India's Dangerous Rape Problem

Summary

This script delves into the disturbing reality of sexual violence in India, highlighting the misconceptions and societal attitudes that contribute to the issue. It examines research by Madhumita Pandey and Samuel D. Smithyman, who interviewed rapists to understand their motivations. The script challenges the evolutionary and socio-cultural theories behind rape, emphasizing the need for societal change and education to address the root causes of sexual violence.

Takeaways

• 📚 Research by Madhumita Pandey and Samuel D. Smithyman highlights the importance of understanding the psychology behind rape, showing that societal attitudes and misconceptions play a significant role in the occurrence of such crimes.
• 🌏 The script emphasizes the global nature of sexual violence, noting that rape is not an issue exclusive to India, and that societal perceptions and legal systems vary greatly between countries.
• 👥 The majority of rape cases in India involve the victim knowing the perpetrator, with 97% of cases in 2022 being acquaintance rape, indicating the importance of addressing trust and power dynamics.
• 🔢 Despite high-profile cases, statistical data suggests that the rate of rape in India is lower on a per capita basis compared to countries like the USA, UK, and Sweden, but the issue of underreporting is a significant concern.
• 🚨 The problem of underreporting in India is attributed to various factors, including lack of faith in the legal system, societal pressures, and police negligence, with as many as 85% of sexual violence cases going unreported.
• 🏫 The script points out that education plays a key role in shaping attitudes towards gender and sexual violence, with many rapists having a low level of education and being influenced by toxic masculinity and peer pressure.
• 🤔 The psychological profile of rapists is explored, with some displaying a lack of understanding or disregard for consent, and others blaming the victim rather than taking responsibility for their actions.
• 💬 Societal attitudes towards women, including victim-blaming and the perception of women's roles and behaviors, are critiqued as contributing factors to the prevalence of sexual violence.
• 🎬 The influence of media, particularly films that portray stalking as romantic and normalize non-consensual behaviors, is discussed as a factor in shaping societal attitudes and misconceptions about consent.
• 👮‍♂️ The legal system's approach to rape cases is questioned, with the script arguing against capital punishment due to the potential for increased victim pressure and the risk of murderers killing their victims to avoid harsh sentences.
• 🌱 The script concludes by advocating for long-term societal change through educational programs that challenge traditional gender roles and attitudes, as a means to address the root causes of sexual violence.

Q & A

What was Madhumita Pandey's research objective when she interviewed rapists in Tihar Jail?

Madhumita Pandey's research objective was to understand the reasons behind rape by directly asking the rapists why they committed the act.

What did Samuel D. Smithyman's research reveal about the rapists who responded to his ad in Los Angeles?

Samuel D. Smithyman's research revealed that 200 rapists responded to his ad, and from his interviews with 50 of them, he was able to publish a research paper on their motivations and perspectives.

What incident involving a foreign tourist in India went viral on social media, sparking a debate?

The incident where a foreign tourist was gang-raped by 7 men during her trip to India went viral, with a tweet about it garnering 200 million views and starting a debate on social media.

What statistics does the script provide to compare rape cases per 100,000 population in different countries?

The script provides statistics from 2013 indicating that there were 27 rape cases per 100,000 population in the USA, 36 in the UK, 60 in Sweden, and only 2.6 in India.

Why might the rape statistics in India be misleading according to the script?

The rape statistics in India might be misleading due to underreporting, with about 85% of sexual violence cases going unreported, and differences in legal definitions of rape across countries.

What are the three characteristics of the rapists' profile in India as mentioned in the script?

The three characteristics are: 1) In 97% of cases, the rapist was a known person to the victim. 2) Most rapists are young, typically between 21-30 years old. 3) Most rapists have a low level of education.

How does the script explain the societal attitudes that contribute to sexual violence in India?

The script explains that societal attitudes contributing to sexual violence in India include the belief in controlling girls due to perceived weakness, the normalization of toxic masculinity traits, and the influence of media portraying harmful gender stereotypes.

What are the two theories presented in the script to explain the behavior of rapists?

The two theories presented are the Evolutionary theory, which suggests that rapists are driven by an instinct to propagate their genes, and the Societal theory, which posits that societal norms and attitudes drive men to commit rape.

What is the script's stance on the use of capital punishment as a deterrent for rape?

The script argues against the use of capital punishment as a deterrent for rape, stating that it may actually discourage reporting of cases and potentially incentivize the killing of victims to avoid conviction.

How does the script address the issue of fake rape accusations?

The script acknowledges the issue of fake rape accusations, citing data that shows a significant number of cases without conviction and examples where cases were filed for reasons other than actual rape, such as disputes over land or runaway relationships.

What solution does the script propose for addressing the root causes of sexual violence in India?

The script proposes long-term educational programs that challenge and change societal beliefs and attitudes towards gender roles as a solution for addressing the root causes of sexual violence in India.

Outlines

00:00

🔎 Exploring the Minds of Rapists

This paragraph delves into the research conducted by Madhumita Pandey and Samuel D. Smithyman, who interviewed convicted rapists to understand their motivations. It discusses the societal debate sparked by a foreign tourist's account of being gang-raped in India, and the subsequent discussions on India's safety for women compared to other countries. The paragraph also highlights the issue of underreporting of rape cases in India and the need to look beyond the numbers to understand the true extent of the problem.

05:02

📊 Comparative Rape Statistics and Legal Definitions

This section compares rape statistics between India and other countries, emphasizing the importance of per capita analysis due to India's large population. It points out the discrepancies in legal definitions of rape across different countries, including the non-recognition of marital rape in India. The paragraph also touches upon the high rate of unreported cases in India due to various societal and systemic factors, and the influence of these factors on the perception of rape incidents.

10:03

🧬 The Evolutionary and Societal Theories of Rape

The paragraph explores the psychological profiles of rapists, highlighting three main characteristics: the relationship between the rapist and the victim, the age group of most rapists, and their level of education. It also discusses two theories explaining the behavior of rapists: the Evolutionary theory, which suggests a biological drive for propagation of genes, and the Societal theory, which attributes the act to societal influences and norms. The paragraph challenges the Evolutionary theory's applicability and examines the impact of societal attitudes on rape incidents.

15:04

👗 Societal Perceptions and the Impact on Women

This section examines the societal attitudes towards women that contribute to sexual violence, including the patriarchal norms that perceive women as weak and in need of control. It discusses the internalization of these beliefs by women themselves and the resulting lack of women in public spaces. The paragraph also highlights instances of societal control and the role of sexual violence as a tool for domination and sending messages within communities.

20:05

🎬 The Influence of Media and Entertainment

The paragraph discusses the impact of media, particularly Bollywood films, on societal attitudes towards women and sexual violence. It criticizes the portrayal of stalking as romantic and the reinforcement of harmful gender stereotypes. The section also addresses the influence of audience demographics and the male-dominated film industry on the content produced, and how this shapes perceptions and behaviors.

25:07

🛑 The Flaws in Seeking Stricter Punishments

This section challenges the common demand for stricter punishments, such as capital punishment or castration, for rapists. It outlines three main reasons why this approach is flawed: the potential for decreased reporting due to fear of consequences, the increased risk of victim killing to avoid punishment, and the importance of focusing on the probability of being caught rather than just the severity of punishment. The paragraph also discusses the importance of societal change and education in addressing the root causes of sexual violence.

🚨 The Issue of Fake Rape Cases and Societal Trust

The final paragraph addresses the problem of false rape accusations and their impact on public trust. It presents data on conviction rates and the percentage of false cases, highlighting the misuse of rape laws and the resulting skepticism towards genuine victims. The section emphasizes the need for long-term societal change through educational programs and the importance of these initiatives in fostering progressive attitudes towards gender roles.

Keywords

💡Rape

Rape is a serious criminal offense involving non-consensual sexual intercourse or equivalent acts, typically involving physical force or threat. In the video's context, it is central to the discussion, with references to various studies and interviews with perpetrators to understand the motivations behind such acts. The script mentions Madhumita Pandey's interviews with 122 rapists and Samuel D. Smithyman's research, both aiming to uncover the reasons behind rape.

💡Consent

Consent refers to the voluntary and explicit agreement to engage in a particular activity. In the video, the concept of consent is highlighted as crucial in discussions around sexual violence, with rapists often misunderstanding or disregarding it. The script points out that some rapists interviewed did not understand the concept of consent or were unsure if their victims were refusing.

💡Cognitive Distortion

Cognitive Distortion is a psychological term referring to irrational or biased thinking patterns that can lead to inaccurate perceptions or judgments. In the video, it is mentioned to describe the mindset of rapists who do not feel remorse but instead blame their victims, showcasing a significant barrier to empathy and understanding in sexual violence cases.

💡Patriarchy

Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold primary power and are dominant in roles of political leadership, moral authority, and social privilege. The video discusses how patriarchal attitudes contribute to sexual violence by perpetuating the idea that women are weak and need to be controlled, leading to a lack of women in public spaces and reinforcing harmful misconceptions.

💡Toxic Masculinity

Toxic Masculinity refers to cultural norms that define manhood as dominant, aggressive, and emotionally restrained, which can contribute to harmful behaviors. The script mentions that peer pressure and societal expectations can lead to the manifestation of toxic masculinity traits, including attitudes that may result in sexual violence.

💡Evolutionary Theory

The Evolutionary Theory, in the context of the video, refers to the idea that some behaviors, including sexual aggression, are driven by evolutionary instincts for reproduction and propagation of genes. Critics argue that this theory is flawed and used as an excuse to avoid addressing societal flaws, as it fails to account for rapes outside the age range of peak fertility.

💡Socio-Cultural Theory

The Socio-Cultural Theory posits that an individual's behavior is shaped by the society and culture in which they live. The video discusses this theory to explain the societal factors that may drive someone to commit rape, such as traditional views on gender roles and the normalization of controlling women.

💡Underreporting

Underreporting occurs when the actual number of instances of a problem is higher than the number officially reported. The script highlights that a significant percentage of sexual violence cases in India go unreported due to various reasons, including lack of faith in the legal system and societal pressures, which skews the perception of the prevalence of rape.

💡Legal Definition

The Legal Definition of a term or concept specifies its interpretation and application within a legal context. The video notes that the legal definition of rape can vary by country, affecting how such cases are recognized and addressed. For example, the script contrasts the legal definitions in India and European countries, including the concept of marital rape.

💡Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence refers to physical, sexual, or emotional violence occurring within the home, typically involving spouses or family members. The video cites statistics showing that domestic violence is one of the most reported crimes in India, indicating the prevalence of gender-based violence within intimate relationships.

💡Public Harassment

Public Harassment involves unwanted and unpleasant behavior directed at individuals in public spaces. The script discusses the prevalence of public harassment faced by women in India and compares it with other countries, indicating a broader issue of women's safety in public areas.

💡Stereotypes

Stereotypes are widely held but fixed and oversimplified ideas about a group of people. The video addresses how stereotypes about women, such as the belief that 'proper' girls should not be out late at night, contribute to victim-blaming attitudes and perpetuate harmful misconceptions about sexual violence.

Highlights

Madhumita Pandey interviewed 122 r@pists in Tihar Jail to understand their motivations behind r@pe.

Samuel D. Smithyman's 1976 research involved interviewing 50 r@pists who responded to his newspaper ad in Los Angeles.

A foreign tourist's gang-r@pe in India sparked a 200 million view social media debate on why India is singled out for r@pe incidents.

India's legal system faces challenges with a high rate of unreported r@pe cases, estimated at 85% according to 2015 NCRB data.

R@pe statistics in India may not reflect the true situation due to varying legal definitions and underreporting.

Domestic violence and public harassment are prevalent issues in India, with 32% of married women facing some form of violence.

Most r@pists in India are known to the victim, with 97% of cases involving an acquaintance, according to 2022 government data.

Young age and peer pressure are common factors among r@pists, with most being between 21-30 years old.

Low levels of education are prevalent among r@pists, with many having dropped out early from school.

R@pists often blame the victim and lack remorse, exhibiting cognitive distortions in their justifications for r@pe.

Evolutionary theory and socio-cultural theory are two perspectives used to explain the psychology behind r@pe.

Socio-cultural factors, such as patriarchal norms and societal attitudes, are significant in shaping a r@pist's motivations.

The portrayal of r@pe and gender roles in Indian films and media contributes to misconceptions and societal attitudes towards r@pe.

Educational programs like 'Taro Ki Toli' by Breakthrough in Haryana are making a positive impact on gender attitudes among children.

The issue of fake r@pe cases and the misuse of r@pe laws erode public trust and affect the perception of genuine victims.

Long-term solutions to address r@pe require societal belief changes and educational interventions rather than just stricter punishments.

Transcripts

"It takes two hands to clap.

You can't refute that.

A 'proper' girl wouldn't be out at 9PM.

Girls are far more responsible for getting r@ped,

than boys for r@ping them."

This is Madhumita Pandey,

she was 22 years old when she went to the Tihar Jail in Delhi

to interview 122 r@pists

to answer only one question,

"Why do r@pists r@pe?"

A similar to story to Samuel D. Smithyman's,

a PhD student in 1976.

He had published an ad in the newspapers in Los Angeles.

He wasn't expecting anyone to reply to his ad,

but 200 people did reply.

Who were these people?

R@pists.

Samuel then interviewed 50 people

and published a research paper.

Why am I telling you about Madhumita and Samuel?

Because their research is crucial

to help us comprehend

the reasons behind Jharkhand's recent incident.

"On Friday, a foreign tourist in India

put up a video on Instagram.

She had bruises on her face.

She had been gang-r@ped by 7 men

during her trip."

On July 2023,

a couple of motorbike vloggers

came to India through the Pakistan border.

They said, "Hello India,

after 5 years of travelling the world,

we have finally arrived in India."

Before this incident,

they had been travelling for 6 years

where they visited 66 countries

including Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

They had been in India for 6 months

and had travelled for about 20,000 km.

The couple was travelling through Jharkhand

and going to Bhagalpur in Bihar.

In the Dumka area of Jharkhand,

near Kumrahat village,

they pitched a tent to spend the night.

But unfortunately, that night,

a crime was committed against them.

The 28-year-old woman was r@ped

and her husband was brutally beaten.

Jharkhand Police responded quickly.

They arrested all accused.

The couple was given financial compensation.

Now, the couple has gone to Nepal.

The victim also said that

the Indians were nice to her.

And that she doesn't blame the Indians.

She blames only the criminals.

The tweet that made this incident go viral

got 200 million views!

Yes, 200 million views.

It started a debate on social media.

R@pes happen all over the world,

so why is India being singled out for it?

A few years ago, a Thomson Reuters poll showed that

India is one of the most dangerous countries for women.

Worse than Afghanistan and Syria.

But is India's situation actually that bad?

Some people say that

in India, men are se*-starved,

that's why there are so many r@pe cases.

Others talk about fake r@pe cases.

But what's the truth?

I'll talk about all of these,

especially about a r@pist's psychology.

Some of this information may shock you.

First of all, we need to understand the context.

How bad is this problem in India

compared to other countries?

According to the World Bank,

30% of women in the world

face some form of se*ual violence.

If we look at Indian Government's data,

in 2022, 31,516 r@pe cases were reported.

Some of you may say that

that amounts to 90 r@pe cases each day.

But we do need to understand that

India is the most populous country in the world.

So on an aggregate level,

every crime is committed the most in India.

So we need to look at it on a per capita basis.

We have data from 2013.

The number of r@pe cases per 100,000 population.

That's 27 in the USA,

36 in the UK,

and 60 in Sweden.

And in India,

it is only 2.6.

So according to this rate,

the r@pe situation in India isn't that bad.

But there's a problem with this.

"Reporting"

Do you remember the Hathras case?

"A young woman from Uttar Pradesh was gang-r@ped.

Police apathy and negligence of the system

led to her death yesterday."

In that case, the victim

tried to file an FIR with the police hours after the incident.

"I was r@ped."

"Did you get r@ped?" "-Yes."

"Who were they?"

"Ravi and Sandeep."

But the police dismissed it.

According to SR Darapuri, a former police officer,

the police did not write the complaint,

nor did they record the victim's statement.

Based on the National Crime Records Bureau's data from 2015,

about 85% of se*ual violence cases in India

are unreported.

85%.

There are many reasons for this.

The victim may not have faith in the legal system.

The victim is often pressured

into not reporting the case.

And often, the police

doesn't file a complaint, similar to the Hathras case.

So that's why,

in many countries, the r@pe rates are high

not because it is a major problem there,

it might be because

the legal system is so competent,

that all instances of crimes are reported.

The second problem is that

the legal definition of r@pe

can be different in different countries.

For example, in India, it's defined as

"unlawful se*ual intercourse

against the will and without the consent of a woman."

Indian Penal Code has given further clarifications.

For instance, if the girl has given her consent

but she is under the age of 16,

or if she has been blackmailed or threatened into consenting,

or she is a person whose mental health isn't stable,

in these situations,

consent will not be considered valid.

And any se*ual intercourse will be deemed r@pe.

If you compare it with other countries,

the definitions do differ.

For example, in European countries,

if there's non-consensual se* between a married couple,

it is considered r@pe.

But the concept of Marital R@pe doesn't legally exist in India.

If we consider the instances of marital r@pe in India,

then according to the NCRB data,

the percentage of unreported cases goes up to 99%.

Due to these reasons,

it becomes difficult to judge India based on its r@pe statistics.

That's why we need to look at other statistics.

This scene is from the dark comedy movie Darlings.

Unfortunately, this is the story of many women in our country.

In legal term, domestic violence

is defined as "cruelty against women by husband and relatives."

And it's one of the most reported crimes in India.

32% of Indian married women said that

they had to face some form of physical, se*ual, or emotional violence

caused by their husbands.

This percentage is 24% in the UK

and 24.3% in the US.

Many countries are in a worse situation than India.

For example, in Bangladesh, this number is 65%.

We can also look at statistics of public harassment.

80% of Indian women said that

they have to face public harassment

in Indian cities.

This number is 77% in the US,

71% in the UK,

and 93% in Afghanistan.

These statistics show that

India's situation is not the absolute worst in the world.

But that doesn't mean

we shouldn't do anything about this problem.

To tackle this issue, we need to understand,

why do r@pes take place?

And to understand this,

let's first understand,

what is a r@pist's profile?

There are 3 characteristics in the Indian r@pists' profile.

First, the relationship between the r@pist and the victim.

According to the government data from 2022,

in 97% of cases,

the r@pist was a known person to the victim.

97% cases.

This is an award-winning documentary

from Jharkhand's Beirut district.

Ranjit was a farmer

who went to attend a wedding with his family.

Ranjit returned home on time,

but his 13-year-old daughter was late.

She reached home at 01:30 AM,

in a terrible bad state.

The girl had been r@ped

by her cousin.

This doesn't happen only in India.

American research has also shown that

the victim usually knows the r@pist.

The second characteristic is that

most r@pists are young.

A Bengaluru study has shown that

most r@pists are between 21-30 years old.

This is the case in other countries too.

In fact, this graph from the US

shows that most crimes are committed by young boys.

This isn't India-specific either.

There has been a lot of research on this.

The main factor is peer pressure.

Boys are under a lot of pressure from their friends

to become a man.

Be a man.

This includes toxic masculinity traits

which result in r@pe.

The third characteristic is that

most r@pists have a low level of education.

For example, when Madhumita Pandey

interviewed the r@pists in Tihar Jail,

it was found that many of them had dropped out in the 3rd or 4th grade.

Obviously, the sample size of 122 r@pists is quite low.

But this is true in other countries too.

For instance, in South Africa, only around 50% of r@pists

had passed primary school.

Another reason for this can be that

uneducated individuals lack financial resources

and therefore struggle to get legal help.

This is why, most of the inmates around the world,

are uneducated and poor.

Now we come to the question,

why do r@pists r@pe?

One way to get to the answer

is to ask a r@pist directly.

"A 'proper' girl wouldn't be out at 9PM.

Girls are far more responsible for getting r@ped,

than boys for r@ping them."

This is what Madhumita Pandey did.

Madhumita found out that many r@pists think this.

"I am not a r@pist."

"Yes, I had se*,

I did not take consent for it."

"Or, 'what is consent?'"

"Or, 'No, I was not sure that she was saying no.'"

She interviewed a 49-year-old r@pist

who r@ped a 5-year-old child,

and she asked him why he did it.

Madhumita was shocked by his reply.

The r@pist said that

the child's 'character' was bad,

and so she had to be punished.

Madhumita asked if he felt bad.

The r@pist said that he did feel bad.

Because he ruined her life.

Since she's not a virgin anymore,

no one will marry her.

But he is willing to marry her after serving his sentence.

So this was a disturbing statement.

That gave us a glimpse into the psychology of a r@pist.

That the r@pist did feel bad,

but not because he r@ped the child,

but because

the girl may not get married due to this.

This shows us the lens

through which r@pists look at society.

Professor Mary Koss asked several r@pists,

if they had forced themselves on their victims,

they said yes.

Then, she asked them if they had r@ped the victims,

they denied it.

There has been extensive research on r@pists,

the links are in the description.

The research shows that r@pists don't feel remorse.

Rather, they blame the victim.

This is known as Cognitive Distortion.

Jaydip Sarkar did a mental health analysis of many r@pists.

In it, he found that many r@pists believed,

that sometimes, the se*ual urge of a man,

reaches a dangerous level,

after which, it becomes crucial to satisfy it.

Some r@pists said that

if their semen is wasted,

they would become weak.

And to prevent this weakness,

a girl should offer herself.

Now you must have been shocked to hear such things.

But we are not getting a direct answer from the r@pists.

Researchers say that there are two theories

to explain this behaviour.

The Evolutionary theory

and the Societal theory.

In 1968, psychiatrist James A. Brussel stated that

"Nobody is born to commit r@pe,

However, the potential for r@pe is in every person."

Why does he say this?

Because many psychologists believe that

a person r@pes due to evolutionary reasons.

Charles Darwin proposed the Theory of Evolution years ago.

He believed that all organisms

choose their mate based on many specific physical traits.

That's why many animals fight each other

before mating with a female.

So that the female is convinced that

the male organism she chooses is strong.

Charles Darwin says that humans do this too.

A woman chooses a man with

a strong build so that he can protect her and her children.

Whereas men choose women with fuller hips and breasts,

which are indicators of fertility.

Evolutionary theory suggests that

every organism's purpose is to propagate its gene,

for which it may do risky things too.

The people who explain r@pists' psychology,

with the evolutionary theory,

claim that r@pists are driven by the same goal.

Most r@pe victims are between the ages of 18 and 30.

If we look at the data from 2022, in India

66% of the victims were in this age group.

But this evolutionary theory fails in many cases.

For example, in 2022,

112 girls were r@ped who were younger than 12 years old.

And more than 1,000 women were r@ped

who were over 45 years old.

These women were not at their peak fertility.

That's why many researchers argue that

relying on evolutionary theory is an excuse

used by a society,

to claim that the society isn't flawed,

rather human beings as a whole are flawed.

Many people use this theory,

to describe a r@pist.

That the r@pist was a brutal monster, an animal.

This excuses their responsibility.

If that man was an animal

that means there are no problems in our society.

In contrast, the Socio-Cultural theory suggests that

a man is driven to be a r@pist because of his society.

Mukesh Singh was a convicted r@pist

in the Nirbhaya case.

"In 2012,

on a December night, on a moving bus,

a girl named Nirbhaya

was r@ped."

"It takes two hands to clap.

You can't refute that.

A 'proper' girl wouldn't be out at 9PM."

Our society holds similar views.

"You can't clap with one hand.

The boy and the girl know each other,

they have an understanding,

Otherwise, such things don't happen."

That's why many people blame the society.

But the problem is that

the arguments they use are wrong.

Many people say that r@pes take place

because the men in our society are se*-starved.

They have unfulfilled se*ual desires.

But Madhumita and other researchers have shown that

this is incorrect.

R@pe is not about se*.

R@pe is about power and domination.

R@pe is a tool for boys to control girls.

Many political leaders have similar traditional views.

"They're boys, boys make mistakes."

"Why should they be hanged?"

Mulayam Singh Yadav said that boys make mistakes.

They shouldn't be hanged for it.

In 2012, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwant said that

rapes happen in India, not in Bharat.

"Mohan Bhagwat said

such crimes hardly take place in Bharat,

but they occur frequently in India."

It can be translated as

if girls do traditional things,

they will be safe.

But the problem arises when they try to be modern,

wear revealing clothes,

start earning money, and going out into the society,

that's when the problems start.

"When girls didn't wear such clothes, there were no r@pe cases."

"No, these things didn't happen before."

"If they wear revealing clothes, anyone would be tempted."

I'm sure many people will look at this photo of the Spanish woman,

and say that,

"If a girl wears such clothes,

of course, she'll be r@ped."

But the main reason behind all of this

is the way society perceives girls.

In any patriarchal society,

the statuses of boys and girls differ.

In any patriarchal society, it is said that

girls are weaker.

They cannot think independently.

And that is why they need to be controlled.

Let me repeat this,

these societies believe that

girls are weak.

They cannot think independently.

And so, they need to be controlled.

If they are not controlled,

they will make mistakes.

When this desire to control them becomes extreme,

it leads to se*ual violence.

There are many examples of this control in our society.

For instance, even today, 80% of women

are required to take permission

before visiting a health centre.

Almost half of the women

don't go out of their homes even once a day.

One unique thing about patriarchy is that

many women end up internalising these beliefs as well.

This is why 29% of Indian women believe that

it is okay for a husband to beat his wife,

if she leaves the house his permission.

14% of women say that

a husband can hit his wife if she refuses to have se*.

Because of this control

in India, you won't see many girls in public spaces.

When my uncle went to Vietnam,

he was shocked to see women driving taxis there.

Because in India,

you don't see girls in public spaces.

This makes public spaces unsafe for girls.

The root of all this is an attitude

where it is important to control girls.

I've seen this in my own home,

I'm treated very differently than my sister.

Sexual violence is not just about dominating girls,

it's also about sending a message to others.

For instance, after the partition,

sexual violence was used to insult the other community.

We saw this in Manipur,

and we saw this in the Rohingya violence in Myanmar.

Girls and women are the ones suffering.

Recently, in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal,

after 55 days,

a TMC leader was arrested on the charges of se*ual violence.

"Ruling Trinamool Congress party leader, Sheikh Shahjahan,

has now been arrested by the police."

Many boys think that

if girls are weak,

they can get over it with exposure therapy.

That is, if they talk to girls.

But this doesn't happen in our society,

neither in schools nor at home.

This is a village near Delhi, called Unchera,

here, each house has a room outside,

known as a Baithak.

"This baithak is like a common room.

It becomes the sleeping quarters for the unmarried boys of the family."

These boys are not allowed to enter their homes.

These boys go inside their homes only when

they have a meal.

Or if there is an emergency.

Forget about looking at girls.

If they are not allowed to talk to the girls in their family,

how will the misconceptions in their minds go away?

We can see the same thing in schools.

In a recent video, I talked about how

CCTVs were installed in the corridors of Kendriya Vidhyalay, Bengaluru,

to see if the boys and girls were talking to each other.

95% of Indian schools are co-ed.

But boys and girls are not allowed to sit together.

There is a big distance between boys and girls since childhood,

it becomes easy for misconceptions to get normalised in their minds.

This is why many boys think that if a girl smiles,

she is inviting their attention.

These attitudes are reinforced in our films.

Be it Tamil films,

Telugu films,

or Hindi films.

Our films are so morally vague,

they portray stalking as romantic.

Be it Akshay Kumar or Shah Rukh Khan.

These A-list stars have taught Indian boys what it means to love

where No doesn't mean No it means Yes.

This may seem like a minor issue to some,

but many r@pists have used this as the justification,

claiming that girls don't know what they want.

So even when she says No,

she's not actually saying no,

rather she's playing hard to get

and she does want the se*ual interaction.

[Mental gymnastics]

Some of you may say that movies are only for entertainment.

Everyone knows that the story and scenes are fake.

They watch a movie and then forget about it.

But multiple researches have shown that

people's perspectives change with movies and TV shows.

Everything we see, hear, and wear.

For example, in Australia, a man stalked two women.

He stalked one woman for 18 months.

When the judge asked him why,

the man said that he believed it was normal

because it's common in Bollywood films.

Bollywood films are so misogynistic because of two things.

First, the audience.

61% of the movie-going audience for these movies are male.

If they want to cater to that audience

and their conservative beliefs,

then why bother changing anything?

Secondly, most of these movies are made by men.

In 2021, research revealed that

women only hold 10% of the industry roles

like editing, directing, writing, design, and cinematography

in our country.

If women aren't involved in making these movies

then this is how the content will be.

Obviously, we shouldn't generalise.

One of my favourite quotes about India

by British economist Joan Robinson.

"Whatever you can rightly say about India

the opposite is also true."

This is true about r@pe in our country.

Many people have views that will infuriate you.

But not everyone thinks like that.

Pew Research revealed that

most men and women believe that

women can be good political leaders,

and they should be involved in their family's financial decisions.

But there are contradictions in these views too.

When you ask people if they want equal rights for boys and girls,

everyone says yes.

But 90% also say that

wives should obey their husbands.

They should have equal rights,

But wives should always obey their husbands.

The gender attitude is the worst among Muslims

and the best among Sikhs.

Don't assume that it's not like this in South Indian states.

Yes, they are a little better than North Indian states,

but 75% of people in South India do believe that,

wives should obey their husbands.

Every time there's a major incident,

we feel that the situation will finally change.

But the situation doesn't change because

we are focused on the wrong things.

We ask for stricter punishments.

We ask for capital punishment,

to hang them till de@th or to castrate them.

"When such crimes are committed in some countries,

'justice' is delivered by the public.

I think these kind of people need to be brought out in public and lynched."

Look at how safe the Middle East is.

They follow the Sharia (Islamic law)

and so the r@pists are beheaded.

Why don't we do this?

Because the logic is all wrong.

And there are 3 reasons.

First, remember that in 97% of the cases,

the r@pist is someone that the victim knows.

So when you know that after filing the complaint,

in case there is a conviction,

the r@pist will be given the capital punishment,

do you think such complaints will be registered?

Advocate Vrinda Grover pointed out

that girls are often pressured

with things like how they are ruining their own lives by filing the r@pe case.

I will talk about fake r@pe cases too,

but it's important to consider that making the punishment stricter,

will add more pressure on the victim.

Second, many activists say that if the punishment becomes stricter,

it forms an incentive for the r@pist to k!ll the victim.

Because if the victim is alive and reports the crime,

it can mean a death sentence for them.

So it'll seem safer to k!ll the victims.

In fact, evidence from 141 countries has shown that

by doing away with the capital punishment,

the cases of r@pe decreased instead of increasing.

This happens because the probability of committing a crime

doesn't depend only on the severity of punishment

but also on the probability of being caught.

Let me explain this to you as an equation.

A criminal has two variables in his mind.

One, how strict the punishment will be.

And the other, the probability of them being caught.

We focus only on the punishment.

And how to make it stricter.

But we forget that

the probability matters too.

In fact, Criminologist Daniel Nagin said that

the best way to reduce crime

is to increase the probability not the punishment.

As far as Saudi Arabia is concerned

it's not that there are fewer r@pes

but there are fewer reported r@pes.

Because women aren't empowered enough to complain.

According to the Saudi courts,

to convict a r@pist,

there should be two male eyewitnesses.

In a r@pe case,

how will the victim bring two male eyewitnesses?

Telling girls not to wear revealing clothes,

or not to go out late at night,

are simply some short-term solutions.

A long-term solution will only be possible,

when our society's beliefs change.

Thankfully, many organisations are trying to do this.

But then things start regressing

due to fake r@pe cases.

This is Vishnu Tiwari from Uttar Pradesh.

In September 2000, he was 23 years old

when he was convicted for a r@pe.

But 20 years later, the Allahabad High Court stated that

there wasn't sufficient evidence for the conviction.

Vishnu said that

the dispute was actually about a piece of land.

He hadn't even talked to the girl.

They just wanted money.

Vishnu is not the only one.

How big is this problem of fake r@pe accusations?

Based on NCRB data,

there were 45,000 reported r@pe cases in 2022,

but only 27.5% of them resulted in convictions.

There was no conviction in more than 75% of the cases.

This can be due to two things.

First, the victims are pressured into changing their statements.

Second, the r@pe case might be entirely fake.

In 2013, data journalist Rukmini Srinivasan studied 500 r@pe cases.

She said that in 25% of the cases,

parents filed r@pe cases on behalf of the girl

because the girl ran away from home with a boy.

So these 25% of the cases are entirely false.

Data from Jaipur showed that

43% of the 330 reported r@pe cases were false.

Retired Justice of the Supreme Court B.N. Shrikrishna said that

"The r@pe laws were being misused in this country.

There is no doubt about it."

Unfortunately, due to such issues,

a serious issue like se*ual violence

is being debated.

Because of the eroding public trust.

So when the real victim goes to file a case,

is often doubted by the people.

Despite this problem,

many people are trying to solve India's se*ual violence issue.

Like the NGO Breakthrough in Haryana

which launched a program called Taro Ki Toli.

They go to the government schools in the state,

to have open discussions with children about gender roles.

It's not just a one-time 30-minute long session.

After 2.5 years of these sessions

they have made a positive impact.

Research shows that children who participated in this program,

developed a more progressive attitude.

If we want to improve our society,

we need such programs.

Demanding capital punishment can give us a short-term boost,

but always remember that long-term solutions

are possible only with such educational programs.