Hi Abhinandan, 

This is Geetha Janardhana, I have been a Newslaundry subscriber for a long time and really appreciate all your work. 

I want to keep this email super short and so I will get to the point right away. This email is in response to a statement you made in Hafta 195. 

Statement/ Assumption: “The world is optimised for men.”
Implication: Men are more empowered and privileged.
Conclusion: When Men complain about harassment, it is not to be taken as seriously since they could have done things to protect themselves but they chose not to. 

I just want to point out your assumption might be incomplete. The world might be optimised for men, but harassment is also about power. According to me, the world is optimised for men but it is also optimised for power. 

Men are the more privileged sex than women but all men might not necessarily be empowered or even privileged for that matter. The harasser or the victim does not have a fixed gender.  The harasser could be a man, woman or any other gender and so can the victim. 

It is important to keep this distinction in mind so that we are not dismissive of any gender being harassed. It is about the powerful harassing the powerless in a world that favours power and men. 

Thanks,

Geetha Janardhana