Women's Day thoughts : Emerging context

Ninglun Hanghal *

Recently in a social media group (WhatsApp group) one of the members forwarded a critical twitter post regarding one public figure - a popular activist turned politician in/of North-East India. The said person is well known by members in the group and I too happened to know him quite well (or so I thought).

Conversation followed on how people change (from one stand or ideology to the other). Accidentally or unfortunately, I stated that the said subject-person is a male chauvinist, a sort of misogynist.

All hell broke loose. All the members in the group began to vouch for his morality, his integrity. They knew the said person so well that "he is not, nay never, that type" that "he is not what I accused him of" and that it is very wrong on my part to say so. I became the accuser with no "sense" literally. The conversation ended there. No one asked me further questions nor probed me, neither were any messages sent to me privately to further inquire or for mere curiosity at least.

My mistake was to accuse such a high-profile man basically "with no proof" and no solid base.

Last year, one young writer posted on her Facebook that a certain senior journalist and a well-known public figure of/in Manipur was sending her undesired, un-wanted, unwelcomed messages in her inbox. In simple terms- she did not like the attention–which she felt creepy and un-expected of from such a high-profile person- whom she herself has so much look up to.

She had actually even gone to meet the said man on a professional ground. Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, the man in question has quite a good number of fans and followers-including renowned persons in the State who came out to argue for him. Eventually, the woman was accused of trying to malign the name of a senior well respected person of the State.

Many were of the opinion that such things are a minor issue–not worth an accusation. That the man could be merely trying to be "friendly" (whatever that means). Many felt that the woman–if she is serious should not put things out in social media but go for a legal fight. To prove herself.

When the #MeToo movement began across the country in 2018, it did not really impact North East States and Manipur. The reason basically being that many say there are no cases of #MeToo in the North East. True to some extent as there are no reports no women coming out against sexual harassments in/at work place.

In India #Metoo began from Bollywood and on to the media industry. Several reports of sexual harassments at other work places also surfaced.

In a landmark judgment, in 2013 the Supreme Court came out with Vishaka Guidelines-a set of procedural guidelines for use in India in cases of sexual harassment. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, was passed by the two Houses of Indian Parliament in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Beside unwelcome physical act or behaviour (directly or by implication) other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal includes-Implied or explicit promise of preferential treatment, detrimental treatment, threats, intimidating, offensive or hostile work environment; or humiliating treatment. Workplace not only means an office, or a formal job.

It also encompasses an encounter by a woman in an informal setting of employment. Earning an income as a domestic help is a job, a woman vendor is also a professional. Baby-sitting too is very much a job.

By and large North East States or Manipur have not come out with such accusation/allegations of formal complaint of sexual harassments at workplace. Possibly due to lesser number of corporate or private jobs in the region or simply that women kept quiet. Or that sexual harassment has not really been understood or identified.

It could also be that there are very few women, almost none, in several professional jobs–outside of the common Government jobs. Say for instance women largely are confined to the 9-5 jobs or are mostly occupying the lower rank of the establishment.

Possibly this could also be the reason why there are fewer women in private enterprise-for instance a media job that requires a night shift ? Or a job that requires stiff competition. All the more reason why we witness such a huge gap in electoral politics ?

Nevertheless, sexual harassments at workplace happens. Be it in the urban settings or rural settings or in the formal or informal sectors. Harassments not only involve the physical-or sexual demands, it is also the mental harassments at workplace-by a senior to the junior–most specifically a male senior over a female junior.

In a State like Manipur, it is visible that women come out for an earning, work outside the homes. Almost all economic activities are undertaken by women–outside and inside the homes-including non-paid. To say there are absences of harassment at these spaces would be a denial.

Moreover, a person whom one may know well or is closely associated with could be a totally different person in a different setting–more so if the man is someone of a high social standing and powerful.

With such a high incidence of domestic violence in the private spaces– there can be no doubt about the public–here the professional spaces. It is to be noted that one must come out of the fact that a public figure, a respected man, is no saint.

It is also pertinent to understand that if a woman shares her experience or a discomfort with a man, in her workplace or in public spaces, her statement should not be merely brushed aside or laughed away. An unwanted attention, a male gaze, an uncomfortable remark all encompass a situation where women are vulnerable.

Certain acts, certain verbal remarks or comments may seem inconsequential or minor. But these, seemingly small matters, all bring into the larger issue of silencing women's voices, oppression and suppression.