NEW DELHI: A circular for a counselling session by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on sexual harassment, which says girls are “suppose to know how to draw a tangible line between them and their male friends”, has drawn the ire of student outfits who said it reeks of victim shaming.
The internal complaints committee (ICC) of the JNU has uploaded the circular on the varsity’s website saying that it will organise a counselling session on sexual harassment on January 17. It also said that such sessions will be organised on a monthly basis.
Under the subhead “why is the counselling session required”, the circular said that it will make students aware of what consists of sexual harassment. It also said that students are being counselled during the orientation programme and at the inception of each academic year; they need to refresh their knowledge about the same, time to time.
“ICC comes across a number of cases where sexual harassment takes place among close friends. Boys generally cross (sometimes advertently, sometimes inadvertently) the thin line between friendship’s bantering and sexual harassment. Girls suppose to know how to draw a tangible line (between them and their male friends) to avoid any such harassments,” the circular read.