Shifting the focus from women, placing the onus of rape on men

It took more than four years for India’s criminal justice system to sentence the convicts in the infamous 2012 Delhi gang rape case. If it weren’t for the widespread furore that her case ignited, Jyoti Singh would have perhaps continued to be one among the many victims of sexual violence still waiting in India’s backlogged courts. A week after the Supreme Court’s verdict, ‘gang rape’ was back in the headlines with two more equally gut-wrenching cases.

Discourse on sexual violence and rape in India has come to the forefront but the solution continues to remain elusive. This is where writer and media consultant Tara Kaushal’s multimedia journalism and activism project, Why Indian Men Rape, comes in.

Protecting women

Kaushal believes the discourse around rape is misdirected at women. “Everything is blamed on the woman. The focus is on ‘protecting’ women and trying to ensure that they live their lives in ways that guarantee their safety and security.” The problem with this narrative, the 34-year-old Mumbai resident explains, is that “we create a culture around it. We ask women to wear or not wear certain clothes and come home at a certain time.” This benevolent sexism is just another way patriarchy seeks to control women. “Whether we do it consciously or sub-consciously, this is always at the back of our mind. For instance, when I was younger, I wanted to cycle from Delhi to Jaipur but I had to worry about safety first. Women are so preoccupied thinking of ways to keep themselves safe that these options are not even available to us.” This constant threat of sexual violence leads women to alter their lives, limiting their movement and freedom as equal citizens of society.

Correcting men

The glaring lack in the discourse around rape that Kaushal’s project aims to address is the critical role of men. “We need to ensure that the onus is on the men who rape and find out their motivations.”

Through quantitative research across the country, the project seeks to understand what it is in the environment of men’s upbringing, their thought process and ideas that allow them to think they are entitled to rape. “This sense of entitlement over a woman’s body is something that needs to be understood and analysed,” explains Kaushal.

“What makes them dehumanise a woman or prioritise their needs so much that they think it’s okay to take a life or traumatise someone for their moment of pleasure?”

Beyond harsh penalties

“Strict laws or severe sentences are not the solution,” says Kaushal. “I am not convinced that the answer lies with laws alone. Strong laws will perhaps prevent someone from doing something they want to do, but I want to take a step back and question why would you want to do this in the first place?”

The project has been in the pipeline since 2013 but Kaushal officially launched it on May 15 this year with a 45-day crowd-funding campaign. “The funding will determine the project’s extent and how deep I can afford to go. The research phase will be for about six months after which I will take time off to write.” The first part of the book is scheduled to be out in September 2018, followed by the second part and documentary in March 2019. During the course of the project, which will be backed by a team and research agency, Why Indian Men Rape will maintain online engagement around the topic of sexual violence.

“In the beginning, it’s going to be a safe space online where people can talk about provocative things related to sexual violence and what they think. When we begin to get analysis and feedback, we will generate original content. At some point, we also hope to solicit narratives from women about their experiences. A lot of women are just bursting to speak and they need a space where they don’t feel judged.”

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

• Contribute funds using www.ketto.org/WhyIndMenRape
   
• The funds for the two-year project will be utilised to hire a research agency, put together a team, release two books and a documentary
   
• Follow the project and take part in the online discourse on www.whyindianmenrape.com