DISCUSSION on the ISSUE of “Gender Discrimination and Sexual Violence in Our Campus and Methods to Tackle the Menace of Sexual Harassment.”

TIME : 5:30pm           DATE: 11th FEBRUARY

VENUE: LAWN IN FRONT OF KASTURBA HALL 

(GIRLS' HOSTEL NO. 4)

UNITE AND COME FORWARD TO TACKLE THE MENACE OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN OUR CAMPUS!

Panjab University is considered to be a center of excellence and learning. But when we talk of gender equality, its indiscriminate attitude towards its girl students comes to the fore in a very hideous manner. Girls on daily basis face gender violence and harassment. Eve-teasing is such a phenomenon which is rampant in the campus and goes on unchecked by the authorities. When we move out of our hostels for any work, we are being stared at, troubled with the cars following us as we walk around. Slangs such as ‘patakha,’ ‘phuljhadi,’ ‘tota,’ ‘item,’ ‘purja,’ that are used in our ‘admiration’ have such sexual connotations that makes our heads hang in shame. Even these ‘sincere’ boys, who spend their entire day in the library struggling to make their careers, ‘refresh’ themselves in the evening with a gedi of girls’ hostels. The position of the girls has been reduced to just being a sex object which is to be seen by lustful eyes and harassed at will. Anytime we come across such ugly situation, we are left in abyss wondering what to do. Not only this we come across many such incidents which we choose to ignore but which somehow contribute to the anti-woman environment in the campus. There is humiliating and sexist depiction of women in songs which are often used at DJ parties, freshers or other festivals. The jokes which are cracked in our peer groups or in our classrooms contain sexual content to which one has to submit even if one is uncomfortable with it, as questioning it is considered a symbol of “backwardness or narrow mindedness”. There have been cases of harassment even by the teachers that have come to everyone’s notice.

All this is not confined merely to the university. It is a reflection of the same gender bias existing in our society to which women have been subjected, of the patriarchy which systematically operates to oppress women. In every sphere of life they face discrimination be it the case of lower wages as compared to men, their unrecognized labor in the agricultural fields, their sexual exploitation at the hands of the landlords or contractors or employers.   The women are treated as second grade citizens who have much less rights at par with men. The cases of rapes, acid attacks, dowry deaths, molestation have become so common. Not only this, the feudal values with religion at its back provides the ideological basis to suppress women.

As we see oppression is there, so is resistance. People have always raised their voices against it at different periods of time leading to revolutionary changes in the society. The history of sexual violence is not new and so is the struggle against it. People’s struggles have led to recognition of sexual harassment at work places and laws against it. One such case was Vishakha vs. the State of Rajasthan which pushed the government to pass guidelines against sexual harassment at workplaces. According to the Supreme Court “sexual harassment includes such unwelcome sexually determined behaviour as: *Physical contact *A demand or request for sexual favours *Sexually coloured remarks *Showing pornography *Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature, for example, leering, telling dirty jokes, making sexual remarks about a person's body, etc.”

Many universities have followed the guidelines and formed a democratic body named GSCASH to prevent sexual harassment against its girl students. But there is no such body active in our university which could address women’s grievances. The issue of sexual harassment is not a trivial matter as persons subjected to sexual harassment experience a wide range of physical and psychological ailments. There are economic and social consequences for the victim's physical and mental well being, and the institution's productivity, efficiency and work ethics. Let’s join our hands together to create a platform, a democratic body to tackle the menace of sexual harassment.

*COME FORWARD AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE GENDER VIOLENCE OR ANY DISCRIMINATION!! *UPHOLD THE DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS OF WOMEN!!     *STRUGGLE TO BUILD A DEMOCRATIC ENVIRONMENT IN THE CAMPUS!! 

CONDEMNING THE ACQUITTALS OF SHANKAR BIGHA DALIT MASSACRE BY JEHANABAD DISTRICT COURT

CONDEMN THE ACQUITTALS OF SHANKAR BIGHA MASSACRE!!

SMASH BRAHMANICAL FASCISM!!

FIGHT AGAINST CASTE BASED IDEOLOGIES AND PRACTICES!!

FIGHT FOR RADICAL LAND REFORMS!!

 

OPPOSE MURDEROUS OBAMA VISIT ON THE EVE OF REPUBLIC DAY

OPPOSE INVITATION BY MODI TO OBAMA ON THE EVE OF REPUBLIC DAY!!

SMASH OBAMA- MODI JUGALBANDI!!

DOWN WITH US IMPERIALISM!!

DOWN WITH BRAHMANICAL FASCISM!!

 

POSTERING ON "BHAI GURBAKSH SINGH HUNGER STRIKE FOR THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS"

SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE INSTALLATION OF GRILLS IN THE GIRLS' HOSTELS!!

DO SIGN TO SHOW YOUR DISAGREEMENT

CONDEMN THE PATRIARCHAL ATTITUDE OF AUTHORITIES ! RESIST THE IRRATIONAL DECISION OF THE AUTHORITIES TO INSTALL GRILLS IN THE HOSTELS !!

Recently the administration of Panjab University issued quite a bizarre decree. To address the issue of rising suicides in the past few years, it has decided to install grills in the balconies of Girls’ Hostels. More weird is that the grills will be installed only in Girls’ Hostels, although there have been cases of suicides in Boys’ Hostels as well. 

Is grills installation a solution to suicides?

Perhaps the university authorities have gone insane! What will they do if someone hangs himself/herself or touches a live wire? Take off fans or cut off electricity supply...
 

Suicides don’t happen because there are no grills in the balconies of the girls’ hostels. The reasons are much more complex and are rooted in the socio-economic conditions which compel an individual to take such decisions. Instead of addressing these issues which affect the psychological situation of a person, the authorities are trying to run away from it by taking such decisions, like that of installing grills.

Moreover the fact that the decision has been taken for girls’ hostels only brings forth the discriminatory attitude of the authorities towards its girl students. The gender discrimination which is deep rooted in our society is also visible in the campus, sometimes covertly and sometimes overtly. It comes to the fore in varied forms be it in the form of eve-teasing and harassment. In the name of security they are locked up in the hostels before specified timings. Further there’s a very limited space for girls in the university to assert themselves and hardly do they influence the decision making in the university. And even to get their petty issues resolved, there is dependency on their male counterparts. Due to the prevailing patriarchy in the institution girls already have a very less scope for interaction. This decision is an expression of the same gender bias. The decision to install grills will serve to further isolate them and have a crippling effect on their psyche.

On the contrary to installing grills, the need is to address the root cause behind the issue. The discontent among youth is rising due to problems like unemployment, job insecurities etc. A student has been delivered to increasing burden of performance in academics, over busy academic schedules, cut-throat competition. Not only this, once s/he has completed studies, s/he is to be subjected to unemployment. Further rising individualism has reduced the scope for interaction and discourses between people, thus aggravating the situation. And when a student is in distress there is no active platform or body provided by the University for counselling. 

We appeal all the students to condemn and resist this irrational and anti-woman decision of the authorities. To end the prevailing discrimination against women we need to speak up against any such decisions. We need to come forward and unite to fight against any kind of discrimination and all kinds of anti-women ideologies and practices which prevail in our campus and our society.

PROTEST AGAINST THE PATRIARCHAL & IRRATIONAL DECISION OF AUTHORITIES TO INSTALL GRILLS IN GIRLS' HOSTEL

CONDEMN THE IRRATIONAL DECISION OF PU AUTHORITIES!!!

RISE AGAINST THE PATRIARCHAL ATTITUDE OF THE AUTHORITIES!!!

Students For Society (SFS) today protested against the decision of PU authorities to install grills in the girls' hostel. The university authorities, to address the issue of rising no. of suicides, have taken a decision to install grills in the balconies of girls’ hostels.  The decision is totally irrational and not at all justified. Installation of grills doesn’t seem to be a solution at all. Rather it will further confine an already distressed person.

Instead University needs to think of plausible solutions to the issue addressing the causes behind it.

 Discrimination and violence against girls does exist in the campus and comes to the fore in varied forms be it in the form of eve-teasing and harassment. Further in the name of security they are locked up in the hostels before specified timings. Due to the prevailing patriarchy in the institution girls already have a very less scope for interaction. This decision is an expression of the same gender bias. The decision to install grills will serve to further isolate them and subject them to suffocation.     

It is too ironical that the authorities are not trying to understand the psychological conditions of girl students and on the contrary girls are further being caged behind the grills. It is also a tragedy that PU does not try to follow democratic environment of DU or JNU for girls where they enjoy more freedom.

SFS leader Amandeep Kaur said, “The attitude of the authorities is anti-women. The decision is totally irrational as it will not solve the issue of rising number of suicides, on the contrary it will further confine an already distressed person to isolation. Already there is very limited space for girls; the decision will further have a crippling effect on their psyche.” 

SFS General Secretary Damanpreet said, “The discontent among students is rising, compelling them to take such unfortunate actions. The authorities need to address the cause behind the issue. We demand that active platform/bodies be formed to counsel the students. Also there is need to activate the eternally dormant women cell to address the issue of girl students.”

The decision has provoked resentment in the residents of the girls’ hostels. Students condemned the decision saying that the decision is not at all justified as a solution to address the issue of rising number of suicides in the university. The organization alleged that authorities, instead of addressing the causes behind the issue, are trying to escape from their responsibility by taking such irrational decisions.

We demand:

1.      The decision to install grills in the girls’ hostels should be revoked immediately.

2.      Proper platform/body should be made to address the grievances and counsel the students which would be active and work democratically.

3.      The eternally dormant “Women Cell” be made functional and “Sexual Harassment Committees” be formed which would act democratically with considerable participation of students.

4.      As eve-teasing is rampant on the campus, whose main reason is the long queue of cars roaming outside the girls’ hostels. The entry of four-wheelers should be banned, at least in the vicinity of the girls’ hostels.