“When women are exposed to the society they are more prone to eve-teasing, harassment, atrocities, rape and kidnap. Is it not? If they do not leave home, it doesn’t happen.”
This was the view of Andhra Pradesh Speaker Kodela Shiva Prasad, who was, ironically, addressing the press ahead of the “National Women’s Parliament” in Amaravati.
His remarks were even more ghastly with his analogy – that women are like cars and they should be parked at all times for safety.
Realising the backlash he would receive, he immediately shifted his rhetoric towards women’s education and equal participation at work.
This isn’t the first time women have been compared to objects. A month ago, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi called women “sugar” and “petrol” to emphasise how they need to be kept away from “ants” and “fire,” respectively.
These metaphors are being repeatedly used in public by politicians in their official capacity. While some apologise after getting into trouble, or claim to have been misquoted, some wait for their speeches to be drowned by the next outrageous statement.
But time and again, some politicians make sure that they keep up the patriarchal tradition. The video below is proof.
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