Salvaging #MeToo
Nowhere does the maxim ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ apply more appropriately than in a fake case of sexual harassment. For an accused who is ‘not guilty’ the embarrassment and ignominy associated with the accusation is such that it can spin his whole life around. Where the #MeToo drive against sexual harassment is benefitting thousands of men and women across the globe open up about their traumatic experiences of ending up as victims of sexual persecution, some are exploiting and misusing the newfound trend as an opportunity to ensnare others in such cases to settle and avenge a personal vendetta. It is, hence, that salvaging the salvager #MeToo becomes imperative.
Playing the woman card is one of the most convenient things to do universally, but more so in Pakistan, where cultural influences nurture mindsets into considering women as the weaker, more vulnerable and easily victimized gender, hence giving them an advantage to indict or proclaim while hurling due or undue accusations at men. As the fairer sex, it becomes expedient to falsely accuse a man of harassment as retribution for not having your way in any type of interaction with him. The charge can be misused to have your way in one or the other dealing with men or even get back at a man after a relationship goes sour.
Like every power that has the potential to be abused, the ‘Me too’ movement is no exception. It appears to be distorted and misused into becoming a newfound woman card, to be played conveniently to one’s advantage when nothing else seems to work. Driven by emotions of sympathy and concern for women’s vulnerability, it is natural for the public to believe whenever a woman raises hue and cry about having been sexually harassed by a man. Why would a woman wrongly accuse a man of harassment when such a charge would also bring humiliation to the woman, many would ask. If the gain from such a false accusation is much greater and dearer than the humiliation involved, some women may opt for this type of deceitfulness.
Fake calls of harassment alert, however, harm the ‘me too’ drive and strip it of credence, doing irreparable damage to an otherwise significant cause. Immediate public reaction to a harassment plea is to side with the supposed victim. The masses respond to the charges of harassment against a man in a vigorous and vociferous manner. But, if these charges are dismissed due to insufficient evidence or failure to prove harassment, condemnation of the spurious act of the complaining woman is hardly evident or strong enough to hold her accountable for raising a fake alarm. Such phony ‘claims of convenience’ by women not only damage the justice seeking #metoo drive, but also do unfathomable harm to the person, hence, falsely accused. While, there is no way we should ignore harassment charges made by anyone, once they have been proved to be invalid, there should be sufficient denouncing and appropriate action as defined by law against the woman who lodges a bogus allegation in the first place. Usually though, such follow-ups do not go much beyond social media denunciation and a few random newspaper articles. What is needed is action and retribution on the ground.
In a recent incident, Muhammad Afzal, a lecturer of MAO College was accused of sexual harassment by one of his female students. Apparently, the student had failed an examination and was asking the late professor to give her extra marks so that she could clear the exam. On refusing to do so, the late lecturer had to bear the brunt in the form of an allegation of sexual abuse. The ensuing mental and emotional trauma led Afzal to commit suicide even though his innocence had been established by that time. His wife had left him following the contention because neither a written acquittal document was not issued to him, nor an apology was submitted by the female student. Disheartened, he opted to end his life in order to prove his innocence to the world. Referring to this case actor, model, Mahira Khan said in a tweet: “It angers me that an innocent man would kill himself because of wrongly being accused and it boils my blood that another can raom around free after raping someone. Whether you misuse the #MeToo movement or delay accountability on it, the result is the same -death.”
Internationally famed singer Ali Zafar and Meesha Shafi were both wedged in a sexual harassment case for a long time. In a recent decision, the Lahore High Court disposed off the petition filed by Meesha Shafi in the sexual harassment case lodged by her against Ali Zafar. Earlier, the provincial ombudsperson and the Punjab governor had dismissed the appeal on technical grounds. In a statement, Ali Zafar claimed that Meesha Shafi had misused the #metoo movement to her benefit.
While proving charges of sexual harassment against someone might not be as effortless, at times due to lack of evidence or related factors, false cases of sexual harassment will make things more difficult for women genuinely harassed and, consequentially, seeking justice. Difficult as it already is to open up or provide sufficient evidence to incriminate someone, the precedent of false claims of harassment might even deter some genuinely harassed women from mustering up the courage to come forward and make the ‘me too’ proclamation. Ignoring or letting go of cases of harassment without due investigation to ensure that justice is served as it is deserved would also discourage more victims from joining the ‘me too’ league. The abundance of fake cases at one end and delay in meting out punishment to harassers of genuine cases at the other end will together cause a two-fold damage to the movement against female sexual abuse. Hence, deterring women from raising false harassment alarms will not only benefit the victim of these alarms but would also help the ‘#MeToo’ movement sustain. And the most result-oriented way to keep women from misusing the movement as a wile is to ensure accountability for those who do so.
