Women giving online classes objectified with comments sexualusing and harrasing her:

[poornima lagadapati]

A deserted road is no place for a woman in the country to be, neither is a public space buzzing with people. No matter where a woman is, what she wears, how she behaves, she has to endure catcalls and unwanted male attention.

In India, everything other than the harasser is blamed for the harassment -- be it the victim, her clothes, her choice to take a stroll alone at night or her decision to be upfront.

The online space is absolutely no different. Every woman has to deal with inappropriate messages in her inbox, unsolicited advances and in case of any protest on her part, even rape threats have become common.A few online videos, which are some years old, have become viral now as the pandemic has forced teachers and students to resort to online classes. A woman who uploaded a video lecture on YouTube became victim to disturbing comments that sexualised her.

The woman, who was merely teaching class 9 geometry, was bombarded with inappropriate comments on her body and physical appearance.


"I love circles," one user wrote.
"I am in class 12th, Commerce but Circles are so important," wrote another.

 

[Himanshi Agarwal]

As the internet becomes an increasingly important part of human existence and a critical space for marginalized populations to make their voices heard, a woman’s inability to feel safe online is an impediment to her freedom, as well as to her basic human rights. Yet the problem of online violence and harassment is often overlooked in discussions of violence against women.