As Patricia Cornwell rightly said, "I believe the root of all evil is abuse of power." The recent revelations in the sex scandal involving Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna and his father, Holenarasipur MLA HD Revanna, have shocked the nation. The scandal came to light when a 47-year-old house-help registered a complaint of sexual harassment against the father-son duo, following which a pen drive containing sex videos of such crimes against hundreds of women came into circulation. The controversy started when Congress claimed that a pen drive consisting of pornographic video of Prajwal sexually assaulting several women came forth.
The Karnataka government claimed that the pen drive had 2,976 videos which were being circulated throughout Hassan. The woman who filed the complaint revealed how Prajwal and his father used to sexually assault their female employees. She alleged that Prajwal used to call the female workers to a secluded place for work and used to take advantage. "If (HD) Revanna’s wife wasn’t there, he used to call the women to the storeroom and touch them while giving them fruits. He used to remove saree pins and sexually assault women," she said.
While the investigation is going on, can we sleep peacefully knowing that working women are also subjected to such horrible torture? When we all are seeking to be independent, how can we be sure about our safety? When leaders take advantage of female employees, what can we expect from common people?
Responding to the incident, Dr Meena Kandaswamy said, "Predators like #PrajwalRevanna make women's entry into politics impossible. Look at the perception. Women go seeking help or doing their job, end up being raped, having it recorded. He does this to 100s of women. Goes on for years. It's unchecked. He gets away. Extradite him NOW"
Moreover, Rohini Singh added, "Every single woman sexually exploited by #PrajwalRevanna was a working woman who was only ever doing her job. Household help, party workers, police officers, government officials- women in different fields but united by a common perpetrator. Women aren’t safe in homes, roads, restaurants, workplaces, parks, public transport, and offices of public representatives. This is no country for women."
How working women too are subjected to gender-based crimes
Coincidently, I reported a case yesterday of a woman who is a police officer and was subjected to domestic violence. When she filed a case in the lower court, the court dismissed her plea saying that since she and her husband are both police officers, it is not believable that they would engage in a crime.
However, when the woman filed a plea at the Delhi High Court, she received justice. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said, "The present case of a female police officer, deemed incapable of being victimized, solely due to her profession is an illustration of the insidious nature of our hidden biases." She further added, "To harbour assumptions, especially as a judge, that a woman, by her profession as a police officer, cannot possibly be a victim in her own personal or matrimonial life, is a form of injustice of its kind and one of the highest kinds of perversity which can be seen in a judgment."
As per a report of 2023, the pending cases of sexual harassment at the workplace in India's largest companies have seen a rise of 101 per cent by March 2023. As per another report, only 8 per cent of the employees were aware of the PoSH Act while 11 per cent preferred leaving the organisation rather than filing a sexual assault complaint. According to this report, 37 per cent of women have faced sexual harassment in the workplace.
Women who are subjected to sexual harassment have no 'type'
In our society, women are being targeted despite their distinctive professions and choices. Women are still considered sex objects who often face harassment in one way or another at the hands of their male counterparts or bosses. Their talents, resumes and hard work mean nothing until and unless they are ready to submit themselves to the sexist demands of society. It is just a mirage that an empowered and employed woman doesn't encounter sexual crimes.
If society shames and violates working women, how then will women step out to seek independence? Why do women seeking jobs or independence have to cross hurdles that inflict their self-respect?
This horrific case serves as a ghastly reminder that India is no country for women. It tells us how despite agendas and propaganda of empowerment are mere talk - women are not taken seriously, not considered equal, and if subjected to crime - they're also targets of victim shaming and blaming. The question is, where do women go now?
Views expressed are the author's own.
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