It’s not surprising anymore when women are villainized for taking control over their own lives, own bodies. Misogyny is so deep-rooted that the sheer loss of control over us, makes people feel like the balance has been disturbed. The reaction to which comes out in the most insensitive ways.
A professor from Kolkata’s St. Xavier’s posted her pictures in a swimsuit. Given that, women minding their own business is an invitation to objectify and/or sexualize their bodies, a student was ‘caught’ by his father, gawking over those pictures. Like any ‘reasonable’ adult, the father lodged a complaint against the professor for posting those pictures, after which the university forced her to resign.
A student of St. Xavier’s Kolkata was recently caught looking at a pic of a Prof in her swimsuit (taken from her private IG). His father sent a letter to the uni condemning HER for his son’s leching.
— Sukhnidh ⚆ _ ⚆ (@skhndh) August 8, 2022
Prof was forced to resign in a strikingly humiliating manner.
2022… damn. pic.twitter.com/2RNLnXBd0p
While the entire debacle is peek sexism, a Twitter user (Anushka) rightly pointed out how women are always labeled for choosing what they cover (or not) their bodies with. The amount of skin-show is directly proportional to the sinister intent. The world thinks that we’re on a rampage when we wear things that they label ‘inappropriate’.
Often, when we wear something “revealing,” we’re not even trying to achieve anything, we just can’t be bothered to work hard at covering up. To attribute sinister intent to the fact that we have a shape and it’s the most natural thing in the world to us, is so absurd and cruel.
— Anushka S (@smallthief) August 8, 2022
All bodies are different and women are made to feel bad about it, constantly. While we’re only trying to do what makes us feel good or comfortable, society looks at it suspiciously – taking away the joy of enjoying our own bodies. The fact that the father and the university went on to blame the professor for ‘corrupting the student’s mind’ is proof that we cannot let women be.
The joy and sensuality of skin is something many don’t get or want to get. But the fact that it can feel a lot more unnatural to stay hypervigilant and erase the contours of your own body–that should be obvious.
— Anushka S (@smallthief) August 8, 2022
And so stupid to pretend that all bodies are viewed similarly–some outfits that look sporty and desexualized on some look hypersexualized or wannabe western on others. And of course one of those things is made to look like some big sexual conspiracy.
— Anushka S (@smallthief) August 8, 2022
Women are not waiting to ruin or achieve anything with what they wear. No one, literally no one has the time or energy to. And we hit a new low, every time we have to spell it out for the world. If a man is ‘corrupted’ by looking at women, it’s clear who the problem is. For people who still didn’t get it – IT’S THE MAN.
Just thinking of the Xavier’s drama and the sheer perversity behind the “indecent temptress” framing of women and others whose bodies are viewed suspiciously
— Anushka S (@smallthief) August 8, 2022
Revealing, not revealing, wearing too much, wearing too little, all of it is a choice. And THESE shouldn’t be issues in the first place.