“Raise your voice against this noise. Fight the evil of eve-teasing. Eve teasers, Don't forget that you have a mother and sisters. Stop eve teasing, women are not toys!“

Today Indian Penal Code deals with eve-teasing cases vide Section 354 and Section 509 which show an increase of 13.05 percent in assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty; and an 18.9 percent decrease in incidents of Insulting the modesty of a woman, respectively, from the year 2015 to 2016.

WHAT IS EVE-TEASING?

Eve teasing literally means annoying or irritating women. It is referred to as an act of harassing women playfully or maliciously, physically or psychologically to make fun, irritate, provoke, annoy, or embarrass them through comments, remarks, gestures, jokes, physical contact, and taunts. It is a unique and euphemistic expression for south Asia, especially in India. It is not used in Britain or in European countries.

From where did the term ‘eve’ in eve teasing come? Ever wondered? You might have heard about Adam and Eve. So, according to Christian philosophy, Eve is believed to be the first woman that God made on earth. Therefore, we can say that all women are generally termed as ‘eve’. Thus the term eve- teasing. People say women belong to the weaker sections of the community. Hence men dominate women and sometimes men exploit women for their own pleasure. Women face numerous types of harassment. Among the harassments, sexual harassment is common in many parts of the world. Harassment in public places, by known and unknown persons, which affects women, is called eve teasing in India.

Indian criminal laws prescribe punishment for the same as it is a gendered crime against women where only men can be the perpetrator. We have also seen Indian films depicting mild teasing accompanied by a song and dance that mostly results in the female protagonist submitting to the male protagonist's advances in the end. So, many youths tend to replicate this example shown on screen in their real lives; hence referred to as the “Roadside Romeos”.

HISTORY OF EVE-TEASING:

In the 1970s, the problem of eve-teasing received public and media attention. In modern times, more and more women have become independent they often go to places of work, colleges, etc which means that they are no longer accompanied by males which were considered a norm in traditional society.

The problem of eve-teasing grew at an alarming rate. The need was felt by Indian government to take remedial measures which include both judicial as well as law enforcement methods in order to curb this practice. Various efforts were made in order to sensitize the police regarding this problem.

TYPES OF EVE-TEASING:

Most of the time the cases of eve-teasing are covered under the carpet, blaming the victim. Passing lewd comments, catcalling, making unwanted physical contact, and groping are considered eve teasing. Most of the girls on their way to school, college, and office have to witness this shameful display of sexual aggression. Below are a few examples of eve-teasing:

1. Sexual harassment- If any person shows pornography to a woman even if she denies it and makes sexual remarks demands and requests for sexual favors, etc. then he committed the offense of sexual harassment.
2. Disrobing- If any person uses criminal force against a woman to disrobe her and forces her to be naked then he will be liable under this section.
3. Voyeurism- If any person spies on another person who is involved in either intimate acts of undressing or sexual activity that are considered private, then he will be held liable under this act.
4. Stalking- If a man follows or contacts a woman despite several indications of disinterest or even verbal denial by her it is considered an offense.
5. Obscene acts and songs- If any person annoys another person by doing any disturbing act or by singing any disturbing song, or by words then it will be considered as a type of eve-teasing.
6. Outraging the modesty of a woman- If any person harms or uses criminal force against a woman and does this intentionally to outrage a woman. It is treated more seriously than other criminal forces by allowing the police to arrest without a warrant in such cases.
7. Insulting the modesty of a woman- If any person has any opinion or gesture or exhibits any object to intrude on a woman’s privacy by words or objects.

CAUSES OF EVE-TEASING:

The root of eve-teasing is mixed in our family and social attitudes, or values. The venomous and violent culture of women, and the lack of participatory, empathetic, responsible, and healthy relationships between men and women influence in this regard. Moreover, the lack of proper education of the children from their families mostly helps to develop such negative mentality among them. The overall causes of eve-teasing are mentioned below:

1. In recent times, it is often seen that there has been a degradation of social, cultural, and moral values.
2. There is a lack of positive attitudes toward women in society.
3. People often consider women as commodities.
4. There has been widespread pornography.
5. Due to the free and uncontrolled telecast of satellite TV channels people are often influenced by films, shows, etc.
6. Due to the unawareness of the parents regarding their children.
7. Eve-teasing is also an increasing problem in society because there has been a lack of proper education and gender discrimination society.
8. Due to fewer separate laws regarding eve-teasing.
9. Unawareness of people regarding eve-teasing laws.
10. The acute attraction to the opposite sex and women deem as goods and objects of consumption.
11. The misuse of technology.
12. The unemployment and desperation.
13. The lack of healthy culture and the harmful effects of electronic and film media.
14. The available use of drugs.
15. The lack of proper implementation of relevant legislation.
16. The lack of necessary training of law enforcement personnel.
17. The discriminatory relationship between men and women in domestic, social, economic, and political aspects, etc.

SOCIAL PROBLEMS CREATED BY EVE-TEASING:

The effects of eve-teasing are totalitarian to preserve the unequal position of women in society. Always it impedes the activities and movements of women. Not only that, it puts the women socially inept and dull to destroy their morale. It prevents their capacity-building qualities at an early stage. The bad habit of teasing fulfills the lives of men by fascinating feelings and helps them to express their greedy mentality. On the other hand, it creates intolerable situations for women and children constantly through which it is impossible to receive the fresh air of normal life. The expected impacts of eve teasing or sexual harassment are kidnapping, rape, trafficking, acid attacks, dropping out from the study, early marriage, forced marriage, suicide, family shifting from the locality, increasing social and economic dependency, expansion of social degradation, spreading of social insecurity, hindrance in free movement, injuries of parents and brothers, creation of psychological problems, etc. and it stains and destroys the society as a whole.

HOW TO STOP EVE-TEASING:

Eve-teasing can be stopped if people are educated about the laws and punishments related to it because the offender must know the consequences of his act. A person should carry safety equipment with him/her that can help to combat the problem there and then.

Technology can be helpful in this case, the person can set the SOS numbers of the close ones on his/her phone. If a person is self-reliant and can defend himself/herself then the cases of eve-teasing can be reduced. Laws should be made more strict and hard punishments should be imposed so that a person should not think of committing such types of offenses.

• How to file an Eve-Teasing complaint?

It is always advisable for women to call on 100 (police control room) or 1091, i.e., women's helpline number at the time of the event, or the victim or complainant must immediately visit the nearest police station to register an FIR. After the FIR is registered, the registration number or receipt will be given. The police can never refuse the FIR; after the criminal law amendment act 2013, the provision of zero FIR came up, which requires FIR to be filed in any police station, and the same can be later transferred to the appropriate police station of proper jurisdiction.

• Eve- teasing Online Complaint:

It is always advisable to “learn to say NO”, for those who don’t understand this, every woman must know what to do in such a case. If anyone around you or you are a victim of eve-teasing and unable or unwilling (due to several factors) to go to the police station, then here’s a list of women's helpline numbers you can contact, and action will be taken subsequently.

• Women Helpline ( All India ) Women In Distress - 1091
• Women Helpline Domestic Abuse - 181
• Police – 100
• National Commission For Women (NCW) ( Domestic violence 24x7 helpline for Sexual violence and harassment ) – 7827170170
• National Commission For Women (NCW) - 011-26942369, 26944754
• Student / Child Helpline – 1098
• National Human Right Commission - 011-23385368/ 9810298900

EVE-TEASING PUNISHMENT:

Punishments for all kinds of offenses under eve-teasing are:

• Obscene acts and songs– Maximum 3 months or fine or both.
• Outraging the modesty of a woman– Minimum 1 year but can extend up to 5 years and fine.
• Insulting the modesty of a woman– Maximum 3 years and fine
• Sexual harassment– Maximum 3 years or fine or both and in case of sexually colored remarks then, punishment is 1 year of imprisonment or fine or both.
• Disrobing– Minimum 3 years but can extend to 7 years and fine.
• Voyeurism– Minimum 1 year but can extend to 3 years and fine.[Subsequent conviction- A minimum of 3 years but can extend to 7 years and fine].
• Stalking– Maximum 3 years and fine [subsequent offense- non-bailable]

CONCLUSION

Eve's teasing is wrong against the honor, dignity, and self-respect of a woman. It hurts her immensely. It should be treated as an independent offense. Eve teasing interrupts women's rights, diminishes their freedom and the right to independent mobility, shortens their education lives, upsets their mental health, and disrupts them from personal and national development streams. Women are compelled to choose a path like a self-murder under tension and extreme insecurity everywhere including at home and outside in the effect of it. However, the amelioration of human conscience is not happening despite the huge development of science and knowledge. It is not found any effective way to remove the negative and oppressive attitudes of men. The women will be free and enjoy individual independence and security after stopping eve teasing. It is not possible to stop it through individual initiatives; rather it requires a concerted enterprise. The family, society, state, and non-governmental organizations should be self-motivated to take different initiatives or programs. It is very important to ensure the application of appropriate legislation. In addition, it is possible to eliminate eve-teasing from our society by removing discrimination by avoiding negative and envious attitudes toward women, ensuring their equal opportunity and human rights, correcting male behavior, and upholding the religious ideals and values among men and women all in society and creating a greater social movement. Thereby, the society will be taintless, the women will be independent and secure and the real national development will be confirmed by equal participation of men and women.

We need strict rules and regulations to control it. There is a strong need for combating this fast-growing problem. eve-teasing might sound less harmful crime but it can turn into a grievous one if not stopped at an early stage. In a country like India where women are worshipped at par with the Gods, this kind of behavior against women is unjust, unfair, and Hippocratic. We should be respectful to women. Then only we would be on the lines of happiness, prosperity, and success. "Yatra Naryantu Pujyante Tatra Ramyate Devtaa."

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