- Relevant for Sociology Syllabus:PAPER-2 – Challenges of Social Transformation)
- (Relevant for GS Syllabus:- Paper 1– poverty and developmental issues)
FEMICIDE & CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
- Let me be very clear at the beginning about this post and other than the statutory warnings this is not intended to hurt anyone especially my lovely and strong female gender.
- This is about me, not able to understand the logic and the concept and how something can be the voice of feminism which doesn’t depict anything other than women posting their picture in black & white in social media.
- Truth be told, I was not been able to connect the concept of feminism to a black & white picture. So, I asked a few of my female friends who are very much active in social media and they were also in the dark about the entire movement even though a couple of them did post their picture with the caption challenge accepted.
- Now someone please tell me what is the challenge, if posting a black & white picture is a challenge then that is nothing but possibly a camera trick or it could be portraying the darkness in the feminine world.
- I am not sure but if feminism is the crux behind this move, it makes no sense whatsoever and it is definitely not going to change the attitude or thought of people since the majority will be like me, fail to understand the concept.
- The entire movement was apparently started in Turkey, where the practice is to publish dead females’ pictures in black & white especially of those who are killed in femicide.
- Femicide means it is a sex-based hate crime which is defined as the intentional killing of females because they are females. I don’t know what is the reason for it nor I have any idea if these dead women are being part of any movement in that country and why would someone publish picture especially that of women who killed in femicide in black & white.
- All I know is that it is being done in Turkey to protest against the femicides happening out there. This is what I could garner from my digging on this movement. But that doesn’t solve my question about how it is going to change the people mindset about women and how exactly it is creating an understanding of the femicide around the world.
- It is sad to see that now everything is like monkey imitates monkey concept in social media and it is not gender-specific or age-specific.
- Everyone will either follow a trend or will be part of something which was initiated by someone in one corner of the world and millions follow it without even asking the purpose behind that.
- Even in this case people are not just posting their black & white pictures but most are posing for the photograph with full fashionista style. The only consolation for me is that most of them are not aware of the challenge and are just posting another picture of theirs but not in colour because that’s the trend in social media. As of there are almost six million women posted their pictures in black & white under the social media movement called challenge accepted.
- This movement is one of the most ill-conceived ones I have seen in a long time when it comes to highlighting a gender-based atrocity or a social cause in creating awareness about women being subjected to hate killings. It neither has any realistic message which common people can understand nor has a worldwide connection to the femicide.
- Worldwide there are hardly any detailed reports available on femicides but a study does find that Latin America stands in the dubious no 1 position when it comes to this. But then the data is also inclusive of all types of women who are killed like forced abortions, Honor killings, female infanticide, etc. and is estimated that every year 66,000 women are violently killed globally.
- The movement may be connected to turkey and the sex hate killings of women and their picture being published in blurry black & white images which hardly anyone can recognize. To give honour to those women who were the victims of such hate crimes and the need for the Turkey government to amend their ways of handling such incidents the movement has started.
- But like many such things, this one also becomes a fashion statement and many are just pitching in with their pictures without even knowing why it is being done. If you ask me, I would say that it would have been better if people write about the struggles, they had to face by being a woman and how they cope up and overcome such troubles.
- That would have motivated others to come out and connect and will also create awareness among men who are the cause for femicides in this case but in general would have been better for everyone.
- It says a picture speaks 1000 words but that will come true if the picture is in the correct contest and has the power of creating awareness about the message. Sorry ladies, your movement has failed to recognize that part of the entire cause and that is the reason this movement is nothing but a fashion statement as far as I am concerned.
- Once again, I am for your cause and will stand by you throughout your struggles but make me aware of the situation and have the message loud and clear. We are already been badmouthed for our inability to understand women and to some extent, it is true too.
- We just don’t have the capability or capacity to know what women want. So please do have pity on us and be vocal about your wants and needs and I assure you most of us will stand with you and fight along with you for your rights. Finally, do forgive us for ignoring many of your issues and swiping it away as women tantrums since we have no clue about most of your issues since no one really told us when we are growing up the importance of understanding women and their struggles.