When imagining the problem of sexual harassment in the Auroville context, it can be easy to pin this on an exterior “other”, with the perpetrators perceived as being ill-mannered day trippers or guests who are drawn to the unusual prospect of seeing multi-ethnic women moving about their daily lives in tropical South India. And while other forms of sexual harassment, whether in the work context or in the complex multicultural social fabric of Auroville, have certainly also been identified, stories of women of all ages and nationalities being harassed by unknown men along Auroville’s roads and shaded bicycle paths continue to periodically surface on Auronet, the community’s intranet.
According to Samuel from the Auroville Safety and Security Team (AVSST), there were 19 cases of reported sexual harassment within Auroville this past year. “Unfortunately, this number doesn’t reflect the reality of the emotional impact sexual harassment has, nor the specific situations,” headds.
The g...
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