NEW DELHI: An Indian college announced on Monday it had banned girls from wearing jeans, short dresses and T-shirts to crack down on sexual harassment, sparking outrage from pupils and rights campaigners.
The Adarsh Women's College in Haryana state, 70 miles west of New Delhi, said students would be fined 100 Indian rupees each time they broke the dress code.
"We have imposed a ban on jeans and T-shirts because these are completely Westernised and (so) are short dresses," school head Alaka Sharma told the NDTV news channel.
"The small dresses don't cover students and that is the reason why they have to face eve-teasing."
"Eve-teasing" is a common phrase used in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan to cover offences ranging from verbal abuse to sexual assault, though it is often criticised as a euphemism that hides serious crime.
"Jeans and short tops invite attraction and also distract the students," Sharma said in a separate interview.
Skinny jeans, T-shirts and other Western fashions have rapidly grown in popularity among young Indians, spreading from cities to rural states such as Haryana, though many older people disapprove of such clothes.
Pupils at the Adarsh college, which teaches girls between 16 and 19, complained that they were being punished unfairly instead of being protected from harassment.
"A ban on wearing jeans and T-shirts doesn't mean that there will be no crimes and boys will not pass lewd comments on you," Ritu, a college student, said.
"Men who want to eve-tease can do it if a girl has donned Indian clothes also. I don't think dressing in Indian attire will bring a change."
Mamata Sharma, head of the National Commission of Women, told reporters that sexual harassment in India could not be tackled by ordering girls to wear saris and other traditional styles of dress.
"Our country is progressing, we have entered into 21st century and it is very disappointing to hear or see such things," she told reporters.
"The government should take action against the college management or such institutions who impose diktats on girls."
COMMENTS (42)
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@Syed Hasan Atizaz
ET destroyed my comment with their censorship. Apparently scientific words pertaining to s*x are also dirty. Anyways, my original point: fine the boys for eve teasing not for getting that "dirty shame shame" bodily reaction boys get when attracted to something/one ;) clean enough ET mods? I hope so. And I'll repeat myself, as you seem to have a lot of trouble understanding what I'm saying. ATTRACTION is normal. TEASING and HARASSMENT are not. Get it now? Men and women in all countries are ATTRACTED to people of the opposite gender as this is perfectly natural. However, civilized people in civilized countries do not resort to animal like behavior and continue to go about their way. Again, I say, teach boys how to behave and eve teasing won't happen. Eve teasing and attraction is NOT the same thing. Instead of telling girls not to dress a certain way or do something, tell boys to stop acting like idiots. Blame the perp, not the victim. Cheers.
@Nobody that is actually the good part of boys, they letting it go lol - what i intend to say earlier was, GOD has given us brains (m/f) and he has restricted us to certain degree on everything, as you said earlier "Girls are not eve-teased because of what they wear; they’re eve teased because boys are not taught manners." | when a women goes out wearing her shalwar above her toes, wearing sleeveless and roaming/shopping in the street with her full flash make up, what do you expect ?
Again I say "don’t do it, It won’t happen. :)"
India and Pakistan have same environment. Only women are blamed and punished while boys have full liberty. I thought this evil is only prevalent among the Taliban and conservative pakistanis, but no. India is no different.
@Syed Hasan Atizaz: My hand starts to move in that direction on its own. Can't help it.
@nobody I believe, Its very common for a BOY to get aroused by a girl wearing something sexually attractive, It has nothing to do with manners anyway. Good thing is don't do it, It won't happen. :)
nice initiative, universities in pakistan even should learn from the Adarsh women college stance.
Ridiculous. It's high time people start punishing young men for this ridiculous behavior. Girls are not eve-teased because of what they wear; they're eve teased because boys are not taught manners. Instead of fining the girls, fine the boys every time they eve tease a girl. Stupidest thing I've heard in a while.
Next they will make the Hijab compulsory !
I really liked that comment where someone said that one should be normal. Forcing women to wear bikini or niqab are both extremes.
First they will say do not wear jeans, then they will say wear a burka, then they will say stop coming to college, then they will say women should not come out of their houses.
Problem is the rule of law. In singapore, people get punished for harassing, so there is less of that.
Implement law and stop blaming the victums. Have the strictest of laws.
Fantastic. So the men do the harassment and the women get the punishment. Imagine a world where men were actually told to behave and failing that they would not be allowed to go out after dark, that they would have to be monitored by a woman everywhere they went in case they harassed woman, that they couldn't go to certain places because they would be more tempted to harass women. There would be an uproar if we ever tried to stop any male activities.
@Shais: "Islam introduced this concept of modesty 1,400 years ago. Thanks for realizing how modest dressing protects women"
DO not bring religion into every issue. Prescribing some dress code is fine - a college has a right to do that. But using that as an excuse to turn a blind eye to 'eve teasing' which really is a form of sexual harassment is simply passing the buck and blaming the victim..
@ JD: Bout time you realize the awesome concept of lowering your gaze.
@Yoghurt lover: So Islam was right in bringing the concept of Hijab then? for both men & women. Say it?
@peaceeeeeeeeee: You seriously need some help!
If CLOTHES cause HARASSMENT, then PLATES make people FAT, CARS make people DRIVE DRUNK. and PENS misspell WORDS.
DON'T BE FOOLED. Teach MEN not to HARASS. Rather then teaching WOMEN how to DRESS..
I am joining Al-Qaida/Taliban and Laksher_ABCD. What's the difference? Ban Skirts but don't punish the offenders. While we are at it, let us legalize honor killing as the state law of Haryana.
Where do find an application? Is there a joint application? That will save me some time. ..No Peace
what girls ... why not crub the those elements who are harassing the girls in collages
someone ban short skirts here......i wanna score in examssssssssssssssssss :(
strange!!!!! in my college mini skirts are so common.........i never heard a girl complaining......
if bikini is one extreme then hijab is the other extreme...One should walk on the middle path...
wow ... so Taliban are right !!!!
@JD: so-called 'eve-teasers' do not hesitate in their disgusting activities even when girls wear burqas.your argument is as invalid as this indian school's decision.
Very well done
@West: and in Pakistan.
@Linchpin:
I see these comments once a day and don't understand them. There is news here from world over. Do you think because Europeans and North Americans read this paper the Tribune is obligated to share world news?
Islam introduced this concept of modesty 1,400 years ago. Thanks for realizing how modest dressing protects women.
mostly girls in west is a victim of sexual abuse.... @peaceeeeeeeeee:
People often forget the "Hijab" of the male
jeans and short skirts are routinely banned in many colleges in India.
Why is this news relevant in a Pakistani newspaper? (albeit it seems that a substantial number Indians seem read tribune).
hahaahahahhahah ..indians have goneeeee lameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....wht has dress gt 2 do wd ds ..its d intention of a guy..had dress been the case i thnk so every grl in d west would have been a victim of sexual abusee...
@ JD
Strange! In Egypt 83% women say they are harassed despite being covered up.
Same in Pakistan. You can see this at various bus stops.
@Akhtar Khan: My bad for not being more clear. I meant Pakistanis living in this century.
@Something Clever:
Dear fellow, Pakistanis welcome sane steps like this. Two Thumbs up to management.
"Pupils at the Adarsh college, which teaches girls between 16 and 19, complained that they were being punished unfairly instead of being protected from harassment."
Exactly.
I get the feeling there are going to be a lot of Pakistanis who are going to enjoy this opportunity.
Bout time everyone realizes the awesome concept of Hijab.