Victims either ignore, avoid the eve-teasers or suffer alone rather than reporting to the police
Globally, women are frequently the victims of public sexual harassment. In public sexual harassment or eve teasing, Bhutan is not an exception. Bhutan has documented a number of cases of workplace sexual harassment against women throughout the years, and the victims have sought assistance.
Unfortunately, hundreds of women experience eve teasing every day without much help or support. Eve-teasing refers to the making of unwanted sexual remarks or advances by a man to a woman in a public place.
Section 205 of the Penal Code of Bhutan, 2009 stated: “Sexual harassment is a criminal offense and defines it as unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal abuse of sexual nature.” But the penalty is only a petty misdemeanor, which means a maximum of less than one year.
Even though it is illegal in Bhutan to engage in eve teasing or public sexual harassment, offenders continue to do so. Ten students at Sherubtse College complained of harassment in 2021 against one of the assistant lecturers for making inappropriate comments and asking ladies out. The director of Bhutan Power Corporation was similarly found guilty of sexual harassment against a female employee who reported to him in 2022. The victims in both situations did ask for assistance, and justice was served as a result.
There are thousands of women who endure the cruel torture of being eve-teased every
day, but this crime goes unreported since there are so few instances where the victims seek assistance and hold the offender accountable. When faced with eve teasing, many of them experience helplessness.
Dema (name changed) claimed that while in high school and college, she had experienced eve-teasing. It is still going strong today. She stated that while she was a high school student, some male classmates made fun of her by saying, “Jo gae mae na” which is short Bhutanese slang for “Let’s go have sex”; as she ascended the stairs to meet her friends for lunch. After that incident, she felt anxious about seeing that group of boys, and she did her best to avoid the boys. She said, “I used to ask my friends to drop me off at my class after lunch and tried not to cross paths with them at all costs.”
Dema just had the same gruesome event once more while making her way home from the city bus station in Thimphu. She states: “Around 5 o’clock in the evening, as I was leaving the city bus parking, a group of young men began to whistle at me, and then an older man remarked; Move aside, give Madam a place to walk. The lovely Madam will accompany us if we don’t show her how to walk.” Following the event, she felt disgusted and anxious all the time walking her way back home alone.
Another victim of eve teasing is Wangmo, a recent graduate. According to her, she experienced eve teasing thrice in the last few months and during the ordeal, a group of men started calling random names and whistling at her. She highlighted that throughout the incident she felt horrible. She said, “It makes me angry and unpleasant at the same time. I am always ignorant in such cases as rebelling them would only bring me loss.”
Even some men can also be the victim and suffer from being eve-teased by men, making them victims of eve-teasing just like women. Dorji (name changed), who is currently employed, describes how he was catcalled while commuting to a friend’s house. He said, “On the way to my friend’s house, I observed a group of guys hanging out by the roadside. They needed to be passed by and they teased me while I was moving, calling me various names like sexy and “Jo gae mae na,” (Bhutanese slang for let’s go have sex). Dorji remembers the episode as annoying and aggravating since he was unable to muster the guts to respond verbally or physically.
Being the target of eve-teasing has costs beyond just the immediate helplessness, frustration, and anger. The aftermath is shared by the eve-teasing victims their coping strategies and emotional health. According to Dema, avoiding the offenders was
the preferred course of action because she believed something was wrong with her. She has come to understand through time that is not her fault. Even now, she can’t help but travel alone while sporting headphones and music in her ears. “My family and friends can’t always come along with me,” she said.
Similarly, Wangmo (name changed) chooses to ignore the cat-calls as she feels it is best to ignore them. However, as the victim of eve teasing and while walking alone, she fears, the alarming rate of rape cases in the country makes me think that this could happen to me too if I am not cautious.
Only a few are able to inform their loved ones about the harassment. One of them is a female high school student who said, “When I’m in a position like this, I normally talk to my friends and family about it. They support my daily survival.” She claimed that she sometimes feels anxious to stroll alone, but the damage is already done.
Similarly, a recent graduate, Kiran (name changed) stated, “When I walk alone, I feel uneasy and apprehensive. I normally prefer to go out with friends and family because I’m afraid someone will say something.”
When asked if they knew about public sexual harassment or if eve-teasing was a crime, a female student exclaimed, “Damn! I did not know it was a crime.” Followed by different individuals who stated they did not know if teasing was a crime until they got mature. Kiran shared “at that time when I was eve-teased, I did not know it was a crime, and laws were put in place to protect me. It was only over the years that I came to know that teasing is a crime.”
“Eve-teasing has increased over the years, according to my experience, as I witness girls being eve-teased while they are walking alone,” she added. Eve-teasing is not fun. Eve-teasing is distressing and frustrating for the victims.
Another victim said that eve-teasing should be discouraged from an early age and stricter laws need to be in place. And also, to take the case seriously if reported to the police.
Globally, women are frequently the victims of public sexual harassment. In public sexual harassment or eve teasing, Bhutan is not an exception. Bhutan has documented a number of cases of workplace sexual harassment against women throughout the years, and the victims have sought assistance.
Unfortunately, hundreds of women experience eve teasing every day without much help or support. Eve-teasing refers to the making of unwanted sexual remarks or advances by a man to a woman in a public place.
Section 205 of the Penal Code of Bhutan, 2009 stated: “Sexual harassment is a criminal offense and defines it as unwelcome physical, verbal, or non-verbal abuse of sexual nature.” But the penalty is only a petty misdemeanor, which means a maximum of less than one year.
Even though it is illegal in Bhutan to engage in eve teasing or public sexual harassment, offenders continue to do so. Ten students at Sherubtse College complained of harassment in 2021 against one of the assistant lecturers for making inappropriate comments and asking ladies out. The director of Bhutan Power Corporation was similarly found guilty of sexual harassment against a female employee who reported to him in 2022. The victims in both situations did ask for assistance, and justice was served as a result.
There are thousands of women who endure the cruel torture of being eve-teased every
day, but this crime goes unreported since there are so few instances where the victims seek assistance and hold the offender accountable. When faced with eve teasing, many of them experience helplessness.
Dema (name changed) claimed that while in high school and college, she had experienced eve-teasing. It is still going strong today. She stated that while she was a high school student, some male classmates made fun of her by saying, “Jo gae mae na” which is short Bhutanese slang for “Let’s go have sex”; as she ascended the stairs to meet her friends for lunch. After that incident, she felt anxious about seeing that group of boys, and she did her best to avoid the boys. She said, “I used to ask my friends to drop me off at my class after lunch and tried not to cross paths with them at all costs.”
Dema just had the same gruesome event once more while making her way home from the city bus station in Thimphu. She states: “Around 5 o’clock in the evening, as I was leaving the city bus parking, a group of young men began to whistle at me, and then an older man remarked; Move aside, give Madam a place to walk. The lovely Madam will accompany us if we don’t show her how to walk.” Following the event, she felt disgusted and anxious all the time walking her way back home alone.
Another victim of eve teasing is Wangmo, a recent graduate. According to her, she experienced eve teasing thrice in the last few months and during the ordeal, a group of men started calling random names and whistling at her. She highlighted that throughout the incident she felt horrible. She said, “It makes me angry and unpleasant at the same time. I am always ignorant in such cases as rebelling them would only bring me loss.”
Even some men can also be the victim and suffer from being eve-teased by men, making them victims of eve-teasing just like women. Dorji (name changed), who is currently employed, describes how he was catcalled while commuting to a friend’s house. He said, “On the way to my friend’s house, I observed a group of guys hanging out by the roadside. They needed to be passed by and they teased me while I was moving, calling me various names like sexy and “Jo gae mae na,” (Bhutanese slang for let’s go have sex). Dorji remembers the episode as annoying and aggravating since he was unable to muster the guts to respond verbally or physically.
Being the target of eve-teasing has costs beyond just the immediate helplessness, frustration, and anger. The aftermath is shared by the eve-teasing victims their coping strategies and emotional health. According to Dema, avoiding the offenders was
the preferred course of action because she believed something was wrong with her. She has come to understand through time that is not her fault. Even now, she can’t help but travel alone while sporting headphones and music in her ears. “My family and friends can’t always come along with me,” she said.
Similarly, Wangmo (name changed) chooses to ignore the cat-calls as she feels it is best to ignore them. However, as the victim of eve teasing and while walking alone, she fears, the alarming rate of rape cases in the country makes me think that this could happen to me too if I am not cautious.
Only a few are able to inform their loved ones about the harassment. One of them is a female high school student who said, “When I’m in a position like this, I normally talk to my friends and family about it. They support my daily survival.” She claimed that she sometimes feels anxious to stroll alone, but the damage is already done.
Similarly, a recent graduate, Kiran (name changed) stated, “When I walk alone, I feel uneasy and apprehensive. I normally prefer to go out with friends and family because I’m afraid someone will say something.”
When asked if they knew about public sexual harassment or if eve-teasing was a crime, a female student exclaimed, “Damn! I did not know it was a crime.” Followed by different individuals who stated they did not know if teasing was a crime until they got mature. Kiran shared “at that time when I was eve-teased, I did not know it was a crime, and laws were put in place to protect me. It was only over the years that I came to know that teasing is a crime.”
“Eve-teasing has increased over the years, according to my experience, as I witness girls being eve-teased while they are walking alone,” she added. Eve-teasing is not fun. Eve-teasing is distressing and frustrating for the victims.
Another victim said that eve-teasing should be discouraged from an early age and stricter laws need to be in place. And also, to take the case seriously if reported to the police.
