New Delhi (Sputnik) — Thousands of Indian women have joined the call made by American actress Alyssa Milano to tweet #MeToo in an attempt to show the magnitude of sexual abuse, which supporters hope to demonstrate is prevalent across the globe.
While hundreds of women on social media vented out their anger by giving detailed accounts of the sexual abuse and harassment they've been subject to during their lives, others simply stood up to be counted.
Ladies & gentlemen, women who have never been sexually harassed DO NOT EXIST. Not in India certainly. So may be we should ask who WASN'T #MeToo
— Priyanka Sachar (@twilightfairy) 16 октября 2017 г.
#MeToo during the everyday activity of using public transport or just even crossing the street
— Nistula Hebbar (@nistula) 16 октября 2017 г.
In Saudi they behead men who rape. In China they castrate them. In North Korea it’s the firing squad. In India all we can do is say #MeToo.
— Meghna Pant (@MeghnaPant) 16 октября 2017 г.
any girl whos ever used public transport in India — local buses/trains has been a victim of sexual molestation & harassment. #MeToo
— Suchitra (@suchitrak) 16 октября 2017 г.
The most unusual aspect of this social media phenomenon is that Indian women are considered coy, and do not usually speak openly about sexual assault. It is a common belief that speaking up about such things in public brings disrepute to one's family.
Such a huge number of women opening up about sexual assault or harassment is new to Indian society. Many Indian men on social media have expressed their solidarity towards the novel trend.
In support of #MeToo, wishing for a better, safer India for women. pic.twitter.com/nnVQCD2czE
— Rohan Chakravarty (@thetoonguy) 16 октября 2017 г.
According to a recent report released by the cyber security solutions firm Norton by Symantec, eight out of ten people in India have experienced some form of online sexual harassment. The National Crime Record Bureau recorded more than 34,000 cases of sexual assault last year.
