A round for a counselling session by Jawaharlal Nehru College (JNU) on sexual harassment, which says ladies are “alleged to know the way to attract a tangible line between them and their male mates”, has drawn the ire of scholar outfits who mentioned it reeks of sufferer shaming.
The inner complaints committee (ICC) of the JNU had uploaded the round on the varsity`s web site saying that it’ll organise a counselling session on sexual harassment on January 17. It additionally mentioned that such periods can be organised on a month-to-month foundation.
Underneath the subhead “why is the counselling session required”, the round mentioned that it’ll make college students privy to what consists of sexual harassment.
It additionally mentioned that college students are being counselled throughout the orientation programme and on the inception of every educational 12 months, they should refresh their data about the identical, time to time.
“ICC come throughout numerous instances the place sexual harassment takes place amongst shut mates. Boys usually cross (typically advertently, typically inadvertently) the skinny line between friendship`s bantering and sexual harassment. Ladies suppose to know the way to attract a tangible line (between them and their male mates) to keep away from any such harassments (sic),” the round learn.
It additionally acknowledged that the ICC has a zero-tolerance coverage in direction of any form of sexual harassment.
“Variety of instances have been handled efficiently on this educational 12 months. Along with its common plan of action, ICC, JNU, wish to introduce a counselling session on a month-to-month foundation for all aspiring college students who wish to know dos and don`ts in regard of sexual harassment,” learn the round.
It mentioned that college students will get to know what’s sexual harassment and its potential repercussions within the periods.
Itemizing out the advantages of those periods, the varsity mentioned that “the variety of sexual harassment instances can be diminished for certain”.
“Dissipate any confusion associated to sexual harassment. Anybody might get reply of 1`s queries associated to sexual harassment,” mentioned the round.
It mentioned that after getting 20 such varieties for registration for the session, the ICC will organise such occasions on a month-to-month foundation.
On the women are “suppose to know the way to attract a tangible line between them and their male mates” assertion within the round, Jawaharlal Nehru College College students` Union president Aishe Ghosh mentioned it was a sufferer shaming comment.
“The ICC in JNU makes a blatant sufferer blaming comment the place it asks `ladies to attract a tangible line to not get harassed by their male members`. The ICC again and again in JNU has handed such regressive remarks or performed itself in a method to ethical police the survivor,” she mentioned in a press release.
“Such a comment, creates an area the place harassment in such traces will grow to be rampant and can result in grow to be an unsafe area for girls,” Ghosh mentioned.
The left-affiliated All India College students` Affiliation (AISA) concurred with Ms Ghosh and known as the counselling session a sham.
“The ICC of JNU has provide you with a discover relating to counselling session for JNU college students relating to sexual harrasment. In one of many causes for requiring such a session, ICC writes: `ladies suppose to know the way to attract a tangible line (between them and their male mates) to keep away from any such harassments`. This exposes the angle of sufferer blaming which the ICC has been practising,” the scholar outfit mentioned.
“This counselling session is a sham and can solely result in making JNU an unsafe area for girls,” it mentioned.
The JNU administration changed the Gender Sensitisation Committee in opposition to Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) with the ICC in September 2017 in its 269th government council assembly, a transfer which was extensively criticised by scholar and instructor our bodies, aside from ladies`s rights organisations.
Each Ms Ghosh and AISA demanded the reinstatement of GSCASH.
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