NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDIAN
WOMEN (NFIW)
1002-Ansal Bhawan,
16-K.G.Marg, New Delhi
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PRESS RELEASE
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDIAN WOMEN (NFIW)
strongly opposes the banning of the documentary India's Daughter. The 'objectionable' portions of the
documentary not only expose the mentality of the rapist, they are also a
reflection of the mentality and attitude of the Indian patriarchal society
towards women.
There is nothing new in what ‘Nirbhaya’ culprit
Mukesh said. It is also not different from the opinions expressed by leaders of
different political parties, head of Women Commissions and heads of RSS and VHP
and Khap Panchayats etc.
Mukesh is a culprit and is in jail. But the
statements starting from
*AP Pradesh Congress Chief B.Sathyanarayana,
that Nirbhaya incident was a minor one and advising girls not to be out at
night
*Congress MP Abhijit Mukherji’s ‘dented and painted’ portrayal of protesting
women
*Congress Minister in Puducherry and BJP MLA
from Alwar’s suggestion thett girls should wear salwars
*BJP minister in MP, Kailash’s reminder to
women of laxman rekha and ravana
*JD-U Chief’s opinion that young men are
overtaken by the sexual urge every 15-20 days,
*Chhatisgarh Women’s Commission Chairperson and
BJP leader Vibha Rao’s belief that ignorance of the Hindu epics that teaches
value is to blame for such incidents
*SP leader Mulayam Singh’s ‘common mistakes by
boys’ and SP Maharashtra Leader Abu Azmi’s analogy
comparing men and women to petrol and fire, and his demand for a Law to ban
wearing incorrect clothes
*Scientist of Gwalior
RVS Vishwa Vidhyalaya, Anita Shukla’s statement ‘when a group of men
intended to rape, they do it… had the girl simply surrendered when surrounded
by six men, she would not have lost her intestine'
*VHP leader Ashok Singhal and RSS Chief Mohan
Bagawar’s position that rape happens in India not in Bharat
*Jamaat-e Islami Hind’s recommendation to
Justice Verma Committee to abolish co-education
*Khap Panchayat of Bihat, UP and Haryana
demanding ban of mobile phone use by girls and eating of fast food
and so on.
All the above positions and suggestions are
nothing but ‘blame the victim’. It directly attack women’s rights and deny
gender equality and indirectly encourage sexual crimes against women. Not only
that, all of them prescribe the same solution for women’s safety, that is keep
women well covered and inside home. But the irony is that 90% of the assault on
women takes place inside the home.
NFIW is of the opinion that the Government at
the Centre as well as in States should take note of all the anti-women
statements and should take all necessary steps to stop people, whoever they may
be, from making such criminal suggestions and statements against women.
A ban is
not the solution; it cannot ensure women’s constitutional rights. It needs
political will and social commitment
Annie Raja
General Secretary
9868181991