The Letter
Subject: Complaint regarding derogatory remarks against women in a reputed radio channel in Mumbai.
Respected Madam/Sir,
While we consider media as the 4th pillar of democracy in our country, we can also observe that it is not performing up to its mark, particularly in the case of women.There are many T. V. serials, movies, reality shows, album songs which portray negative, derogatory and regressive images of women and enforce women only as sex objects, objects of desire or the ones who can be controlled easily by coercion. This directly & indirectly puts women as a secondary citizen and therefore they do not enjoy equality of status in the society. These negative images enforce gender stereotypes, gender insensitivity and therefore create gender inequality. In a society like India where culture, tradition is spoken every now and then, moral policing is rampant, but at the same time people wish to watch these negative, regressive images of women and do nothing about it. Previously it was (it is still) rampant only in T.V. serials, movies, album songs. But now after the 'Radio FM' revolution in the country, even they have started to line up with audio-visual media.
Recently a reputed radio channel from Mumbai, Radio 91.1 FM (Radio City) on 21st March 2008 in 15:05-15:10 Pm played a clip which made a derogatory remark on air. It goes like this: "woh muuchh hi kya jise fera nahi jaata, woh ladki hi kya jise chheda nahi jaata." ('What Is A Mustache That Can't Be Curled Up, What Is A Girl Who Is Not Teased.')
When eve teasing is rampant all over the country (with its graph increasing), women cannot move out freely, they are always tensed about who is the next to tease them (physically, mentally or verbally), this statement from a reputed radio channel is sure to enforce eve teasing. Instead of going against eve teasing during holi festival, they are reinforcing it. This is an utter shame on the part of the 4th pillar of our democracy: marred by insensitivity towards female gender. Moreover it even enforces patriarchy, superiority of the male gender over the female by talking about men having a mustache and directly relating it to teasing women.
We as citizens of India, request you to take a quick and stern action against the radio channel, the content writer, the content editor and the radio jockey himself. We expect a public apology from the company and from all of them who are related to the show. (on a particular date & at a particular time) and also that the company should be fined as per the rules and regulations of our respected Constitution.
We hope this serious issue is redressed quickly and adequate measures are taken that such remarks are not passed; particularly on air. (be it any form of media)
In Solidarity,
Dnyeyam- Know Yourself.
Join The Online Campaign:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/obsceneremarks/
Wednesday 26 March, 2008
Complaint Against A Radio Channel In Mumbai
A few days back, on 21st March 2008, a statement was made on the radio channel: radio city radio 91.1fm in Mumbai, in between 3.00-3.10pm. It goes like this:
"woh muuchh hi kya jise fera nahi jaata, woh ladki hi kya jise chheda nahi jaata." ('What Is A Mustache That Can't Be Curled Up, What Is A Girl Who Is Not Teased.')
"woh muuchh hi kya jise fera nahi jaata, woh ladki hi kya jise chheda nahi jaata." ('What Is A Mustache That Can't Be Curled Up, What Is A Girl Who Is Not Teased.')
This statement violates:
Fundamental Duties with regards to women and also violation of Self Segulatory Guidelines for the Broadcasting Sector, 2008. (content certification rules, 2008, theme 7: harm & offence, point no.8) It also misuses Fundamental Rights: Freedom Of Expression (Art.19) as enshrined in the Constitution.
Fundamental Duties with regards to women and also violation of Self Segulatory Guidelines for the Broadcasting Sector, 2008. (content certification rules, 2008, theme 7: harm & offence, point no.8) It also misuses Fundamental Rights: Freedom Of Expression (Art.19) as enshrined in the Constitution.
Dnyeyam- Know Yourself has decided to have a take on this and ask the radio channel to publicly apologise for this derogatory remark passed on women/girls. We have witnesses who have listened to this statement.
We have tried mailing the letter (as written below) to the press and to the visual media so that they take this statement and publish or report it in their respective media; but with no success. We request you to go through the letter, sign it and forward it in your friends list so that it revolves through the internet and later on we can send it to responsible heads so that a stern action is taken against the radio channel.
We expect your support to the fullest in regaining sensitivity and equality amongst both the gender and both the sexes so that sexism through and in the media is controlled.
P.S.:
1) If you know any person or a group who have listened to Radio 91.1fm on that date & time please do tell them to contact us on dnyeyam@gmail.com
2) Please join the online campaign on the following url: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/obsceneremarks/
Thanking You.
In Solidarity,
Dnyeyam- Know Yourself.
In Solidarity,
Dnyeyam- Know Yourself.
Thursday 13 March, 2008
book marks display at new india centre, colaba.
206 book marks had been made by the members of Dnyeyam- Know Yourself, of which 77 were exclusively made on 'Women'. There were 8 posters made on 'Women' with messages written on them.
Wednesday 5 March, 2008
poster 1 stucked at new india assurance, fort, mumbai
STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
!!!
A Simple Message, but speaks a lot...
typically Baba Amte stlye!
Yes, Hands Are Not For Beating, But For Building!
This message is not only for the girl child or a woman but for all...
Domestic Violence, faced by many girl children, not only in the third world but also in the first world, house wives (rather home makers) even office going women face this brutality.
As there is a transformation from traditional women- being home makers to todays modern office-corporate going woman, parallely there is a transformation in the problems faced by the same woman. Yes, the woman as a sex or rather gender remained the same but problems started variying... from the food gathering-hunting stage, the agricutural era, the industrial era and todays the intellectual era wherein most of the work had to be done by the woman in the house (dominated by the eldest woman) and today she is handling dual responsibilities each having multiple roles. Even though the urban woman is economically empowered (although not all) she doesn't have a say in the house which she belongs to. (be it maternal or in-laws) The man still continues to be the key decision maker in the house which allows him to dominate over her. Following the rules of patriarchy (indirectly manusmriti) he ensures that she is kept docile, dominated and obeys his 'orders' .
How does he ensures this? Simply by controlling her through physical, mental & emotional violence. Some feminists would argue that anatomy is not the reason of this 'dominant-dominated' relationship, but it is a fact. It is the most simplest way of contolling any human being: be it another man himself, a girl, a child or a woman. These physical sanctions give man the edge to control the woman in his house. To add to worse, our Indian culture and tradition doesn't allow to retaliate against a man; thus she suffers in silence. Even after a revolution in the IT sector, even after modernisation, the woman has sanctions. (indicating that there is no connection between the socio-economic status of a woman and modernisation)
There are many reasons for domestic violence apart from patriarchical culture. Where domestic violence is not only about physical beating or physical sanctions it also includes mental-emotional torture, non-consensual sexual relationships. Frustration on man in his work, (outside home) his inability to earn and the current reason is his inability to earn more than his wife: which is actually considered to be 'unmanly'. Unsatisfactory sexual relations between the husband and wife leads to marital rapes. (including physical sanctions) Conflicts between the daughter-in-law & her in-laws leading to domestic violence are not a passe. Many a times the mother-in-law is the perpetuor of the sanction. Now-a-days media instead of showing progreessive images of women, shows regressive images. Outright portrayal of domestic violence in 'their' daily soaps effectively concludes in the 'mind of the man' that he is the only authority in the family, he has the sole power in the family to make or break 'major' decisions in the family. He takes for granted that he has all powers over all women in his house and that they should behave according to his 'whims & fancies' , which he calls 'rules of his house'.
But we all should understand that "All That Is Personal Is Political". This means whatever is happenning in a personal life of a woman (be it positive or negative) has implications in the social, economic & political life which again boomerangs into the woman's personal life.
We all have to speak against domestic violence: of all types- physical, mental, emotional & sexual. The woman has to start speaking up against it and the man has to support her in this struggle against domestic violence. The man should understand that he is because of a woman and the woman should understand that she has all rights to speak against any kind of injustice she faces.
Lets build our struggle to beat domestic violence!
-- Sachidananda.
(Eternal Happiness)
!!!A Simple Message, but speaks a lot...
typically Baba Amte stlye!
Yes, Hands Are Not For Beating, But For Building!
This message is not only for the girl child or a woman but for all...
Domestic Violence, faced by many girl children, not only in the third world but also in the first world, house wives (rather home makers) even office going women face this brutality.
As there is a transformation from traditional women- being home makers to todays modern office-corporate going woman, parallely there is a transformation in the problems faced by the same woman. Yes, the woman as a sex or rather gender remained the same but problems started variying... from the food gathering-hunting stage, the agricutural era, the industrial era and todays the intellectual era wherein most of the work had to be done by the woman in the house (dominated by the eldest woman) and today she is handling dual responsibilities each having multiple roles. Even though the urban woman is economically empowered (although not all) she doesn't have a say in the house which she belongs to. (be it maternal or in-laws) The man still continues to be the key decision maker in the house which allows him to dominate over her. Following the rules of patriarchy (indirectly manusmriti) he ensures that she is kept docile, dominated and obeys his 'orders' .
How does he ensures this? Simply by controlling her through physical, mental & emotional violence. Some feminists would argue that anatomy is not the reason of this 'dominant-dominated' relationship, but it is a fact. It is the most simplest way of contolling any human being: be it another man himself, a girl, a child or a woman. These physical sanctions give man the edge to control the woman in his house. To add to worse, our Indian culture and tradition doesn't allow to retaliate against a man; thus she suffers in silence. Even after a revolution in the IT sector, even after modernisation, the woman has sanctions. (indicating that there is no connection between the socio-economic status of a woman and modernisation)
There are many reasons for domestic violence apart from patriarchical culture. Where domestic violence is not only about physical beating or physical sanctions it also includes mental-emotional torture, non-consensual sexual relationships. Frustration on man in his work, (outside home) his inability to earn and the current reason is his inability to earn more than his wife: which is actually considered to be 'unmanly'. Unsatisfactory sexual relations between the husband and wife leads to marital rapes. (including physical sanctions) Conflicts between the daughter-in-law & her in-laws leading to domestic violence are not a passe. Many a times the mother-in-law is the perpetuor of the sanction. Now-a-days media instead of showing progreessive images of women, shows regressive images. Outright portrayal of domestic violence in 'their' daily soaps effectively concludes in the 'mind of the man' that he is the only authority in the family, he has the sole power in the family to make or break 'major' decisions in the family. He takes for granted that he has all powers over all women in his house and that they should behave according to his 'whims & fancies' , which he calls 'rules of his house'.
But we all should understand that "All That Is Personal Is Political". This means whatever is happenning in a personal life of a woman (be it positive or negative) has implications in the social, economic & political life which again boomerangs into the woman's personal life.
We all have to speak against domestic violence: of all types- physical, mental, emotional & sexual. The woman has to start speaking up against it and the man has to support her in this struggle against domestic violence. The man should understand that he is because of a woman and the woman should understand that she has all rights to speak against any kind of injustice she faces.
Lets build our struggle to beat domestic violence!
-- Sachidananda.
(Eternal Happiness)
fund raising program...
Dnyeyam- Know Yourself, is a social organization working towards Women empowerment, Reforms In Education & Know Your Rights.
We are making ‘Book Marks- With A Message’ as its fund raising program and selling it at Rs. 2/-, Rs. 3/- & Rs. 5/-
The messages are in English, Hindi & Marathi.
Dnyeyam- Know Yourself, is having a poster exhibition on the eve of International Women’s Day at New India Centre, Colaba, Mumbai on 7th March 2008 from 3 pm to 6 pm.
We are even selling those Book Marks on that day.
Interested can attend the exhibition.
Dnyeyam- Know Yourself is Urgently Needing Volunteers for the exhibition and also for helping them in their work.
Please do contact us on our e-mail.
-- Dnyeyam- Know Yourself Team.
We are making ‘Book Marks- With A Message’ as its fund raising program and selling it at Rs. 2/-, Rs. 3/- & Rs. 5/-
The messages are in English, Hindi & Marathi.
Dnyeyam- Know Yourself, is having a poster exhibition on the eve of International Women’s Day at New India Centre, Colaba, Mumbai on 7th March 2008 from 3 pm to 6 pm.
We are even selling those Book Marks on that day.
Interested can attend the exhibition.
Dnyeyam- Know Yourself is Urgently Needing Volunteers for the exhibition and also for helping them in their work.
Please do contact us on our e-mail.
-- Dnyeyam- Know Yourself Team.
Tuesday 4 March, 2008
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