Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Women spaces

Women-only taxis in Mumbai and Tehran, “No men” sign on Italy’s beach, women-only train carriages in Brazil — all these “women” spaces are no answer to harassment and molestation (“Women spaces — the only answer to harassment?” Aug. 6). While conservatives blame the harassment on dress, others blame it on male dominance.

Undesirable behaviour towards women will decline only when we as a society practise gender equality in the true sense. All right thinking persons should teach the younger generation about the dignity of human life. Creation of ‘women spaces’ is a reflection of women’s distrust of men. It is actually offensive to men.

Sudhir Kumar Sinha,
New Delhi

The article says girls’ schools are touted as places where pupils have the confidence to speak more openly. Girls’ schools are in fact a regressive precedent to the paternalistic clamour for women-only domains. They too are among the easier sexist solutions to gender strain in society.

The male psyche of intense voyeurism and aggression and the female psyche of fear have their roots in the segregation of boys and girls in school. What we should ideally do is to promote healthy gender interaction at school backed by scientific lessons in humanism and sex.

G.S. Ramkumar,
Thrissur

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