In this piece, I shall summarise my thoughts on What Happens to #MeeToo When a Feminist is the Accused? and #MeeToo in India. One conclusion that we can draw from these pieces is that many of sexual assault/harassment allegations arise from skewed power relations between the accuser and the accused, and that #meetoo has divided feminists across the world. In #MeeToo in India, the impact of Raya Sarkar's LoSHA was discussed, wherein prominent men from academia were accused of sexual misconduct. It is unknown whether many of the institutes initiated proceedings against the accused, for many of them refused to disclose the same or they did not have policies to take suo motu cognisance of such issues without an official complaint. It did seem to have some impact, wherein investigations and inquiries were conducted with few prominent figures in academia stepping down or being penalised. However at its core, the LoSHA was meant to serve as a statement of solidarity with the survivors of sexual assault, and was meant to be interpreted as a signal of challenging hitherto unchallenged power structures.
What Happens to #MeeToo When a Feminist is the Accused is an interesting piece wherein the accused is a prominent female feminist academician. It highlights the universal nature of sexual harassment and assault, and proves that #meetoo isn't meant to be about pitting men against women. Surprisingly, as the piece shows, the defences that feminists raise to defend one of their own (largely centred around their interactions with others and reputation) echo those that are used to defend powerful men accused of sexual harassment. Ironically, Prof Ronell's defences to her sexual harassment and assault allegations eerily mirror predator's defences to sexual harassment charges ('it was misconstrued and it was wholly consensual' or ' I thought he/she was ok with it' or 'they were frustrated and need to cook up an allegation like this to move ahead). Instances like this make us realise the ubiquity of the defence against sexual harassment allegations by those in places of power and privilege. Acts done by a person for another when the latter is in a powerful position must be very carefully scrutinised in order to determine whether they are being done under duress or free will, and this piece drives home that point succinctly.
What Happens to #MeeToo When a Feminist is the Accused is an interesting piece wherein the accused is a prominent female feminist academician. It highlights the universal nature of sexual harassment and assault, and proves that #meetoo isn't meant to be about pitting men against women. Surprisingly, as the piece shows, the defences that feminists raise to defend one of their own (largely centred around their interactions with others and reputation) echo those that are used to defend powerful men accused of sexual harassment. Ironically, Prof Ronell's defences to her sexual harassment and assault allegations eerily mirror predator's defences to sexual harassment charges ('it was misconstrued and it was wholly consensual' or ' I thought he/she was ok with it' or 'they were frustrated and need to cook up an allegation like this to move ahead). Instances like this make us realise the ubiquity of the defence against sexual harassment allegations by those in places of power and privilege. Acts done by a person for another when the latter is in a powerful position must be very carefully scrutinised in order to determine whether they are being done under duress or free will, and this piece drives home that point succinctly.
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