Placing the burden of not becoming a rape victim on women themselves smacks of a patriarchal mindset

Victim-blaming in rape cases is an appalling tendency that is often associated with India. After every horrific rape incident, politicians deliver sermons on what women should or should not do to avoid falling victim. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks on the Durgapur rape case reflect a regressive mindset. It is particularly deplorable coming from a woman Chief Minister who is responsible for the safety and security of women in her State. A 23-year-old MBBS student from Odisha was gang-raped in Durgapur, in a shocking crime occurring barely a year after protests erupted over the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College. The Chief Minister said the

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