Ongoing discourse around sexual violence in India grapples with masculinity and societal norms. #MeToo movement blew up in 2018, exposing a big gap in how men engage with issues women raise . Many men got defensive, dodging deeper talks on their roles in gender violence.
Bombay High Court's move to overturn Tarun Tejpal's acquittal has sparked fresh talk on accountability. On August 11, a senior Supreme Court advocate said society should wait for the Supreme Court's decision before judging Tejpal. But just saying “we do not know” misses bigger social stakes in cases like this.
Andrea Waling,honorary adjunct at Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, Melbourne,pointed out in 2022 research in Journal of Men’s Studies that media often casts men in #MeToo as victims of masculinity,'good' or 'bad', or needing guidance . Her work underscores contradictions in men's involvement with movement.
Men's claims of supporting women often miss necessary self-reflection on masculinity,entitlement. #MeToo in India opened space for these talks, but many men still shy away . Rimjhim Jain noted in 2018 men were the “missing piece” in tackling sexual violence, and this silence suggests women must solve these problems alone.
Men often focus on fears of false accusations, innocence presumption,instead of confronting societal structures that enable violence. Laws mirror societal norms,and while they can't cover all bad behavior,men need to question gender dynamics leading to such situations.
Sexual violence isn't just 'monsters'; it comes from everyday ideas about flirting, persistence,alcohol. Men often don't step in when they see bad behavior, creating a space where it thrives. This collective male stance acts like shield,letting them distance from the issue,dodge needed self-reflection.
Understanding sexual violence demands more than political talk; it needs a look at personal behavior,societal norms. Just calling the system patriarchal isn't enough—men must think about their actions, interactions,cultural stories they support.
Criminal trials focus on if acts meet legal standards, but society has to spot and stop bad behavior long before it turns criminal. Legal system's mixed rulings in cases like Tejpal's show gap between court judgments and what society must learn to change .
Women have led talks on these issues,while men often watch passively. Men need to reflect and rethink their identities in these discussions. Insights from feminist views on consent,coercion, power dynamics must be matched by male introspection…
