Recently, a circular for a counselling session organised by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on sexual harassment has draw criticism on accounts of ‘victim blaming’, the circular states girls are “supposed to know how to draw a tangible line between them and their male friends”.
“Girls suppose to know…”: Circular
According to the circular, “ICC come across a number of cases where sexual harassment takes place among close friends. Boys generally cross (sometimes advertently, sometimes inadvertently) the thin line between friendship’s bantering and sexual harassment. Girls suppose to know how to draw a tangible line (between them and their male friends) to avoid any such harassments (sic).”
“Number of cases have been dealt with successfully in this academic year. In addition to its usual course of action, ICC, JNU, would like to introduce a counselling session on a monthly basis for all aspiring students who want to know dos and don’ts in regard of sexual harassment,” the circular added.
To conduct counselling session from January 17, 2022.
The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the JNU uploaded the circular on the varsity’s website stating that it will organise a counselling session on sexual harassment on January 17.
JNUSU President calls circular a victim shaming remark
Meanwhile, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh said that, “the girls are “suppose to know how to draw a tangible line between them and their male friends,” is nothing but a victim shaming remark.
“The ICC in JNU makes a blatant victim blaming remark where it asks ‘women to draw a tangible line to not get harassed by their male members’. The ICC time and again in JNU has passed such regressive remarks or conducted itself in a way to moral police the survivor,” she said in a statement.
She added that, “Such a remark, creates a space where harassment in such lines will become rampant and will lead to become an unsafe space for women.”
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