No Country For Women (NCFW) recently launched a campaign aimed at tackling victim blaming in sexual assault cases. The posters they released for the same are nothing short of eye-opening.
The posters highlight the rhetoric often associated with victim-blaming – right from pointing to the victim’s choice of clothes or their decision go out all alone at night. It exposes the hypocrisy of people who start pointing fingers without once thinking that their comments can make the situation worse for the victims.
Most importantly, the campaign raises one pertinent question: Why do rape victims have to go through so much scrutiny and in turn forced to justify their own choices when we are so quick to sympathise with victims of petty robberies?
1. It’s your fault.
Image courtesy: facebook.com/NoCountryForWomen
2. The victim must be lying!
Image courtesy: facebook.com/NoCountryForWomen
3. The victim should have been better prepared.
Image courtesy: facebook.com/NoCountryForWomen
4. Can we talk about something else now?
Image courtesy: facebook.com/NoCountryForWomen
5. But what about India’s image?
Image courtesy: facebook.com/NoCountryForWomen
The juxtaposition in these posters wonderfully illustrates how the focus of debates quickly shifts to other issues due to thoughtless accusations.
Thank you, NCFW for these poignant posters. Let’s hope this campaign actually helps us #stopvictimblaming.
