Violence against women is a universal phenomenon, some forms are more rampant
than others, some are considered more
serious than others and some are more
common than others in our daily lives. One such sexual crime that bothers me as
I look around and feel its tentacles reaching out to myself and my friends,
cousins, aunts, and co-workers - especially as I see them cringe with fear and
shrink in humiliation and close their eyes in hopes of blocking that invasion
of their person - is the phenomenon termed eve-teasing. The term disturbingly
brings to my mind the thought that the problem probably has existed since Adam;
and that Eve has had to deal with it since then.
Broadly speaking, eve-teasing can be defined as incidents when a man by words
either spoken or by sign and/or by visible representation or gesture does an
act in public space, or signs, recites or utters
indecent words or song or
ballad in a public place to the annoyance of a woman. In reality however, women
are subjected not just to remarks, songs and
gestures laden with sexual
innuendo as stated in the broad definition above, but rather to actual physical
molestation of the person, signified by grabbing of breasts and buttock,
tugging women''s braids, jostling against them, (especially rendered easy for
men by the crowded public transportation which both men and women have to
travel in), spitting on their faces and clothes. Law commissions in various
South Asian countries do not recognize eve-teasing acts as acts of ‘assault''
but as ‘indecent gestures.'' Therefore unfortunately, the seriousness of the
offence of eve-teasing is not acknowledged by penal codes, precisely because
eve-teasing is generally not recognized as ‘assault.''