After the #MeToo movement that erupted around three years ago on social media, now, people all across the world are uniting against victim-blaming culture in society with the #INeverAskForIt movement.
The #MeToo movement, focussed on the experiences of sexual violence survivors and earned a large response in part because sexual harassment and sexual assault impact people every day. The hope was that, if people are more aware of sexual harassment and how casually it is treated, then tolerance for it will decrease and support for victims will rise.
Similarly, using the #INeverAskForIt tag, women from all walks of life are sharing their experiences of being blamed for the harassment they faced and recalling what they were wearing when they faced harassment.
The campaign is gaining the support of many social media personalities.
Veteran journalist Barkha Dutt supported the social campaign and tweeted, “That this even needs to be said. So say it, again and again and again. There is no dress, no relationship, no context, no hour, no moment, no gray zone. #INeverAskForIt.”
Sona Mohapatra urged everyone to tweet what they wore when they experienced sexual misconduct. She also narrated an incident of ‘eve-teasing’ from her college days.
“During my BTech Engg, walking to the microprocessor lab in a loose khadi green kurta with a salwar.Seniors whistling, speculating loudly about my bra size. One ‘well wisher’ walked up & asked why I wasn’t wearing my dupatta ‘properly’, fully covering my ‘boobs’. #INeverAskForIt,” she wrote on Twitter. Actress Anushka Sharma tweeted, “Unite against the systemic use of victim blame. End the justification of violence against women, girls and all persons. Believe Survivors. Step in to build the #INeverAskForIt Mission.”
