#metoo is the breakpoint women badly needed instead of being discredited women are believed and respected

#metoo is the breakpoint women badly needed instead of being discredited women are believed and respected

There is no going back. We are watching history being created. Men will never again feel quite as entitled, women never quite as insecure. The burgeoning #MeToo moment in India is all set to ensure a tectonic shift in workspace cultures – gender equations are bound to crack and shift gear. We are entering a new era in the feminist lexicon.

And the message is – women are not to be looked upon as sex opportunities at the workplace. Sexually charged work environments must be frowned upon. If you sexually harass a woman colleague, you are very likely to get the boot.

As the #MeToo torrent unleashes, the biggest shock has been the extent of the malaise. Actor Tanushree Dutta who started this current wave by reviving her decade-old accusation against Nana Patekar admits she didn’t expect such a deluge. It is like a dam has burst and hundreds of women are stepping forth with tales of mental and emotional trauma, some dating back three decades. High profile men from the media and entertainment industries are being accused of systematic physical harassment and molestation.

What is heartening is the immense support women are giving each other, though sadly, support from men is still too miniscule to be applauded. Encouraging and goading each other to speak out, women are writing a new chapter for India, where traditionally they have been taught to walk away from rather than call out sexual predators. So entrenched is the male sense of entitlement that when girls do protest, they suffer. A case in point is the recent brutal beating of 34 schoolgirls in Bihar when they fought back a group of local boys harassing them.

#MeToo is the breakpoint women badly needed. Centuries of patriarchal oppression and an unspoken male conspiracy to intimidate and disempower women in professional spheres is finally being called out and acknowledged. Instead of being discredited and dismissed, women are finally being believed and respected for speaking up bravely. And when all is done, beneficiaries will be not just women but also those men whose careers suffered for not being part of the predatory Boys’ Club.

Gender power imbalance inevitably leads to a toxic culture of harassment since it gives men run of the field. They feed off each other’s sick stories and fear of missing out further goads them on.

But now it is payback time. Huddled together, the ‘boys’ quake in their boots as women speak up about their devastating experiences at the hands of these men. Nobody knows who will be struck down next; the innocent are not without fear too.

Of course, as with any revolution, there is always the danger of #MeToo being sidetracked or trivialised. There is also a danger of innocents being hurt along with the guilty. But chaff will ultimately get separated from the wheat. What is more painful is that behind every man felled by a #MeToo will also be a woman and a family that gets hurt – the unintended, innocent victims of a necessary strike.

What will the lasting impact of #MeToo be? Are men thinking about how to behave around women? Are they understanding the difference between flirtatious and predatory, and that their libido must not interfere with what is just and right at the workplace? Will they finally learn that ‘No’ means ‘No’?

And, are women clear about what is acceptable and what isn’t? As accusations fly, it is important to begin a meaningful dialogue. This is not a battle of the sexes, but a protest and uprising against the Predatory Culture. It is important to carry the men with the movement, not antagonise them. The law will have to evolve to ensure innocent men don’t fall victims to misguided elements.

The #MeToo learning for women should be to be more assertive, speak their minds and call out wrong practices and people. If it feels wrong, then it is wrong, and the sooner you call it out, the better.

Remember, it is a great beginning, but that’s just what it is – a beginning. There are many battles to be fought once the dust settles – in boardrooms, streets, orphanages, social media, rural spaces where women still don’t have a voice loud enough to be heard. It will take time and hard work, but it seems that women are ready now to take on any battle, to stand up for and with other women, and claim their space in the sun.

It is time.