After a woman took to Twitter to narrate a horrific incident of a couple of men trying to abduct a woman last week in Delhi’s posh Hauz Khas Village, the matter became a talking point. The incident took rounds on social media and was picked up by the mainstream media soon. With Delhi’s degrading reputation with respect to women’s safety, the police had to take the matter into serious consideration.
And they did!
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On Sunday, the acutely concerned Delhi Police declared to put a ban on ‘ladies night’ citing that holding Ladies’ Nights “disrupt” law and order situation in the city. Delhi Police officials further confirmed that the establishments have been ‘asked’ to avoid organising Ladies’ Nights for the sake of women’s safety.
Equivalent to victim-shaming?
The incident happened to a woman on a weekday night. She was on her way back home, possibly tipsy when a group of men in a car stalked and tried to abduct her. Their advances stopped after an onlooker intervened, along with her friends, the same woman who narrated the incident on Twitter. The woman who fell victim to this abuse is clearly not at fault unless you say going to ladies night was. The Delhi Police’s rationale on the ban on ‘ladies night’ seems to be: since ladies night invites women, it also invites men to harass them? And of course, it is the fault of those women who come these ‘ladies night’ to have fun which is why they must be subjected to harassment!
Is this yet another patriarchal move?
In a city like Delhi where 706 cases of rape were reported in the year 2016, where 6 women are raped every day, women going to enjoy free drinks on a regular weekday doesn’t seem to be the real problem. The problem is many of us continue to believe in the crumbling illusion of women’s’ safety being the business of a woman herself and that, a man has no role to play here. Every single day women from all walks of life are being assaulted, molested, and violated behind closed doors, out in the streets, public transport, public spaces et al. While many weep in silence or disdain, the rest fight their way to live a basic life with dignity.
Our law enforcement authorities instead of trying to find a long lasting effective solution that will ensure that our women shall live a life sans fear of any kind, are busy binding them in even more shackles, and limiting their freedom. This ban on ladies night is just a testimony to that effect.
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