley. Alex Pattle gets the lowdown
F1 title opening could prove to be Norris's only chance
Under the afternoon sun on Saturday in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, it felt like the moment the drivers’ title slipped away from Lando Norris.
The Man City hearing must answer these two questions
Amid all of the uncertainty around the Manchester City investigation, there is one view that can be stated with confidence as it finally gets under way.
Super clubs have nothing to fear from Uefa's shake-up
As a new Champions League format makes its debut today, Miguel Delaney looks at what it means for the competition
Final messages from Titan before implosion revealed
“All good here.”
New Zealand's bird of the year picked up by a penguin
A rare, smelly and yellow-eyed penguin species has been crowned New Zealand’s bird of the year for the second time in less than a decade.
Death toll rises as floods devastate central Europe
The death toll across central Europe from the worst flooding in decades has risen to at least 16 after Storm Boris brought a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours.
Germany reimposes border controls to tackle migration
Germany has reintroduced checks on all nine of its land borders in a move that has angered a number of its neighbours – but brought praise from the far right.
Putin boosts troop numbers as missiles pummel Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin yesterday ordered the regular size of the Russian army to increase by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million soldiers, the third time he has expanded its ranks since sending the military into Ukraine in February 2022.
'I figured he must be either dead or in prison by now...'
Those who know Ryan Routh talk of his previous 'escapades'