sexual harassment - Central News Hub

Heritage, South Asian Hair Care Brand, Vatika UK, launches #UntieYourFears campaign to raise awareness around public sexual harassment. A feature for Asian Lite International by columnist Riccha Grrover.

Continuing to advocate women empowerment and to challenge sexist and misogynistic behaviour patterns that have become normalised in society, heritage, South Asian hair care brand, Vatika UK, has launched a new campaign that aims to highlight and initiate conversations around public street harassment, entitled #UntieYourFears.

Public Street harassment (PSH) is a form of harassment that is directed at someone in a public space without their consent. 75 per cent of girls in the UK, some as young as 12, have experienced some form of public harassment in their lifetime. 97 per cent of 18-24 year olds have been sexually harassed in public, while 80 per cent of women of all ages in the UK have experienced public sexual harassment.

Public street harassment is not limited to actions or comments that have sexual connotations. It often includes homophobic and transphobic slurs and hateful comments regarding disability. Recipients include people of all genders but women are more commonly victims of harassment by men.

Furthermore, South Asians frequently experience various forms of abuse, including insults based on their race, religion or ethnicity. However, reporting rates in South Asian communities are statistically lower due to a number of cultural norms that exist, inhibiting people from coming forward. There is also a clear lack of awareness and understanding of what constitutes harassment and sexual abuse and when it manifests in casual forms we often let it pass as a societal norm.

Common forms of street harassment include unwanted sexualised comments; provocative gestures; staring; stalking; beeping the horn; wolf-whistling; indecent exposure; persistent sexual advances ;and touching or grabbing by strangers. The impact and consequences of public sexual harassment can often be long term for the victims, feeling fear, anxiety, panic and depression after long periods of being exposed to harassment. This often forces victims to change habits by avoiding night time socialising; changing their clothes to look more masculine; wearing their hair up; and even changing jobs or moving home.

The British government has now backed a law that will criminalise sexual harassment in the streets, introducing a bill that will make it a specific offence.

#UntieYourFears marks the next chapter to follow Vatika UK’s award-winning and visionary
#BeVisible and #StrongerRoots campaigns, which signified game-changing moments in the South Asian personal care industry that aim to empower women. The #UntieYourFears campaign features four videos specifically highlighting common forms of public sexual harassment: catcalling, usually sexual in tone and manner, that is a form of objectification and intimidation; unwanted touching of a person’s hair, body or clothing; intrusive staring or persistent leering that is sexual in nature; and unwanted pressing against another person in a sexual manner and unwanted physical contact.

The campaign’s central message is to empower women; raise awareness to identify different scenarios of street harassment; encourage women to share their experiences; start conversations; and advocate the public call out this behaviour when witnessed on the streets. It has been conceptualised and created by award-winning, brand marketing agency, Ethnic Reach.

Speaking about the #UntieYourFears campaign, Zakir Mansoori, Business Head UK & Europe, Dabur International says, “Women empowerment and gender equality are central brand missions for us at Vatika UK. It is unacceptable that, in modern society, public harassment targeting women or persons based on their race, religion, ability, sexual or gender identity is as commonplace and normalised as it is. Our aim with the #UntieYourFears campaign is to call out public harassment that has become so casually entrenched in daily life. Its consequences can be long term and far reaching for victims, and perpetrators need to know that this is intolerable behaviour. As a society, we need to call out this behaviour when we see it; we need to stand in solidarity with women and recipients of public harassment; and we need to start having these conversations to bring a stop to this behaviour.”

Roshni Singh, Marketing Manager UK & Europe, Dabur International, says “Women and all victims of public harassment need to feel secure and empowered through societal solidarity and support. Each and every one of us has a duty to condemn this behaviour when we witness it on our streets. Women and any group in society should never have to adjust their public appearance or behaviour to avoid unwarranted and unsolicited attention and harassment. It is the perpetrators that need to stop this behaviour. Enough is enough! We hope that our #UntieYourFears campaign will help shed further light on this issue and for people to start having these conversations to ensure we work towards eradicating public harassment from our streets.”

About Vatika UK

Vatika is a Hair care brand which truly believe that every strand tells a story and Vatika believes in nourishing, embracing and empowering these stories. They are proud members of the Dabur Group, a world-leading ayurvedic and natural products company founded over 135 years ago.
Their expertise lies in South Asian hair. South Asian women are known for their long, luscious locks because they know the secret to healthy hair. The secret is nature. Nourishing hair with ingredients available in the natural world leads to luxurious hair, which is why Vatika products are made using natural ingredients.

I would like to give the credit for my fighting spirit to my mom. She is a strong mother. So, it was never like for me to give up. She told me never to give up,” she says…reports M.K. Ashoka

The survivors of sexual harassment usually do not speak out of fear for societal backlash. When the accused is powerful and influential, the pressure on the survivor could be unimaginable. However, this brave 21-year-old woman from Maharashtra, studying law in Karnataka’s Mangaluru, is putting up an inspiring fight, compelling the mighty accused to kneel before the law and surrender before the local Mangaluru court in a sensational sexual harassment case that made national headlines.

The victim, a law graduate student, filed a case of sexual harassment against the accused advocate K.S.N. Rajesh Bhat on October 18. He finally surrendered before the local court in Mangaluru in Karnataka on December 20. The Karnataka High Court recently rejected the anticipatory bail plea of the accused, who is presently in police custody. The bench headed by Justice K. Natarajan opined that the accused is a professional advocate and he could influence police, university and judges. The anticipatory bail can’t be provided in these cases, the bench said.

Even after the police had issued lookout notices through Intelligence Bureau (IB) to all the airports of the country to prevent him from escaping to a foreign country and forming four teams, they failed to arrest the accused. As the victim stood her ground, the accused advocate was suspended from the membership of the Karnataka State Bar Council. Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) authorities removed him from the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) post.

Although not belonging to the place, the survivor, who faced the sexual harassment, threats, media trial and depression, alleged non-cooperation by police. She shared her experience. “My native is Maharashtra and I don’t have a dad. I would like to give the credit for my fighting spirit to my mom. She is a strong mother. So, it was never like for me to give up. She told me never to give up,” she says. “Why should I cry when I have not done anything? I am not liable to cry,” she says.

“One thing, it is not that we (girls) should be careful in all situations. It is those people who think of doing such a thing should be careful about not doing it. They should have that fear. For years, history is just going on like this that women are weak, it’s not like that now. It’s changed. I want every person who has, who does it, he should get punished. I will make sure that I do it after I complete the law,” she said.

“I was depressed for one and half a months. Later on, I thought it is not worth being depressed, at least not for him (the accused). Honestly, I would tell victims of sexual harassment to come forward and keep hopes on the law. I am a law student and I trust my law. But, from the police department, I can’t tell anything. Seriously, I can’t say anything. You can trust the law. That is one thing,” she said.

She further said, “I will win this case. No doubt, I will win this case. It’s not about winning. It’s about the way I felt for that one month before filing the FIR regarding the incident. And, whatever the accused had done, he had abducted my friend. She had done nothing. He made an affidavit that my friend and I did all this for money which is impossible. He deserves punishment. Because, if I had let him go, I am pretty sure in a a few days or few months he would have done it with some other victim, thinking that girls don’t have the power and he can do anything whatever he wants.”

Talking about the incident, she said, it was difficult in the beginning. But, then she got people who stood with her and because of them, she could do all these things like filing of the FIR and filing case, etc. She says she wouldn’t have done anything without their help.

“I joined there for an internship on August 18, 2021. The atmosphere was very friendly. It was good in the beginning. Later on, he started texting me, I told him not to text me. He was like are you feeling bad, you are like my daughter, like my elder daughter. Later, the incident of harassment took place on September 25. He threatened me after the incident. When I ran from the office, he threatened me not to tell anyone about the incident. If I tell, people will see my dead body. Somehow, I shared my experience with a few of my friends, some girls who were working there,” she said.

“After that, I was very scared. I had to face mental issues. I didn’t go out and I was very scared and there was an audio on social media platforms. He called me after the incident. He was crying and apologising. I was like no, that audio I sent to some two, three people and it also went viral. People knew that it was me because of my voice and there was also my name in the audio like he brings up my name in the audio. It was very difficult for me to face people. I used to feel like it is something very wrong to socialise with people. Later, many people tried contacting me and I didn’t contact anyone,” she revealed.

“All India Students Association contacted me, somehow I felt these people could best help me. So, people helped me and I met the commissioner, he told me that I file the FIR, we will see and give you protection. But, he didn’t give any protection,” she said.

“They (the Karnataka Police) didn’t even find him. It was he who surrendered. It was very difficult during the investigation. We had to go to places. We didn’t eat anything, like the whole day I used to go with the police only for the investigation… The police didn’t even send transport, no facility was given. They didn’t inform me what was happening. And, we did one small protest near Vidhana Soudha in Mangaluru, ACP called me and said what am I doing? He advised me not to trust others. I know the people who helped me to file FIR and did everything to help me. Why should I not trust them?” she said.

“The police officer was very rude and they called people who were there with me useless. We were very upset. Now, that the accused had surrendered and we don’t know anything. Like what is going on we don’t know. What is happening we don’t know? The police are telling my friend that I am not communicating with them. The officer didn’t even call,” she said.

“It was me who was cooperating and they weren’t cooperating. Till now we don’t know what is happening and where he is and what is going on? What about the charge sheet… nothing? They (cops) tell others, my friends I am incommunicado. If they call I will only communicate. Whenever I called him they were like come here,” she said.

“The first thing was I don’t know people here. I am new to this city. It was very difficult. But, later I came to know some. If I file an FIR and legal proceedings are initiated and people would come to know and he wouldn’t be able to do anything, I believed in this. Thanush Shetty, Vikhyat Ullal and social worker Prasanna Ravi madam they were with me. They met me just one or two days before filing of FIR. They were like they are ready to stand with me till the end. I told the whole story and they were like we will support you and file the FIR. I even said I don’t know singular, plural. It was Prasanna Ravi madam and all of these people assured me that why am I worried as they are with me. Wherever I had to go, if I had to go to the police station to file an FIR report these people were there with me,” she said.

“They meant their words. They did it and they are still supporting me. After filing FIR, we met the commissioner on October 18, it was around 4 a.m. We filed the FIR at around 1 a.m. It took time. The next day we were searching for his house. He was absconding and his video was on the media, he only put that video. Everyone came to know about the incident,” she says. “Now, I am going to college and I have exams. I am not totally able to focus, but I am trying to. Recently I went to Maharashtra and I met my mother,” she said.

“When it happened to me, people came to know it’s me. Because many of my friends were telling me to file an FIR, telling me that it happened with them also. But, they couldn’t do anything and I was like why? They were like … the family didn’t allow or they faced some or the other problem. Maybe their family member is someone who also did it. They were insisting for me to do it,” she shares her experience.

“The other victims told me they are feeling good that at least I did it. It’s like the victim always faces the bad side of society. Even when I filed the FIR, people were literally asking me why I am not crying in the audio. Why should I cry when I have not done anything? I am not liable to cry. People will think that way. It should not matter what people will think about what happened to you. Persons should stand for themselves. It’s okay if the police are not cooperating. The case will go to the court and court proceedings will start,” she said.

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