TORONTO – A video mocking controversial comments made by public figures after recent sexual assault cases in India has gone viral.
In the four minute clip, Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin and television host Juhi Pandey sarcastically tell women why they must take the blame for the rising number of rape cases in India.
“Scientific studies suggest that women who wear skirts are the leading cause of rape. Do you know why? Because men have eyes,” says Koechlin in the satirical video.
Koechlin then shares some examples of “provocative clothing that can cause rape,” including shorts, a dress, a black burka and a full space suit.
The video was created by a group of four male comedians who said they wanted to address the “massive misconception” that women invite rapes.
“These are deep-rooted patriarchal biases,” said Tanmay Bhat, one of the comedians, in an interview with AFP. “It happens everywhere in the world and in India especially so.”
Earlier this month, four men were sentenced to death for the rape and murder a young woman on a New Delhi bus back in December 2012. Her male companion was assaulted.
READ MORE: Court reviews death sentences in Delhi gang rape
The brutal gang-rape incident caused outrage worldwide, triggered street protests in India and sparked a national debate over women’s rights in India.
According to 2012 National Crime Records Bureau statistics, one woman is raped every 20 minutes in the country. In the past 10 years, the number of children raped has increased by 336 per cent.
Near the end of the video, a smiling Koechlin tells the camera: “If you are tired of being humiliated by rape, you can always go to the cops and be humiliated by them instead.”
In August, comments made by Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh to NDTV news drew outrage after Singh said people must choose between a “promiscuous culture” that allows public kissing, or a city made safe by “moral policing.”
The video had over 1.3 million views and over 6,000 comments on YouTube at the time of publishing.
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