Sexual Violence: A Global Pandemic / 9th-15th December
Sexual Violence: A Global Pandemic
Written by Nikunj Morarka
Policy and Legal Team
Sexual violence is a global pandemic. One in three women experience sexual or physical violence – most likely from their intimate partner, according to a report from the World Health Organization. There is an urgent need to increase sensitisation regarding sexual violence and the awareness of consent and sexual violence amongst persons at large. In this series, we examine sexual violence and related issues that have come up in the news, on a weekly basis, published every Saturday. This is an attempt to improve awareness regarding incidents of sexual violence and related matters, so that we, as a society can take steps towards collective action to reduce its incidence. It is an effort to ensure that we acknowledge the rampant sexual violence that exists, lest we forget.
This issue looks at 9th-15th December 2017.
Indian minister sends letters to Bollywood Producers
Maneka Gandhi, India’s Minister for Women and Child Development has sent a letter to 24 big film producers asking them to comply with sexual harassment legislation and ensure a “safe, secure and inclusive work environment” for employees.
The aim of this law is to ensure that no woman is sexually harassed at her workplace,” Ms Gandhi said in her letter. “It is to be followed in letter and spirit by all organisations in the country,” she added. “Bollywood filmmakers are ethically and legally accountable for the safety of not only their direct employees but of all outsourced and temporary staff as well.”
Blood cancer patient raped
A 15 year old girl suffering from blood cancer was abducted by two men in Lucknow and both of them took turns to rape her over six hours and then left her by the side of the road. Ater she asked a man passing by on a bike for help, he too raped her and then left her at the spot. Additional superintendent of police for the area, Sarvesh Mishra, said other local residents in the small village on the outskirts of Lucknow in the northern Uttar Pradesh state had called police at about midnight when they saw the girl wandering, the Hindustan Times reported.
Salma Hayek accuses Weinstein of sexual harassment
Actress Salma Hayek claimed that Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed her. She wrote that he continuously asked her to take showers with him, let him perform oral sex on her, get naked with other women and purposely added a sex scene in his movie Frida.
“Mr. Weinstein does not recall pressuring Salma to do a gratuitous sex scene with a female costar and he was not there for the filming,” Weinstein’s rep said in a statement. “However, that was part of the story, as Frida Kahlo was bisexual and the more significant sex scene in the movie was choreographed by Ms. Hayek with Geoffrey Rush.”
Senator accused of sexual harassment resigns
Democrat US Senator Al Franken was forced to resign after multiple allegations of sexual harassment against him surfaced. In the US senate race in Alabama the Republican candidate who was accused of sexual harassment by young teenage girls lost the election to a Democrat candidate. A democrat has won an election in Alabama after 20 years.
Actresses to protest at Golden Globe Awards
Many female actors attending the Golden Globe Awards are going to wear black dresses to protest sexual harassment. A source said, “This movement is spreading rampantly and pretty much all the nominated women and others attending are participating. All the stylists who already did fittings are now changing out their clients’ original picks for Globes.”
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In case you like this new series, hate it, or think there are stories that we should be covering but have missed out on, please email us at [email protected]. We look forward to your inputs and feedback!
