The gang rape of the Mumbai photo journalist may have shaken the nation's conscience once again, but the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has an even more horrifying statistic to share—every 20 minutes, a woman is raped somewhere in India. Not only that: crimes against women have increased by 7.1% nationwide since 2010, and child rape cases have increased by 336% in the last 10 years.
All of this and more served as the background for a photo exhibition titled 'Confronting Rape Culture' at the Press Club of India on Saturday. It showcased a series of photos chronicling the Nirbhaya gang rape protests by Chandan Gomes. A panel discussion aimed at bringing the prevalence of rape to the forefront of political and social dialogue followed the exhibition. The event was sponsored by the Apne Aap Women Worldwide (AAWW) organization, which works to empower women to resist and end sex trafficking.
"I did not capture the photos as a photo journalist...I took them from the perspective of a protester, which I was, fighting for justice, equality and freedom," said Gomes. The images illustrated the coming together of people from all walks of life in the fight against rape. But despite the public outrage, in just 15 days following the December 16 incident, there were 45 rapes and 75 cases of molestation in the capital, not to mention the countless number of cases that went unreported. This recurrence was the topic of the panel discussion that focused on the prevalence of a rape culture in Indian society.
All of this and more served as the background for a photo exhibition titled 'Confronting Rape Culture' at the Press Club of India on Saturday. It showcased a series of photos chronicling the Nirbhaya gang rape protests by Chandan Gomes. A panel discussion aimed at bringing the prevalence of rape to the forefront of political and social dialogue followed the exhibition. The event was sponsored by the Apne Aap Women Worldwide (AAWW) organization, which works to empower women to resist and end sex trafficking.
"I did not capture the photos as a photo journalist...I took them from the perspective of a protester, which I was, fighting for justice, equality and freedom," said Gomes. The images illustrated the coming together of people from all walks of life in the fight against rape. But despite the public outrage, in just 15 days following the December 16 incident, there were 45 rapes and 75 cases of molestation in the capital, not to mention the countless number of cases that went unreported. This recurrence was the topic of the panel discussion that focused on the prevalence of a rape culture in Indian society.
No comments:
Post a Comment