34% teachers, parents hold girls’ dressing responsible for sexual abuse: Survey

In a survey conducted by a government-appointed committee to assess the public understanding of gender and related issues, it has been found that around 34 per cent of parents believe that the main cause of sexual abuse in girls is their ‘behaviour’ and ‘dressing.’

The report highlighted that many parents also believe that sexual harassment can happen to any gender and that girls must be free to choose what to wear.

As per reports, the ‘dip-stick’ survey had 20 questions which were answered by 1,070 teachers, 404 parents and 221 students. Around 35 per cent of teachers held the same view that inappropriate dressing and behaviour causes sexual abuse among girls.

The committee in its letter to the government has said that the findings of the survey reflect how society holds women responsible for the harassment they suffer. Headed by a Mangalore-based freelance consultant, the panel has also offered some suggestions on the issue.

The report submitted by the committee to the government said that though the survey is not very comprehensive, it provides insight into public thought and will facilitate the framing of recommendations for gender education.

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Teacher-targeted questions were also a part of the survey, framed to understand whether teachers hold stereotypical values or have started thinking differently. The questions were about the distribution of classroom roles among genders, gender-specific professions and the trajectory of their academic achievements.

The report observed a significant positive shift in the mindset of teachers.

However, as per the findings, 45 per cent of the teachers believed that no special classes must be held for girls after 5 pm, suggesting that girls must not be out of home in the late hours of the day.

It was also noted that around 40 per cent of the teachers designated art-related work to girl students whereas physically challenging tasks were instructed to boys.

A similar study conducted and published in the UK (2019) showed that around 55 per cent of men believed that more revealing the clothes of a woman, the more likely it is that she will be harassed or sexually assaulted.