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