20 August,2024 04:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Mallika Sherawat
Safety of women in India has once again become a topic of intense discussion following the brutal rape and murder of a Kolkata trainee doctor. Amid this, actress Mallika Sherawat took to her Instagram feed to share a video f her talking about the rampant gang rapes and sexual violence against women in the country. She was seen addressing the media at an event where she was questioned about calling India a regressive country. She is heard correcting the journalist by saying, "I said that India is regressive for women". She then went on to explain the reason for her statement.
"I'll tell you exactly why. This is my point of view. With female infanticide happening almost daily, with gang rapes making the headlines of every newspaper, and with honor killings - today, only I tweeted about it. Today, I read in the paper, that according to UNFPA, 40% of Indian women - 40% - are married below the age of 18. I think it's a very, very regressive state for women, and I stand by that.
She further added, "When an interviewer asks me what I have to say about these gang rapes, which are the headlines in the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN - what do I say? Am I going to lie? Should I lie? As a woman, should I lie about the state of women in our country? So I didn't lie."
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Mallika further went on to recall how she was attacked for her statement against sexual violence in the country and for calling Indian society regressive for women.
The actress captioned her post, "I still can't forget this moment when I was attacked and bullied by a certain section of the Indian press for speaking out against gang rapes and sexual violence in India! Some women in the press and some very big names in Bollywood - female actresses - joined the chorus and publicly attacked me for speaking out against gang rapes and sexual violence."
She further wrote, "This phenomenon highlights a troubling dynamic where, instead of supporting someone advocating for change, these women in influential positions are engaging in silencing the voices of women like me! This behavior perpetuates a culture of silence and complicity that allows sexual violence to continue. It's crucial for women, especially those in the public eye, to stand in solidarity and use their platforms to support, rather than vilify, those who speak out against such injustices."
