A recent LinkedIn post by a lawyer who was targeted by a man for wearing a saree in her profile picture has sparked widespread outrage on social media.
Public Policy Consultant and Lawyer Ashima Gulati shared her experience in a LinkedIn post that quickly went viral, describing how a man advised her that her picture in a saree was not ideal for a professional setting.
Expressing shock and disappointment, Gulati said the unsolicited advice reeked of underlying sexism.
"Men will rape because I am wearing a sari not to their liking. The irony of receiving such messages/comments on my post calling for non-objectification of women in our daily lives, Bollywood, and the workplace is too hard to just pass," she wrote in her LinkedIn post.
Her post echoes the sentiments of countless Indian women who face such regressive judgments daily over what they wear.
"Some observations from the responses I received from a particular gender: Women entice men by showing their bodies; Women can safeguard themselves by not being in such situations by not working late at night, not wearing clothes of their choice, etc.; Men are enticed/influenced only by bodies and not by anything else in society like media, daily jokes, etc.; Only a particular economic group rapes!" her post further read.
The post was widely shared online and sparked a debate around gender bias and deeply entrenched sexism that even the best of men can exhibit.
While some supported the post, others were outraged at the man's belief.
"I think the egoistic masculine patriarchy can't bear women living like a human. Free from ownership. It's not some individual but a thought process getting passed down by many generations," wrote one user.
"The sheer audacity, the sick mentality is what truly baffles me! It's always some shameless man himself who comments on women—how they look, what they wear, how they talk, walk, and even what they eat. These disgusting men in our society should be taught a lesson for a lifetime. So proud of you, ma'am, that you've gathered up the courage and pinned down a well-needed shout-out!" wrote another user.
Another user pointed out that she shouldn't have hidden his name in the post, as such people need to be called out.
"You shouldn't have hidden his name. People like him need to be called out in public. Such a pathetic mindset coming from working professionals is outright disgraceful," the user wrote.
At a time when rape victims can be anyone from an 8-month-old baby to an 80-year-old woman, irrespective of what they wear, where they go, and how they conduct themselves, it's time that such patriarchal notions of victim-blaming are called out.
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