Female Twitter users across India are calling out politicians by posting pictures of themselves out at night with the hashtag #AintNoCinderella.
The social media trend comes after a 29-year-old woman said she was followed and “almost kidnapped” by two men in the northern city of Chandigarh in Haryana. In a Facebook Post, Varnika Kundu claims a car pulled up alongside her while she was driving and the men “incessantly bullied” her for 6km.
“There were 2 guys inside the SUV, and they seemed to really be enjoying harassing a lone girl in the middle of the night,” she posted.
After her Facebook post, it was the response of Vice President Ramveer Bhatti of the Bharatiya Janata Party that sparked outrage.
“The girl should not have gone out at 12 in the night,” he told local television station CNN-News18. “Why was she driving so late in the night?”
Unsurprisingly many people see his comment as victim blaming and women have responded by posting selfies on Twitter to prove they have every right to be out at night, without fearing for their safety.
I really love this trend. Beautiful women defying male patriarchy & crossing misogynist lines. More power to u ladies💪🙏#AintNoCinderella
— Sahil Prasad (@laxmi407) August 7, 2017
Three of those women tell us their reasons for joining in with the #AintNoCinderella hashtag.
“I’m tired of girls being blamed for the rapes and sexual harassment that goes on in India.” – Pooja Rathan
Dear regressive India, I will do as I please, night or day. Don't ever think you have the right to stop me #AintNoCinderella pic.twitter.com/oHIKgbhoeA
— pooja🌷 (@queenpsays) August 7, 2017
Pooja Rathan, from Bangalore, believes women posting selfies of them enjoying themselves out at night is a way for them to show their independence.
“Blaming the victim for dressing a certain way or being out past a certain hour as the reason for these horrible acts is not justified and needs to stop,” she said.
“I think posting a picture with the hashtag #AintNoCinderella is a way for women to share their independence and to show people that they aren’t helpless victims.
“We’re strong women with good values and we need to be respected anytime of day or night, just as much as men.”
“We aren’t afraid to strike back.” – Surekha Rao
Hi to all regressive authorities, from a cab, past midnight, dressed like I'm going to a party, but I'm actually not. #AintNoCinderella pic.twitter.com/Dhrwflck9i
— Surekha Rao (@surerao) August 7, 2017
“No matter what time of the day it is, I am definitely not ‘asking for it’,” says Surekha Rao, from Bombay, when asked about attitudes towards women in India. “Neither are thousands of women across the country.”
Rao believes there is no better way to show women want change than the #AintNoCinderella campaign.
She said: “In a bid to reclaim our public spaces and show that we aren’t afraid to strike back, what’s a better way to say it than with visual presentation? It sends a stronger message.
“I am tired of authorities and other people time and again blaming me for simply being a woman. We are all tired. So, we better change that and hopefully, it will knock some sense into people who think otherwise.”
“It’s high time we focused on the real issues.” – Rekha Navani
Dear Regressive India,We ain't damsels in distress. We are independent & we don't need you to curb our freedom#AintNoCinderella here! pic.twitter.com/mulliSsKwY
— Rekha Navani (@rekha_navani) August 7, 2017
India will soon be celebrating 70 years of its independence, and Rekha Navani, from Mumbai, says she is exasperated that there are much bigger issues to sort in her country than what women wear or what time they get home.
“The real issues of providing basic infrastructure, making India safe for all its citizen, preventing crime by stricter laws and faster legal processes gets lost while women become an easy target to be blamed upon,” said Navani.
“By posting the selfie, I wanted to just create awareness of how we women are tired and exasperated of people dictating terms on what we should wear, how we should speak and at what time we should be back home.”
Many other women have joined in with supporting the hashtag by posting not just pictures, but their thoughts and feelings on the topic too
Hey it's midnight and I'm "out"!#AintNoCinderella pic.twitter.com/oKFNwtVIz0
— Palak Sharma (@Palaksharmanews) August 7, 2017
I am so tired of Beti, Behen, Ma- Labels. I dont want to be your sister, mother,wife or daughter for my rights as a woman #AintNoCinderella
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) August 9, 2017
#AintNoCinderella … it's time to step out ! pic.twitter.com/CAWBJ83guk
— Sharmiela Mandre (@sharmilamandre) August 8, 2017
We, women believe in breaking glass ceilings not fitting into glass slippers #AintNoCinderella
— Rana Safvi رعنا राना (@iamrana) August 8, 2017
100% for all girls going #AintNoCinderella. It's time we changed.
— Krishan singh (@kish_wayfarer) August 8, 2017
Hundreds of women posted photographs on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at midnight, refusing to be intimidated, and more have joined the campaign since.