"It is not comprehensible to us anymore. It is devastating to even hear about it. Most of the girls have left the hostel. Nobody understands the fear. There are others who might even trivialise it, but they must know that a tiny incident like this has resulted in endless paranoia. Has one ever thought about how it feels to be recorded without your consent? Nobody realises this fear..."
This was Anisha's* statement. The student currently studying at the CMR Engineering College located in Hyderabad told EdexLive that during a New Year's Eve Party on the campus, a woman allegedly spotted an unidentified individual stealthily recording her while she was using the washroom. But alas, before she could call for help, this miscreant had fled.
On Monday, January 6, two men who worked in the college's hostel mess were arrested and confessed to the crime. The police have further booked college authorities for their disregard towards the incident.
Thanks to screaming headlines, we are all familiar with this incident. Cases of voyeurism are common, and education spaces are no strangers to it, But what is voyeurism? Why is it on the rise? What can girls do to arm themselves? We find out.
Making the invisible — visible
"This particular case has come to the spotlight now, and the police should take commensurate action, but it also gives us a renewed opportunity to think about forms of sexual violence on a much broader, deeper, structural and most importantly, societal level. These cases work as continuous reminders for us to not lose sight of the fact that our society is plagued with sexual violence of different kinds, and most of the time, these acts remain invisible. Hence, it is important to break the silence and report it," said Dr Sneha Banerjee, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad (UoH)
"Break the silence" reminds one of another recent phrase — "Shame must change sides", used by a woman who chose to break the silence and, in doing so, felt no disgrace: Gisèle Pelicot.
Unravelling in France, this was a case which caught global attention as Pelicot's husband not only drugged her and invited people to rape her, but he also filmed these instances. Not once or twice but several times over a decade.
Dr Banerjee underscored the importance of bringing these cases to light, no matter how painful or uncomfortable. She emphasised that the stories of abuse and injustice, such as Pelicot’s, should never be hidden or ignored. Instead, they must be shared openly, allowing society to confront the harsh realities of these experiences.
Alluding to the CMR College incident, where attempts were made to hush the incident, the UoH professor commented that it has become a norm for such incidents to be reduced to a trivial matter. "We do not understand consent, and we do not understand what are the different forms of sexual violence," she pointed out.
Ananya Chatterjee, a PhD Scholar from Delhi University, adds to the discourse by underlining the importance of recognising such forms of violence. "Violence comes in different forms, and sometimes, it might not even take extreme forms. Even without being touched, a girl can feel violated," shared the researcher.
Voyeurism in educational spaces
In August 2024, both the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Trichy and SR Gudlavalleru Engineering College in Andhra Pradesh reported incidents of a similar nature.
In NIT Trichy, a female student from the college hostel complained of sexual harassment by an electrician, who exposed his genitals and masturbated in front of her.
In the same month, massive protests erupted at SR Gudlavalleru Engineering College in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh after a hidden camera was allegedly discovered in the girls' hostel washroom.
Both cases are an example of voyeurism. Taking it a step further, Chatterjee says this behaviour can be linked to scopophilia, a psychological phenomenon characterised by a fascination with observing others, particularly in private or intimate moments, without their awareness or consent.
It should be known that scopophilia can manifest in various forms, ranging from the pleasure of watching others in person to engaging with media like films or photography, where the viewer feels a sense of dominance through the act of looking.
Addressing the flawed gender dynamics, she emphasised that a heteropatriarchal mindset would see such acts as a way for men to assert their sense of dominance. "They believe that women are subject to a man's will, and when it comes to educational spaces, some men feel the need to assert their power, even as women pursue education. In their view, women can never be seen as superior," she stated.
Chatterjee, whose research focuses on Gender-Based Violence Affecting Adolescent Girls in Educational Spaces, argues that voyeurism is not simply about pleasure or desire. When such incidents occur in educational institutions, the underlying message is often far more serious.
According to her, these are calculated attempts to prevent women from fully accessing education, and using intimidation to undermine their sense of entitlement to knowledge and empowerment.
"The purpose is to instill shame in them, making them feel that they must fearfully navigate their rights and not fully embrace their potential. In this context, voyeuristic behaviour becomes a tool for reinforcing gendered power dynamics and oppression, where women's autonomy and freedom to pursue education are systematically restricted," she asserted.
She also mentioned that although the other gender may not consciously recognise it, but their actions — when committing such acts without consent — serve as a way of asserting that they are entitled to behave this way in society.
Furthermore, she suggested that these individuals, more often than not, go unpunished because society chooses to place the shame on women instead.
Women, are you catering to the man's eye?
"I was travelling back home on a train. I suddenly woke up to see a camera pointed at my body. I was being filmed by the person sitting next to me. Fearing repercussions since I was alone, I asked the man to delete the video or face a scene. Initially, he refused and then begrudgingly let me check his phone. I deleted the video, and he left after a few minutes. I was shaken to the core." - Srishti Dutta (26)
Debdatta Chowdhury, an Assistant Professor in Gender Studies at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences (CSSS), Calcutta, emphasised that female bodies are often viewed as inherently sexualised, which, in turn, normalises extreme forms of voyeurism. Women are frequently subjected to scrutiny, and this behaviour is often dismissed with damaging rationalisation.
In the case of the incident at NIT Trichy, the warden of the girls' hostel shifted the blame onto the student, suggesting that her attire must have been "alluring" and, therefore, provoked the harassment.
Chowdhury further pointed out that women, whether in public or private spaces, are constantly subjected to the entitlement of those in positions of power, where they are not allowed to assert their autonomy.
The protection a woman's needs
Chatterjee, too, opined that even within educational institutions, a woman remains under the control of authoritative, patriarchal figures, and this dynamic runs deep and is culturally ingrained. In addition, societal norms often deny women the agency to speak out or act freely.
She further added that these norms are projected as "protective measures", suggesting that these constraints are somehow for the woman's own benefit, further perpetuating the cycle of disempowerment.
Furthermore, according to Professor Chowdhury, the decisions taken by these educational institutions in these cases of voyeurism can be seen as a reflection of how society bypasses its responsibilities towards the victim.
"Halting night shifts for female professionals is our society's solution to addressing questions of safety. These are all ways of skirting responsibility and playing it easy," she said.
According to Ananya, to address cultural issues around sexual harassment, she suggests that institutions adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards all forms of sexual harassment. This includes not just physical acts like groping or rape, but also non-physical harassment, such as cyber harassment.
According to her, it is crucial to educate students that sexual harassment can take various forms, and even without direct contact, actions can still be harmful and punishable. However, she noted that many institutions fail to adopt this approach, often disregarding the seriousness of incidents rather than addressing them as significant offences.
Does Ananya think a gradual change is possible? How? She stated that it is through women coming together in solidarity against such incidents. By exhibiting fierce courage, women can create a strong sense of camaraderie and advocate for zero tolerance towards all forms of sexual harassment.
"If one woman is subjected to sexual violence, all women should stand up because this is not an exclusive, isolated incident; it can happen to any woman, at any place, at any time, and irrespective of their caste, class, physical appearance, and so on," said the PhD scholar.
The incident at the CMR Engineering College might just become "another" incident, yet Anisha's* statement hits home when she says, "We are all scared but we are all in this together"
(*name changed for privacy concerns)
