Vaastav Foundation, an organisation campaigning for gender-neutral laws, said that its members will press the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) in today’s municipal elections as a protest against the lack of attention from political parties to their demands. | File Pic
Mumbai: Vaastav Foundation, an organisation campaigning for gender-neutral laws, said that its members will press the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) in today’s municipal elections as a protest against the lack of attention from political parties to their demands.
Reason for protest
Amit Deshpande, founder member of Vaastav Foundation, said that they have taken their representations to all politicians. “Yet no politician has shown any interest in addressing men’s issues or to help to stop false cases being filed against men. We vow to continue to not support any party in the municipal elections being held on Thursday and will vote for NOTA,” said Deshpande.
Marital dispute is a major cause for suicides among men, according to a study by Vaastav Foundation, completed with the help of a student pursuing a doctorate. The study suggested that 24% of cases of suicide among married men in India were related to marital and family discord, a percentage similar to that of men killing themselves because of illnesses.
Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveals that the suicide rate among men due to reasons related to marriage was 0.68 per 100,000 annually, almost similar to 0.67 for the same reason among women. Overall, men accounted for 72.5% of all suicides in 2021.
Opposing view
Groups helping women in situations of domestic abuse disagree. The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan said that for every 100 cases of domestic violence against women, there is fewer than one incident where men are victims.
What men’s rights groups are demanding:
Changes in Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, created to protect women against dowry harassment and domestic violence (now replaced by Sections 85 and 86 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023). The section has been called ‘legal terrorism’ by the Supreme Court.
Changes in the Domestic Violence Act (Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005) which covers a range of abuses, including physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, and economic. But complaints under the law can be filed only by women. Men’s groups want the law to be gender-neutral as abusers can be from different genders. They demand the replacement of the word ‘woman’ in the law with ‘spouse’.
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013 (POSH Act) to be gender-neutral to protect men facing sexual harassment at the workplace.
Law to protect men from rape. Section 377 of the IPC, which protected men from sexual assault, no longer exists. Special laws protect children, but once a man turns 18, he has no protection.
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