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A-Z of Feminism (Blogging Challenge 2018 #Blogchatter), Feminism

Why normalizing ’Sexual Objectification’ is dangerous

April 22, 2018 by ashwini 17 Comments

Pic: Skyy vodka ad campaign

What does Sexual Objectification mean?

Sexual objectification is the act of treating a person as a mere object of sexual desire– one that serves another’s sexual pleasure.
When did the term originate?
The phrase “sexual objectification” has been around since the 1970s. Women have been objectified for as long as women have been used for men’s sexual pleasure. If earlier it meant strip tease shows, brothels, and pornographic art, today, it is rampant in our mainstream pop-culture.
How do you know if someone is sexually objectified or not?

Continue reading

Reading time: 6 min
A-Z of Feminism (Blogging Challenge 2018 #Blogchatter), Feminism, Poems

Patriarchy’s Deep Roots

April 17, 2018 by ashwini 19 Comments

Possibly a system that emerged out of insecurity,
An attempt to protect now is authority.
The father is supreme and the son gets the property.
Rules and norms further intensify the disparity.
Independence and equality shall be doom, is the prophecy.
As they whistle and stare they also preach morality.
Rape is the culture that worships virginity.
Can’t see the gaps in rights, pay or opportunities?
Humiliation, guilt and blame are tools to tame the temerity.
You know we are talking to you. Spare us the insularity.

*The above poem has been written in the Acrostic style of poetry where the first letters of each line spell out the word.

Patriarchy is an invisible monster and as a society we need to put an end to the power struggles it propagates. When we trust and believe in one another, we will all be able to grow. It’s not idealism, it’s practicality. More women in the workforce will only lead to more prosperity. 
As per this year’s Economic Survey, we have made significant improvements in gender inequality in a lot of aspects. But on close inspection, we still have a deep-rooted gender bias against women. This is reflective in our “meta preference” for sons. Parents have children until they have a desired number of sons – taking the number of “unwanted” girls to 2.1 crores according to this year’s Economic Survey. Mind you, before you begin to think that this happens only in impoverished rural families, the Survey pointed that it prevails also in middle and upper-middle class families as well. 
Sex determination is an offense. No problem! We still have a way to circumvent it…keep having kids till we have a son! 
Our workplace statistics are startling: 
a. The labour force participation rate for women is falling: from 37% in 2004-05 to 28% in 2016. 
b. The Pipeline for Women Starts Small and Continues to Shrink 

c. Women earn 57% of what their male colleagues earn for performing the same work with the gender pay gap widening with her education and advancement in her career. 
d. Read more about the pay gap issue in Women’s Cricket here. 
I have already spoken about the representation of women or lack thereof in our films and the Indian legal system. 
Whether a woman has the right to go out or the right to raise her voice against assault or name her assaulter or change her name, it is not a decision for the system to make – it is hers and hers alone. We need to abort the growing sexism. 
My fight against the system of Patriarchy, makes me an Incorrigible Feminist. When will you become one?
Reading time: 2 min
A-Z of Feminism (Blogging Challenge 2018 #Blogchatter), Featured, Feminism

Conversations about Gender Representation in Films and the Bechdel Test

April 3, 2018 by ashwini 23 Comments

 

I need to start this post with an apology to the third gender. This post shall focus on how women are under-represented in Hindi Films in India. The category of people that associate neither with the male or the female genders are also largely ignored by mainstream cinema even though they represent a decent section of the population. Unfortunately when stories have tracks for the third gender or the LGBTQ community in their stories, they are usually incorporated for comic relief.  Please go through the earlier hyperlinks to read about studies that analyse the under-representation of the third gender in our films.
Now there are every few households that don’t have any women in them. Our villages, towns and cities are filled with women. And yet our films don’t seem to reflect this too well.
Cinema in India enjoys a lot of love and has a very wide audience. This gives a lot of power to the filmmakers. But do they put their power to good use? Not really.
Last year, IBM and two New Delhi-based institutions released a public study of over 4,000 Hindi films to understand the extent of gender bias in the industry.
Here is a summary of the study findings (all graphs and images are snapshots from the report that you can read here):
1) Cast mentions in the Movie Plot: Right from 1970 to 2017, the data indicates that the male character has double the number of mentions as compared to a female character.
 Female mentions are present in Pink and Male mentions in Blue


 2) Cast Appearance in a Movie Plot: The adjectives most associated with males are: rich and wealthy while the verbs associated with them are kills and shoots. On the other hand, women characters are often described as beautiful and attractive while the verbs associated with them are marries and loves.
Adjectives for characters

3) Cast Introductions in a Movie Plot: Male characters are usually introduced by referencing their professions e.g. famous singer, an honest police officer, a successful scientist etc. while a woman character is invariably introduced in relation to a male character

 

 4) Occupation as a Stereotype: Women characters tend to have lower level occupations e.g. teacher or student while the male character tends to have higher level occupations such as lawyer or doctor.

 

Occupations for men

 

Occupations for Women
5) Cast Dialogues and Gender Gap in Movie Scripts: On studying the ratio of male to female dialogues in 13 scripts, it was found that Raman Raghav was the least biased while Kaminey and Aligarh showed the most bias.
Female dialogues are presented on X-axis and Male dialogues on Y-axis
6) Movie Poster and Plot mentions: Publicizing a movie is biased towards a female on advertising material like posters, and they end up having an even smaller or inconsequential role in the movie. 50% of movie posters had female representation but 80% of the movies had more male mentions than female. Notably, 3 movies – GangaaJal 2 , Platform 3 , Raees 4 had almost 100+ male mentions in the plot but no female mentions whereas in all 3 posters females were prominently present on posters.
                 Source- Pixabay
 
7) Movie Trailers: The screen time for women characters in movie trailers has consistently been half that of men for over a decade!
8)  Female Centricity: The good news is that the female centric movies and female mentions in our movies are on a rise.
9) Singers and gender distribution in soundtracks: Since the female actors have a lesser role to play, so do their voices. Right from 2010 to 2017, the female singers have sung consistently less songs as compared to their male counterparts. The duration of the song sung by the female singer has not been considered here but it is more likely to be lopsided. This fact was also corroborated in a recent interview with the top female singers in the country.

Sexism not covered by the study above

Other than the garden variety of sexism that persists worldwide,women are further objectified through ‘Item Numbers’ in our Hindi Films. The term itself is offensive. Kangana Ranaut depicts the widely prevalent sexism in a viral video in collaboration with AIB, a popular Indian comedy sketch group. You can read the on-point lyrics of this parody item number– ‘The Bollywood Diva Song’ here.
And of course we know this – the top male ‘superstars’ of our country are all 50 years old and prefer to pair with actresses half their age! Most of our 300 crore films fail the ‘Jane Test’ for this reason (read about the Test later in the post)! Fortunately the trend of female actors who vanish from the screen on getting married is changing today.

 

The report concludes by suggesting that the primary steps one can take to narrow the gap of gender bias in Hindi Films is by:

 
a)  Removing Occupation Hierarchy –Moving away from stereotypical occupations
b)  Removing Gender Bias from plots – Ask important questions like, ‘If one interchanges 
all  males and females, is the plot/story still possible or plausible?’
This brings us to the second part of my post…

THE RELEVANCE OF THE BECHDEL TEST

First let us understand…
What is the Bechdel test?
The Bechdel Test is a measure of gender inequality, particularly in films but it is also being used as a tool for Feminism in plays and short stories as well.
It was created by American cartoonist, Alison Bechdel in her 1985 comic, “Dykes to Watch Out For”. It is also known as the Bechdel-Wallace test.
 
To pass the test, the story has to have at least two unnamed or named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man.
Women’s Web, a forum for women requires contributors to submit short stories that pass the Bechdel Test for its Monthly Muse contest. The measure is used widely across the globe.
 
But is the Bechdel Test the ideal measure of gender bias in stories? I don’t think so.
Many people across the world including the creator of the test, Alison Bechdel acknowledge that the test isn’t perfect and may not always work. It definitely highlights the problem but its simplicity can be its undoing. Let us break the test down to highlight its failings:
                 a)            Two women must speak to one another
In a recently released short film produced by Anurag Kashyap and Shlok Sharma, the viewer takes the same emotional journey as the characters in the film take after a very traumatic event. There were no dialogues and yet the film makes you empathize with a woman’s anguish.
               b)            The two women must talk to each other about something other than a man.
There are various scenarios where two women could talk about a man and yet have a feminist flavour.  One important scenario could be conversations about abuse. A woman pushing her friend/ colleague/ daughter to stand up for her rights cannot take place without mentioning the man! Such empowering conversations will fail the Bechdel test!         
The film Gravity does not pass the Bechdel Test even though it revolves around a woman astronaut who survives in space owing to her intelligence and grit.  Read here on how even though most of the highest grossing films in Hollywood passed the Bechdel Test, the issue of gender bias remains largely unsolved.
 
If not the Bechdel Test, then what?
The Bechdel Test may still be the most popular measure but there are other tests that could be used to supplement it to get a clearer picture of gender biasedness in films.
1)  The JaneTest:
Script-reader Ross Putman highlighted the sexism that prevails in Hollywood by sharing the character descriptions for the female lead from actual scripts in a feed on Twitter using the handle @femscriptintros. It was found that most of the descriptions only focussed on how the character looked. He replaced all the names with ‘Jane’ which is why it is called the Jane Test. According to Ross 3 questions must be asked by writers before crafting the female lead:
                a.            Does the introduction focus on the external attributes of the character?
                b.            Is he a twenty- or thirty something?
                c.            Is she dating someone decades older than her?
If your answer is ‘Yes’ to all the questions above, then the script fails the Jane Test.
2)  Samantha Ellis, a feminist playwright in Hollywood, devised the ‘Sphinx Test’ that also involved asking a series of questions for playwrights to consider while creating a female character:
                a            Is there a woman centre stage?
                b.           Is she active rather than reactive?
                c.           Is she compelling and complex?
3)  Read here to know 12 tests that checks gender bias across 4 main aspects of movie-making:
               a.            Behind the Camera
               b.            Intersectional
               c.            Protagonists
               d.            Supporting Cast

These tests emerged when FiveThirtyEight (a website that focuses on opinion poll analysis, politics, economics, and sports blogging) asked 13 people in the entertainment industry to come up with personal standards for representation in cinema.

Gender Inequality behind the scenes

The study on Hindi Films doesn’t touch upon the lack of women film makers (directors, producers, editors, camerawomen etc.) in the industry. According to this article in 2016, there were only around 60 women working behind the scenes in big ticket movies. Here is a quote from a cinematographer who happens to be a woman explaining the reason–
”The opportunities are fewer because you are judged already right at the beginning on the basis of gender. I don’t understand what a ‘physical film’ means. I don’t understand why a man can shoot this and I can’t.”
 
This was in response to a comment by a reviewer who was surprised that the cinematographer was a woman. Also do read Shit People Say To Women Directors and other Women in Film.
No money for Feminism
When a movie like ‘Masaan’ is made, portraying a strong and independent girl from the small-town of Benares, I am sure it inspires women everywhere. Of course we know the love that ‘Queen’ or even the ‘Tanu weds Manu’ films have received from the audience. But I don’t think the makers set out to make ‘feminist’ films. They wrote stories that they themselves believed in. Richa Chaddha praises the makers of Masaan in a recent interview: ‘Neeraj Ghaywan and Varun Grover are possibly the most progressive (and) intelligent men I know who are so non-judgemental, understanding and humane…’ Neeraj Ghaywan followed Masaan with an amazing short film ‘Juice’ starring Shefali Shah that focussed on the sexism and patriarchy that still pervades our Indian homes. There are several other short films that aim to highlight the sexism that exists in India.
You may argue that the above films and short films are all made on relatively low budgets. Without the financial risks that a big-budget movie faces, these inspirational stories can afford to lend themselves to feminist ideals. True. But there is a glimmer of hope. I think that the reason why you saw the improving trends in female centric movies recently in the study earlier is because data suggests that half of the movie-goers are women today! This was not the case in the 80’s or 90’s where the movies catered primarily to men. As the women audience members watch more women centric films they will drive the demand upwards for such films. The consistent success of these films will make film-makers less wary of creating such films.
At the end of the day, no matter how many tests, questions and studies we subject our movies to, the fact is that writers want to share stories about the world around them. And unfortunately as long as sexism prevails in India, you can’t blame cinema or stories for mirroring the reality. Let’s try and make our women feel more as equals. Then our stories will also reflect it.
Reading time: 11 min
A-Z of Feminism (Blogging Challenge 2018 #Blogchatter), Feminism, Humour

Abort the Growing Sexism in You because Evolution Demands it

April 1, 2018 by ashwini 25 Comments
 

 

 

Meet Ramesh. As a child he grew up in a patriarchal society. He was told he could do what he wanted. He had choice and freedom. These privileges made him powerful. And he was never told that with great power comes great responsibility. So Ramesh would go around singing ‘Mere baal bhi sexist, meri chaal bhi sexist, meri shirt bhi sexist, mere pant bhi sexist…’ His mom and sister would have to run around to fulfil all his wishes. Now a pretty girl comes into his life. She is so pretty that Ramesh forgets his purpose in life – to get his way – and follows her around. Having successfully broken his saadhana, Menaka tells him, ‘Abort the sexism. Only then will I, the empowered one, go out for milk shake with you. Lust-filled Ramesh decided to kill his sexist avatar, took a ‘chill pyala‘ and they lived happily ever after.
 
If after hearing this story your question is…why is the guy aborting anything…it is ‘women’s dept.’…sorry Ramesh you are sexist! 
 
My question is ‘Aisa real life mein kyun nahin hota?’
 
Can the Menaka’s of the world break the Sexism saadhanas of the Ramesh’s of the world? For what is a saadhana….a means to an end… and so is the as-long-as-I-get-my-way-let-things-go-along-the-way-it-is attitude.
 
Sexism is all around us. It could be everyday sexism at home – ‘No I don’t want to make the bed and fold the bed sheets. You’re better at it’ or at work when you are asked to ‘take care of the guests’ only by virtue of being a woman irrespective of your seniority in the organization.  Unfortunately Aashima did do as asked by her boss but most would. And the fact is they shouldn’t! Such inherent sexism should be nipped in the bud. It has been my experience that men usually don’t the patience to listen to what a woman has to say. Of course overlooking a woman for a promotion in spite of her performance and the pay gap are larger issues with larger consequences. All these issues arise from individuals who subscribe to misogyny and believe in patriarchy.
 
While sexism is pervasive, not all men are sexists. For sure. I won’t stereotype men because I know how it feels to hear stories stereotyping us that begin with ‘Women are…’ To all the Feminist men out there… a big ‘Jaadu ki Jhappi’.  
 
The rest of you need to wake up and smell the coffee. Yes! On weekends, coffee will be the ‘cuppa of choice’ because that’s what the wife likes. Because 5 days of the week she has tea like the rest of the family….lest someone is offended. Ok so nobody told her that no one will be offended by her rebellious beverage choice…but nobody told her she could do what she wanted either! So she just sipped along till she became a Feminist. Must be the coffee cravings but she finally decided that ‘It’s My Life. It’s my Java’. But what about Mr. ‘Chai lover’? Does he become a Feminist by having to gulp down frothy yet kadwa coffee 2 days a week? Is that what a Feminist wife wants- make the husband also suffer for 2 days because he needs to understand what the wife goes through for 5 days? Or would he become a Feminist by encouraging his wife to do what she feels like no matter which day of the week…no matter whatever her choice is?
 
Feminism and Evolution
 
I have been wondering about this for a while now. I have come to believe that without men accepting that gender disparity exists and doing their bit to change rigid gender norms… the world is heading towards definite doom. Haven’t you heard of ‘For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction?’ So in order to ensure that the balance in the world is maintained, we need men to become Feminists. As women evolve and find their true place in society, so will the men need to become ‘woke’. We need the men with the power of privilege that is bestowed upon them by the patriarchal society we live in, to believe and support the cause of equality in the sexes and join the Feminist movement.
 
The more I begin to understand Feminism, the more I wonder how we got here in the right place. If only Eve had stood her ground and not become subservient to Adam! If only she had been more like ‘Eep’ the rebellious teenage daughter of an over-protective father ‘Grug’ and strong-willed yet pleasant mother ‘Ugga’ in the animated movie ‘The Croods’. Set in a fictional pre-historic era, Eep the female protagonist in the movie has a mind of her own and is brave. It is her curiosity essentially that saved her family from apocalypse leading them to the safe land of ‘Tomorrow.’ Along the way, unable to tackle situations with brawn as he had been accustomed to, Grug learnt to use his brain for coming up with innovative solutions. His inspiration was ‘Guy’ the uber cool and smart fella that Eep had befriended. After saving his family in the end, Grug apologises for his past and promises to be more open-minded. With Eep as a role model for women and Grug and Guy as a role models for men, we would not have been here today…we would have been in the heaven that was ‘Tomorrow’.
 
But what would make men want to give up their privileges to become Feminists? Can only large-hearted empathetic men be Feminists in the first place? Do you have to believe in fairness and non-discrimination in general to accept that gender inequality has no place in today’s world? Do you have to have seen your mother be ill-treated to learn to pledge to never behave disrespectfully with women? Or do you have to see your father and uncle and other relatives treat the women in their lives as equal partners? Or would you just do it out of love?
 
What if your wife starts singing…”Ek garam coffee ka pyaala ho. Koi usko pilane waala ho. Chaahe gora ya kaala ho. Feminist jaisa dilwala ho.”? That should be cue for you to make your own cup of tea (learn here) and while you are at it…make a cup of coffee (learn here) for your wife as well.
 
I urge sexist men to reach out to their open-minded self and abort the growing sexism in and around them because evolution demands it. Become a #FeministHero and get ready to jump across the chasm of inequality. Let’s take a leap of faith…together. The heaven of the egalitarian ‘Tomorrow’ await us.

 

 

Reading time: 5 min

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