Jwala Gutta: Just because you weren’t raped doesn’t mean that rapes don’t happen

Indian badminton player Jwala Gutta took to Twitter to slam an Indian actor, who had said that she hasn’t faced casting couch. Jwala also stressed that powerful personalities should work towards bringing a change.

world cinema Updated: Apr 11, 2018 16:02 IST
Jwala Gutta feels that public figures should acknowledge that sexual harassment at workplace exists.
Jwala Gutta feels that public figures should acknowledge that sexual harassment at workplace exists. (Saumya Khandelwal/HT Photo)

Indian shuttler Jwala Gutta wants celebrities to “acknowledge” that sexual harassment at workplaces exist, and only then can the society overcome such “inequalities”. In a series of tweets last night, Jwala Gutta targeted an actor, who had said in some recent press interviews that she hadn’t faced “a casting couch situation” in her career.

“Just saw an interview of a popular actress..two things struck my mind...she says she can only speak for herself as she has not experienced casting couch it has been a wonderful journey!! And this is an opportunist world..it’s upto us as women what to accept and what not to!! So my question.. There is a lot of crime against women in general in our society..but if u haven’t experienced it..do we deny it?? Do we only speak when we experience something like that? Don’t we belong to this society where we r a minority gender?? Don’t u think u being in a powerful position can make a change for women who r being harassed at work place? (sic)” she wrote on Twitter.

While Jwala refrained from naming the actor, actor Rakul Preet Singh had given recent interviews on similar lines. “Also, with due respect to everyone, I can only talk about my experiences. If I have not experienced casting couch, then how can I talk about it? And if they think I am lying, then I have nothing to say. I still stand by [what I’ve said]. I’ve had a great experience so far. I feel blessed,” Rakul had told us recently.

However, without taking any names, Jwala says she was angry at the interview. “I don’t want to take names, but I was really angry after reading the interview. If you are a famous personality, you should talk responsibly. I thought her comments were very insensitive, because everyone knows it (casting couch) exists. Yes, it might not have happened to her, but that does not mean that it doesn’t exist. I mean, just because you weren’t raped doesn’t mean that rape culture doesn’t exist or that rapes don’t happen,” she says.

“Hollywood’s Me Too campaign was massive. Do you think only those women who were harassed or sexually exploited were a part of the campaign? No. Everyone was a part of it, because until and unless you unite for a cause like this, nothing will change. These kind of things shouldn’t happen. Crimes against women should stop,” Jwala adds.

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