India sexual harassment: American student shares horrific experiences

[Mr cool]

# 1 South Africa: 1.19538 per 1,000 people
# 2 Seychelles: 0.788294 per 1,000 people
# 3 Australia: 0.777999 per 1,000 people
# 4 Montserrat: 0.749384 per 1,000 people
# 5 Canada: 0.733089 per 1,000 people
# 6 Jamaica: 0.476608 per 1,000 people
# 7 Zimbabwe: 0.457775 per 1,000 people
# 8 Dominica: 0.34768 per 1,000 people
# 9 United States: 0.301318 per 1,000 people
# 10 Iceland: 0.246009 per 1,000 people
# 11 Papua New Guinea: 0.233544 per 1,000 people

# 12 New Zealand: 0.213383 per 1,000 people
# 13 United Kingdom: 0.142172 per 1,000 people
# 14 Spain: 0.140403 per 1,000 people
# 15 France: 0.139442 per 1,000 people
# 16 Korea, South: 0.12621 per 1,000 people
# 17 Mexico: 0.122981 per 1,000 people
# 18 Norway: 0.120836 per 1,000 people
# 19 Costa Rica: 0.118277 per 1,000 people
# 20 Venezuela: 0.115507 per 1,000 people
# 21 Finland: 0.110856 per 1,000 people
# 22 Netherlands: 0.100445 per 1,000 people
# 23 Denmark: 0.0914948 per 1,000 people
# 24 Germany: 0.0909731 per 1,000 people
# 25 Bulgaria: 0.0795973 per 1,000 people
# 26 Chile: 0.0782179 per 1,000 people
# 27 Thailand: 0.0626305 per 1,000 people
# 28 Kyrgyzstan: 0.0623785 per 1,000 people
# 29 Poland: 0.062218 per 1,000 people
# 30 Sri Lanka: 0.0599053 per 1,000 people
# 31 Hungary: 0.0588588 per 1,000 people
# 32 Estonia: 0.0547637 per 1,000 people
# 33 Ireland: 0.0542829 per 1,000 people
# 34 Switzerland: 0.0539458 per 1,000 people
# 35 Belarus: 0.0514563 per 1,000 people
# 36 Uruguay: 0.0512295 per 1,000 people
# 37 Lithuania: 0.0508757 per 1,000 people
# 38 Malaysia: 0.0505156 per 1,000 people
# 39 Romania: 0.0497089 per 1,000 people
# 40 Czech Republic: 0.0488234 per 1,000 people
# 41 Russia: 0.0486543 per 1,000 people
# 42 Latvia: 0.0454148 per 1,000 people
# 43 Moldova: 0.0448934 per 1,000 people
# 44 Colombia: 0.0433254 per 1,000 people
# 45 Slovenia: 0.0427648 per 1,000 people
# 46 Italy: 0.0402045 per 1,000 people
# 47 Portugal: 0.0364376 per 1,000 people
# 48 Tunisia: 0.0331514 per 1,000 people
# 49 Zambia: 0.0266383 per 1,000 people
# 50 Ukraine: 0.0244909 per 1,000 people
# 51 Slovakia: 0.0237525 per 1,000 people
# 52 Mauritius: 0.0219334 per 1,000 people
# 53 Turkey: 0.0180876 per 1,000 people
# 54 Japan: 0.017737 per 1,000 people
# 55 Hong Kong: 0.0150746 per 1,000 people free media un like chini
# 56 India: 0.0143187 per 1,000 people
# 57 Qatar: 0.0139042 per 1,000 people
# 58 Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of: 0.0132029 per 1,000 people

# 59 Greece: 0.0106862 per 1,000 people
# 60 Georgia: 0.0100492 per 1,000 people
# 61 Armenia: 0.00938652 per 1,000 people
# 62 Indonesia: 0.00567003 per 1,000 people
# 63 Yemen: 0.0038597 per 1,000 people
# 64 Azerbaijan: 0.00379171 per 1,000 people
# 65 Saudi Arabia: 0.00329321 per 1,000 people

 

[Götterdämmerung]

You mean to say all those rapes quoted for EU are marital rapes ??

Are you stupid? We include marital and non-marital rapes in our reports, while Indian marital rapes are legal and thus non of them are included. Too difficult to understand?

 

[livingdead]

Why are our Indians friends so blinkered, yes India is a great country, beautiful with good hospitable people, but a very large minority have twisted and weird views about women. This is due to very high levels of illiteracy, low employment and the 'soft ****' style bollywood films which has reduced women to sexual objects.

Due to the massive infanticide in India, there is a shortage of women in India, many millions of men will go unmarried because the corresponding females have been killed.

Coupled with the dangers of very high rates of HIV, using prostitutes has many dangers thus Indian men are resorting to animalistic behaviour and are taking by force women to meet their needs.

This is going to get much worse as the full impact of this distortion in Indian demographics comes home to roost.

its quite simplistic view... I would blame it on general lawlessness in certain cities not **** (although violent **** might contribute) or HIV.
But some people are overestimating the risk, if India was that unsafe, women wont go out alone.

 

[Azizam]

I don't think Pune is that bad. I know an Iranian girl who has been to Pune recently and she said it was wonderful and she wanted to go again, never mentioned any problem.

 

[livingdead]

I don't think Pune is that bad. I know an Iranian girl who has been to Pune recently and she said it was wonderful and she wanted to go again, never mentioned any problem.

I said the same.. pune is not bad.. it has got very young population.. I mean its nowhere near other cities...
kolkata also is very safe for women.

 

[Liquidmetal]

its quite simplistic view... I would blame it on general lawlessness in certain cities not **** (although violent **** might contribute) or HIV.
But some people are overestimating the risk, if India was that unsafe, women wont go out alone.

Unfortunately on a forum a simple explanation will suffice. I agree that India is a big attraction for western women especially those that are better educated, and they would not be going to India if it was that unsafe and we must not judge a country by the actions of a minority.

I was merely pointing at the knee jerk reaction of our Indian friends online that cannot accept legitimate criticisms of India, and a blinkered behaviour to ignore difficulties that do exist.

India is a powerful country and also is a country unique in the world in how people have very positive views of this nation without really knowing why, maybe it is the combination of exotic adventure, spirituality and a badge of honour to have endured an assault to the senses colour, noise smells and seeing the highs and lows of humanity in one go.

 

[livingdead]

Unfortunately on a forum a simple explanation will suffice. I agree that India is a big attraction for western women especially those that are better educated, and they would not be going to India if it was that unsafe and we must not judge a country by the actions of a minority.

I was merely pointing at the knee jerk reaction of our Indian friends online that cannot accept legitimate criticisms of India, and a blinkered behaviour to ignore difficulties that do exist.

India is a powerful country and also is a country unique in the world in how people have very positive views of this nation without really knowing why, maybe it is the combination of exotic adventure, spirituality and a badge of honour to have endured an assault to the senses colour, noise smells and seeing the highs and lows of humanity in one go.

I think most indians will agree that india is not safe for women. I was not talking about foreigners, but Indian women when I said its not that bad because they go around easily.

 

[phylumchordata]

this is a serious issue and Indian youth is really trying to do something abt it. I agree with the lady 100% , being a woman can be a traumatizing exp. in India. it is a shitty place for woman to be honest.

 

[phylumchordata]

Here is an article from the same source , about the colleague of the same girl

Recently, a University of Chicago student wrote about her traumatic experience while on a study abroad trip to India. I was on the same University of Chicago-sponsored trip to India, but I have something very different to say. I was in some of the same groups that RoseChasm was in; I explored the same temples and caves; and I danced in the same Ganesha festival on my first day in Pune. But I cannot justify the same negative publicity that the article addresses.

I want to address the consequences that arise from writing that lends itself to careless generalizations. The problem that this article has is that it ends up blaming an entire population for the actions of some. Many comments in response to RoseChasm’s article consist of Indian men and women shaming themselves because of what some Indian men have done and are doing. There are Indian men apologizing for being Indian men because of the message in this article. My goal in this response is to create a better overall attitude toward Indian men.

As the only black woman (and individual in general) on the trip, I can definitely say that I had a very unique experience in my program. Men stared at me in India. Women stared at me. Children and teenagers stared at me. All the time. I wanted to become invisible in the crowd. I felt that I stood out even more because I stood out very starkly from the Indian population and especially from my white and Asian peers. I was also targeted with harassment, and I felt violated many times on the trip. However, in my experiences in India, I have met a solid handful of warm and honest Indian men- men who are also college students, men who also love the thrill of riding on a motorcycle in the busy streets, men who defended me at necessary times, and men who took the time to get to know me and my culture. And that should not at all be surprising.

Men took pictures of me. But we must think that the same thing happens in America. We seldom stop to think of the abuse that Facebook or even Snapchat can hold in regards to people’s images. We are privileged with tools, and many Americans-men and women- use these tools to take inappropriate, malicious pictures of other American individuals. Knowing this, we cannot criminalize Indian men for doing the same. This does not at all justify any malicious use of people’s images- we just cannot attribute this crime to generally Indian men.

To address the attempted rapes on the program, I was also very frightened while on the trip. After hearing about the attacks that happened to girls I knew, I also stayed up at night wondering if someone was going to break into my room. RoseChasm has addressed this, but what RoseChasm doesn’t address is the fact that rape happens in America as well. This focus on what happened to one individual on a study abroad trip to India makes it seem like no woman can enjoy a trip to India and that she would be ultimately safer in America. We must be aware of the rapes that occur worldwide, but we also need to internalize the fact that rapes in our country happen on college campuses, in cities, and in other unimaginable social situations. And people of many different ethnicities and racial backgrounds commit these acts.

So why should all Indian men be subjected to judgment for the rapes that some men have committed? RoseChasm does not address the fact that there are warm and honest men in India. When we do not make the distinction that only some men of a population commit a crime, we develop a stereotype for an entire population. And when we develop a negative stereotype for a population, what arises? Racism.

I am black, and I have to deal with the fact that even today in America many people characterize my entire race by the choices made by some people who have the same color skin as me. It doesn’t matter that I am an American, and it doesn’t matter that my mother raised me to have good morals. For all we know I could walk up to someone at night in a hoodie and I could be mistaken for someone who will do harm.

When we allow a population to be subjected to a stereotype, we allow people to take action on a person based on that stereotype. Why did George Zimmerman feel justified in shooting an unarmed black young man in a hoodie? Why do people stay away from certain Chicago Transit Authority train stations? Why do people immediately freeze when they drive into a predominantly black neighborhood? When we make comments against a population, we create a movement of hatred and ignorance that is difficult to reverse.

I understand RoseChasm’s pain, and I too had a hard time readjusting to life in America after my experience in India. I truly hope for her to be well again, but I will not sit back and allow the image of India’s men to be tarnished by an article that does not articulate other sides to India. I experienced love, excitement, and awe in India. And while I did experience unacceptable harassment, I know that my ability to not generalize a population will allow people to see that we must find another way to deal with this issue.

Same India-Different Story - CNN iReport

 

[phylumchordata]

I live in Lucknow and there hasn't been any rape here from 4 mnths

 

[East Asia United]

# 1 South Africa: 1.19538 per 1,000 people
# 2 Seychelles: 0.788294 per 1,000 people
# 3 Australia: 0.777999 per 1,000 people
# 4 Montserrat: 0.749384 per 1,000 people
# 5 Canada: 0.733089 per 1,000 people
# 6 Jamaica: 0.476608 per 1,000 people
# 7 Zimbabwe: 0.457775 per 1,000 people
# 8 Dominica: 0.34768 per 1,000 people
# 9 United States: 0.301318 per 1,000 people
# 10 Iceland: 0.246009 per 1,000 people
# 11 Papua New Guinea: 0.233544 per 1,000 people

# 12 New Zealand: 0.213383 per 1,000 people
# 13 United Kingdom: 0.142172 per 1,000 people
# 14 Spain: 0.140403 per 1,000 people
# 15 France: 0.139442 per 1,000 people
# 16 Korea, South: 0.12621 per 1,000 people
# 17 Mexico: 0.122981 per 1,000 people
# 18 Norway: 0.120836 per 1,000 people
# 19 Costa Rica: 0.118277 per 1,000 people
# 20 Venezuela: 0.115507 per 1,000 people
# 21 Finland: 0.110856 per 1,000 people
# 22 Netherlands: 0.100445 per 1,000 people
# 23 Denmark: 0.0914948 per 1,000 people
# 24 Germany: 0.0909731 per 1,000 people
# 25 Bulgaria: 0.0795973 per 1,000 people
# 26 Chile: 0.0782179 per 1,000 people
# 27 Thailand: 0.0626305 per 1,000 people
# 28 Kyrgyzstan: 0.0623785 per 1,000 people
# 29 Poland: 0.062218 per 1,000 people
# 30 Sri Lanka: 0.0599053 per 1,000 people
# 31 Hungary: 0.0588588 per 1,000 people
# 32 Estonia: 0.0547637 per 1,000 people
# 33 Ireland: 0.0542829 per 1,000 people
# 34 Switzerland: 0.0539458 per 1,000 people
# 35 Belarus: 0.0514563 per 1,000 people
# 36 Uruguay: 0.0512295 per 1,000 people
# 37 Lithuania: 0.0508757 per 1,000 people
# 38 Malaysia: 0.0505156 per 1,000 people
# 39 Romania: 0.0497089 per 1,000 people
# 40 Czech Republic: 0.0488234 per 1,000 people
# 41 Russia: 0.0486543 per 1,000 people
# 42 Latvia: 0.0454148 per 1,000 people
# 43 Moldova: 0.0448934 per 1,000 people
# 44 Colombia: 0.0433254 per 1,000 people
# 45 Slovenia: 0.0427648 per 1,000 people
# 46 Italy: 0.0402045 per 1,000 people
# 47 Portugal: 0.0364376 per 1,000 people
# 48 Tunisia: 0.0331514 per 1,000 people
# 49 Zambia: 0.0266383 per 1,000 people
# 50 Ukraine: 0.0244909 per 1,000 people
# 51 Slovakia: 0.0237525 per 1,000 people
# 52 Mauritius: 0.0219334 per 1,000 people
# 53 Turkey: 0.0180876 per 1,000 people
# 54 Japan: 0.017737 per 1,000 people
# 55 Hong Kong: 0.0150746 per 1,000 people free media un like chini
# 56 India: 0.0143187 per 1,000 people
# 57 Qatar: 0.0139042 per 1,000 people
# 58 Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of: 0.0132029 per 1,000 people

# 59 Greece: 0.0106862 per 1,000 people
# 60 Georgia: 0.0100492 per 1,000 people
# 61 Armenia: 0.00938652 per 1,000 people
# 62 Indonesia: 0.00567003 per 1,000 people
# 63 Yemen: 0.0038597 per 1,000 people
# 64 Azerbaijan: 0.00379171 per 1,000 people
# 65 Saudi Arabia: 0.00329321 per 1,000 people

Amazing! Saudi Arabia at the bottom, and Australia, Canada, France, UK, and other European nations on the top! Of course, India is also much less sexist than any of them...

What a stupid joke this list is. Does it take into account that everyone agrees that India's rapes or sexual harassment reports are highly under counted?

 

[T90TankGuy]

Happened to one of my korean friend in Sydney train, she was pretty disturbed after that. Lot of wack jobs around

No pun intended i hope?

Yes what she faced was horrific but then the way people portray India in the international media for late is as if ever woman gets raped and there are rapist waiting at every corner.

 

[phylumchordata]

Amazing! Saudi Arabia at the bottom, and Australia, Canada, France, UK, and other European nations on the top! Of course, India is also much less sexist than any of them...

What a stupid joke this list is. Does it take into account that everyone agrees that India's rapes or sexual harassment reports are highly under counted?

Saudi has amazingly less crime rates , thank Sharia

 

[Hashshāshīn]

# 1 South Africa: 1.19538 per 1,000 people
# 2 Seychelles: 0.788294 per 1,000 people
# 3 Australia: 0.777999 per 1,000 people

All that doesn't matter. In western countries most rapes are reported. In other countries women are too ashamed to tell anyone about it.

 

[liall]

Why are our Indians friends so blinkered, yes India is a great country, beautiful with good hospitable people, but a very large minority have twisted and weird views about women. This is due to very high levels of illiteracy, low employment and the 'soft ****' style bollywood films which has reduced women to sexual objects.

Due to the massive infanticide in India, there is a shortage of women in India, many millions of men will go unmarried because the corresponding females have been killed.

Coupled with the dangers of very high rates of HIV, using prostitutes has many dangers thus Indian men are resorting to animalistic behaviour and are taking by force women to meet their needs.

This is going to get much worse as the full impact of this distortion in Indian demographics comes home to roost.

hate to say but you are kind of true here. But there is another aspect to it. India has so much migration from villages to cities every year. And these new people don't view women as equals as was back in their villages. They treat women like dirt and are a major source of eve teasers (sexual harassment)