[Reader-list] Fw: 'What Is Eve Teasing?' - Opinion Poll Results

[Kshmendra Kaul]

Dear Meera
 
Very appropriately put by you:
 
""""' Eve teasing refers to situations which feel disempowering to a woman - where she feels scared, nervous and violated. ........ So, in short, eve teasing, simply defined is an attempt to brow beat a woman, to undermine her will and to snatch from her the freedom of choice. """""''
 
I do not agree though with the comment " These situations depict contempt rather than admiration."
 
Wonder if you would agree that there is some graded evaluation to be recognised ranging from the "eve teasing" of the pre-puberty years on to immediate-post-puberty years and onwards. Would it also be reasonable to distinguish between "eve teasing" and "sexual harrasment" with the later resorted to by men in such positions and situations where they find it easy to intimidate and bully.
 
Kshmendra
 

--- On Mon, 11/2/09, Meera Rizvi <meera.rizvi at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Meera Rizvi <meera.rizvi at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fw: 'What Is Eve Teasing?' - Opinion Poll Results
To: "subhrodip sengupta" <sub_sengupta at yahoo.co.in>
Cc: "Readers list Yousuf Sarai." <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Monday, November 2, 2009, 9:13 AM


Dear Subhrodip,

There is no problem in showing your liking for someone. Most women, and I
speak as a woman, are flattered by genuine admiration even if they do not
return it. Eve teasing refers to situations which feel disempowering to a
woman - where she feels scared, nervous and violated. These situations
depict contempt rather than admiration.

So, if I am waiting for walking on a lonely road, and someone rides their
motorbike too close to me - I would consider it eve teasing even though they
may not have touched or groped. If you are waiting on a lonely bus stop at a
late hour and a car stops a few feet away from you, it makes most women
nervous. On the other hand, if the same thing happened when one was with a
gang of friends, it would not even register. Or if it did, it would be
amusing.

So, in short, eve teasing, simply defined is an attempt to brow beat a
woman, to undermine her will and to snatch from her the freedom of choice.
Asking someone out politely is not eve teasing.

Regards,

Meera