The #MeToo tag flooding social media is evidence enough to prove that women have endured indefinite cases of sexual harassment since before they could comprehend its true meaning. There have of course, been diverse responses to the tens of thousands of confessions made by the female gender. There are some responses that stood out, statements made by the progressive men of our democracy, who recognize that the next step lies in their hands.
By standing with the campaign, various men have shared their own experiences of succumbing to masculine toxicity, bravely admitting that they themselves have imbibed patriarchal values. Many have vowed to undertake positive action against the vast amounts of abuse and their words are a testimony to the societal reformation that is to come. We’ve selected a few that truly embody the change we hope to see in Indian society.
I. Gautam Mahajan, whose post has taken the news by storm, spoke out about the women in his life, who educated him about the wrongs of misogyny.
Read the complete post here.
II. Rithesh Shetty publicly apologises for ‘feeding the patriarchal monster’.
III. Another empathetic lad shares his thoughts on everyday troubles faced by women.
IV. As someone who always intervenes in situations of force, Ameya Naik confesses that his actions are not always complicit.
Read the complete post here.
V. On the other hand, Shreyas Pai talks of being a victim and predator of sexual assault alongside with the importance of confrontation.
VI. A very angry Souradip Sen gives away the so-called tradition of the glorious IIT institutes.
Read the complete post here.
VII. And finally, a Bangalore-based lawyer Ashok Venkateshmurthy speaks on legal developments and policy changes that must emerge in the country.
These are just a few notable thoughts from a large pool of conversations that I found in my news feed. The mere fact that men recognise that impropriety comes in various forms could just be the answer to how the expression of sexual harassment needs to be clarified, although it is subjective from woman to woman. It is pivotal in today’s day and age that men take responsibility in all situations, instead of being complicit to fit in with the ‘wolfpack’.
#MeToo is solely a safe space for women to realise that they’re not alone, as individuals it is up to us to translate their echoing thoughts to real life actions. It’s high time we took the hashtags off of social media and channel it into social change.
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