Delhi is a zoo.

Every female citizen of this city can tell you that not a day passes by without some sort of glance that makes you feel like a circus spectacle or an animal behind a cage. As an Indian-American recently transplanted to Delhi, I was warned of the prevalence of gawking but didn’t understand the full extent of the effect. Prior to moving here, I was only given the following pertinent ground rules:

1. Don’t make eye contact.
2. Smiling at strangers is not normal.
3. Wear as many clothes as possible
4. Don’t go out at night.
5. You will be stared at.

I took this with a grain of salt and headed on my way to the capital city. As an optimist, I expected to be pleasantly surprised at how untrue the ‘Unwritten Rules for Females in Delhi’ would be.

False.

I was a little taken aback by this at first. I hadn’t realized that when I left the house in the morning, I would be on display and that staring at women had almost become a spectator sport. Most of these men looked as though they had never seen a female before. Furthermore, they had the sport down to a science, as they stared down each woman that passed by like they were security officers searching for illegal substances.
This was so unlike the US streets, where males and females could interact with a friendly nod and a smile when passing by. Here, a man getting a simple glance from a woman as she passed could very well lead to an unwanted conversation and more often than not, unwanted attention.

So who exactly decided that a woman’s body should be viewed more as an object rather than a human? And how do we change this view to allow women the respect that they deserve? What measures can we take to allow women the ability to freely walk down the street without an audience? How about a set of ‘Unwritten Rules for Delhi Men’?

1. Don’t make eye contact.
2. Staring at strangers is not normal.
3. Females will wear what they want to wear, but this is not an invitation for onlookers.
4. The setting of the sun should not be an excuse for unruly behavior.  
5. Ogling is unnecessary.

The ‘Men Say No’ campaign encourages men to take charge of their own behavior and make a conscious decision to respect the ‘viewing space’ of those around them. Please take this opportunity to raise awareness, take action, and make a change.

In short:

Dearest Men of Delhi -

There is a choice to divert your eyes.

Sincerely,
The Female Residents



Shriya Soora is an Indian-American living in Delhi and volunteering at Manzil, a youth empowerment center.
This Blog is part of the Men Say No Blogathon, encouraging men to take up action against the violence faced by women.
More entries to the Blogathon can be read at www.mustbol.in/blogathon. Join further conversation on facebook.com/delhiyouth & twitter.com/mustbol