I try hard not to feed this kind of feeling, but as the days pas, and I consume more news about gendered violence and converse about the same with my friends in general and male friends in particular, it rekindles my fears leading me to burst out and frequently criticise male privilege and entitlement. However, this seldom happens when the scenario is reversed. When women or individuals from oppressed gender minorities enter a room full of men, we instantly feel uncomfortable, vigilant and worry that something could go wrong.
The general argument and defense that we often come across when such feelings are expressed is, ‘ not all men’.Įven if I try to accept that for argument’s sake, when I am in public spaces like metros where the majority of the people present are men, most of who make me uncomfortable with their gaze, ‘ not all men’ becomes a very unacceptable, problematic thought in my head. For a long time, whenever I listen to or engage with news about gender-based violence, rape, acid attack, or harrassment, committed by men on women, it invariably ignites complex feelings of fear, prejudice and sometimes sharp hatred in me towards that particular gender.
