/american-Student-India-Sexual-Harassment-Irpt

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[b] Sexual harassment in India: 'The story you never wanted to hear'[/b]
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[url="http://www.ireport.com/"][img]http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/ssi/story/3.0/banner/ireport.inc/partner.logo.jpg[/img] CNN iReport[/url][/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/color][color=#666666][font=Arial, Helvetica, Utkal, sans-serif][size=2]
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By [b]Daphne Sashin [/b]and [b]Katie Hawkins-Gaar[/b], CNN[/size][/font][font=arial][size=2]
updated 12:34 PM EDT, Wed August 21, 2013[/size][/font][/size][/font][/color][color=#FFFFFF][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][size=2][background=rgb(0, 0, 0)]
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[img]http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130821074050-michaela-cross-irpt-turning-away-vertical-gallery.jpg[/img][/size][/font]American college student Michaela Cross struggles to describe her time studying abroad in India. She says it was full of adventures and beauty but also relentless sexual harassment, groping and worse.[/size][/font]




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'Traveler's heaven, woman's hell'[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/color]
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[b]STORY HIGHLIGHTS[/b][/size][/font][list]
[*]U.S. college student Michaela Cross spent three months abroad in India
[*]She says she and others faced repeated sexual harassment in India
[*]She was diagnosed with PTSD and is now on a leave of absence
[*]She shared her story to make others more aware
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[i]What action should be taken to combat sexual harassment? [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/topics/1024221"]Send us your views.[/i][/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
[b](CNN)[/b] -- Michaela Cross, an American student at the University of Chicago, has written a powerful account of her study abroad trip to India last year, during which she says she experienced relentless sexual harassment, groping and worse.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
Upon her return, she says she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and is now on a mental leave of absence from the school after a public breakdown in the spring.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
Cross, a fair-skinned, red-haired South Asian studies major, titled her story "India: The Story You Never Wanted to Hear." She [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1023053"]posted her account on CNN iReport[/url] under the username RoseChasm.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
Her story has struck a chord around the world, racking up more than 800,000 page views as of Wednesday morning. It quickly found its way to India, where many readers sympathized with the story and men felt compelled to apologize for the experience she endured. Others called for greater perspective and warned against making generalizations about India or its people.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
India's deadly gang rape of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi happened a few days after Cross left India in December, and she said that helped others understand what she and her classmates went through. The country has continued to see [url="http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/world/asia/india-rape-problem"]several high-profile cases of rape and sexual violence cases[/url] since then, and the government has introduced tougher laws and punishment for sexual crimes.[/size][/font][/url][font=inherit][size=2]

[img]http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130501190013-idesk-ramgopal-india-rape-victim-dies-00002521-story-body.jpg[/img][color=#FFFFFF][font=inherit][size=2]4-year-old girl dies after rape[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][url=""][font=inherit][size=2]

[img]http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130604180126-india-rape-protests-story-body.jpg[/img][color=#FFFFFF][font=inherit][size=2]American allegedly gang-raped in India[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/url][font=inherit][size=2]

[img]http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121228125316-india-rape-is-murder-poster-story-body.jpg[/img][color=#FFFFFF][font=inherit][size=2]Remembering New Delhi gang-rape victim[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font]<a name="em4" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 11.818181991577148px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">[font=inherit][size=2]

[img]http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130421112737-01-new-delhi-rape-protest-0421-story-body.jpg[/img][color=#FFFFFF][font=inherit][size=2]Rape of child sparks India protests[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
[url="http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/11/world/asia/india-males-violence"]Keeping chivalry alive in India: Men respond to rape crisis[/url][/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
On her return, Cross struggled to find a way to talk about a cultural experience that was both beautiful and traumatizing, she said in her essay.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
She writes:[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
"Do I tell them about our first night in the city of Pune, when we danced in the Ganesha festival, and leave it at that? Or do I go on and tell them how the festival actually stopped when the American women started dancing, so that we looked around to see a circle of men filming our every move?[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
"Do I tell them about bargaining at the bazaar for beautiful saris costing a few dollars a piece, and not mention the men who stood watching us, who would push by us, clawing at our breasts and groins?[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
"When people compliment me on my Indian sandals, do I talk about the man who stalked me for 45 minutes after I purchased them, until I yelled in his face in a busy crowd?"[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
[url="http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/04/how-it-feels-to-be-a-woman-in-india/"]"How it feels to be a woman in India"[/url][/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
Later, she writes: "For three months I lived this way, in a traveler's heaven and a woman's hell. I was stalked, groped, masturbated at; and yet I had adventures beyond my imagination. I hoped that my nightmare would end at the tarmac, but that was just the beginning."[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
A university spokesman confirmed Cross is a student at the school and would not comment on her mental leave. He said the school is committed to students' safety at home and abroad.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
Cross said she didn't say anything to the professors on the trip until things reached "a boiling point" -- what she called two rape attempts in 48 hours.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
[url="http://travel.cnn.com/female-solo-travel-india-218191"]Should solo female travelers avoid India?[/url][/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
Dipesh Chakrabarty, a University of Chicago professor who was in India for the first three weeks of the session, told CNN that he was unaware of Cross' situation. He noted, though, that the university tries to prepare students for what they might encounter while abroad. The Civilizations Abroad in India program was based in the city of Pune, but the students traveled to other areas during the semester.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
"Both faculty and staff in Chicago and our local Indian staff counsel students before and during the trip about precautions they need to take in a place like India," Chakrabarty said in an e-mail. "Ensuring student safety and well-being is the top priority of both the College and staff and faculty associated with the program."[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
The university provided this statement to CNN:[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
"Nothing is more important to us at the University of Chicago than caring for the safety and well-being of our students, here in Chicago and wherever they go around the world in the course of their studies. The University offers extensive support and advice to students before, during and after their trips abroad, and we are constantly assessing and updating that preparation in light of events and our students' experiences. We also place extremely high value on the knowledge our students seek by traveling and studying other civilizations and cultures, and we are committed to ensuring they can do so in safety while enriching their intellectual lives."[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
[url="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1023884"]From India: A different view[/url][/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
Her story sparked a wave of reaction online, with scores of Indians responding, many with sympathy to her plight and pointing out that Indian women also experience high levels of harassment and abuse.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
Arvind Rao, a media professional in Mumbai, was moved to post this comment on her story: "It thoroughly disgusts me to be known as an Indian male ... An apology is extremely meager for all the trauma you've gone through." He expressed hope that politicians would "wake up and implement stricter laws against crime and sexual harassment on women."[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
"Every time my girlfriend goes out alone, I pray that she comes back home safely," wrote a commenter using the name Jajabar. "Being an Indian male, I apologize."[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
Others, however, observed that sexual harassment was by no means confined to India, and Indian commenter Sam1967 warned against condemning his home country when so many others failed to protect the women living within their borders.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
"I accept what happened was definitely an embarrassment and a cause of trauma for her that might haunt her for the rest of her life. But this has happened in many other countries or places and therefore it may not be the right thing to single out India."[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
[url="http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/04/world/asia/irpt-new-delhi-gang-rape-ireport-reaction"]'She could have been me': Action urged after Delhi gang rape[/url][/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
Another woman who said she was on the same University of Chicago sponsored trip to India, [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1023426"]posted a response[/url] on CNN iReport calling on people to resist stereotyping Indian men and recognize that sexual assault happens all over the world.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
The student, Katherine Stewart, said she dealt with her own share of harassment on the trip, but "in my experiences in India, I have met a solid handful of warm and honest Indian men -- men who are also college students, men who also love the thrill of riding on a motorcycle in the busy streets, men who defended me at necessary times, and men who took the time to get to know me and my culture. And that should not at all be surprising."[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
Stewart said she believed Cross "had every right to tell her story" and in no way wanted to lessen the significance of her experience. But Stewart, who is black, cautioned that "when we do not make the distinction that only some men of a population commit a crime, we develop a stereotype for an entire population. And when we develop a negative stereotype for a population, what arises? Racism."[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
One thing is certain: Cross sparked a huge discussion with a story that she thought no one wanted to hear. She said she is thankful for her experiences in India, and wants to see more international exposure about what women travelers and residents endure.[/size][/font][font=arial][size=4]
"Truth is a gift, a burden, and a responsibility. And I mean to share it," she writes. "This is the story you don't want to hear when you ask me about India. But this is the story you need."[/size][/font][/size][/font]

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[b] Same India-Different Story[/b]
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By [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/people/twoseat"]twoseat[/url] | Posted August 20, 2013 | Chicago, Illinois[font=inherit][size=2]
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CNN PRODUCER NOTE [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/people/twoseat"]twoseat[/url] is an anthropology major at the University of Chicago and was on the study abroad program in India that iReporter [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/people/RoseChasm"]RoseChasm[/url] wrote [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1023053"]about here[/url].

'I believe that [she] had every right to tell her story, but I wanted to alleviate the burden that it put on many Indians and other people in general. I had no intention of lessening the significance of her experience. I just wanted to highlight the dangers in writing such a one-sided piece on a population.' Another woman who said she was on the same University of Chicago sponsored trip to India, posted a response on CNN iReport calling on people to resist stereotyping Indian men and recognize that sexual assault happens all over the world.
- [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/people/dsashin"]dsashin[/url], CNN iReport producer[/background][/i][/size][/font][/color][/font][/size][/font][/color][color=#000000][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=5]
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[font=inherit][size=5]Recently, a University of Chicago student wrote about her traumatic experience while on a study abroad trip to India. I was on the same University of Chicago-sponsored trip to India, but I have something very different to say. I was in some of the same groups that RoseChasm was in; I explored the same temples and caves; and I danced in the same Ganesha festival on my first day in Pune. But I cannot justify the same negative publicity that the article addresses. [/size][/font]

[font=inherit][size=5]I want to address the consequences that arise from writing that lends itself to careless generalizations. The problem that this article has is that it ends up blaming an entire population for the actions of some. Many comments in response to RoseChasm’s article consist of Indian men and women shaming themselves because of what some Indian men have done and are doing. There are Indian men apologizing for being Indian men because of the message in this article. My goal in this response is to create a better overall attitude toward Indian men. [/size][/font]

[font=inherit][size=5]As the only black woman (and individual in general) on the trip, I can definitely say that I had a very unique experience in my program. Men stared at me in India. Women stared at me. Children and teenagers stared at me. All the time. I wanted to become invisible in the crowd. I felt that I stood out even more because I stood out very starkly from the Indian population and especially from my white and Asian peers. I was also targeted with harassment, and I felt violated many times on the trip. However, in my experiences in India, I have met a solid handful of warm and honest Indian men- men who are also college students, men who also love the thrill of riding on a motorcycle in the busy streets, men who defended me at necessary times, and men who took the time to get to know me and my culture. And that should not at all be surprising. [/size][/font]

[font=inherit][size=5]Men took pictures of me. But we must think that the same thing happens in America. We seldom stop to think of the abuse that Facebook or even Snapchat can hold in regards to people’s images. We are privileged with tools, and many Americans-men and women- use these tools to take inappropriate, malicious pictures of other American individuals. Knowing this, we cannot criminalize Indian men for doing the same. This does not at all justify any malicious use of people’s images- we just cannot attribute this crime to generally Indian men. [/size][/font]

[font=inherit][size=5]To address the attempted rapes on the program, I was also very frightened while on the trip. After hearing about the attacks that happened to girls I knew, I also stayed up at night wondering if someone was going to break into my room. RoseChasm has addressed this, but what RoseChasm doesn’t address is the fact that rape happens in America as well. This focus on what happened to one individual on a study abroad trip to India makes it seem like no woman can enjoy a trip to India and that she would be ultimately safer in America. We must be aware of the rapes that occur worldwide, but we also need to internalize the fact that rapes in our country happen on college campuses, in cities, and in other unimaginable social situations. And people of many different ethnicities and racial backgrounds commit these acts. [/size][/font]

[font=inherit][size=5]So why should all Indian men be subjected to judgment for the rapes that some men have committed? RoseChasm does not address the fact that there are warm and honest men in India. When we do not make the distinction that only some men of a population commit a crime, we develop a stereotype for an entire population. And when we develop a negative stereotype for a population, what arises? Racism. [/size][/font]

[font=inherit][size=5]I am black, and I have to deal with the fact that even today in America many people characterize my entire race by the choices made by some people who have the same color skin as me. It doesn’t matter that I am an American, and it doesn’t matter that my mother raised me to have good morals. For all we know I could walk up to someone at night in a hoodie and I could be mistaken for someone who will do harm. [/size][/font]

[font=inherit][size=5]When we allow a population to be subjected to a stereotype, we allow people to take action on a person based on that stereotype. Why did George Zimmerman feel justified in shooting an unarmed black young man in a hoodie? Why do people stay away from certain Chicago Transit Authority train stations? Why do people immediately freeze when they drive into a predominantly black neighborhood? When we make comments against a population, we create a movement of hatred and ignorance that is difficult to reverse. [/size][/font]

[font=inherit][size=5]I understand RoseChasm’s pain, and I too had a hard time readjusting to life in America after my experience in India. I truly hope for her to be well again, but I will not sit back and allow the image of India’s men to be tarnished by an article that does not articulate other sides to India. I experienced love, excitement, and awe in India. And while I did experience unacceptable harassment, I know that my ability to not generalize a population will allow people to see that we must find another way to deal with this issue. [/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/color]

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[b] My India -what I face as an Indian woman every day[/b]
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By [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/people/Aishu88"]Aishu88[/url] | Posted 6 hours ago | India[font=inherit][size=2]
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CNN PRODUCER NOTE Indian reporter [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/people/Aishu88"]Aishu88[/url] said many in her home country felt "a collective responsibility" for the sexual harassment U.S. student Michaela Cross spoke about in her [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1023053"]iReport[/url], which sparked a massive response online, particularly within India. But while she writes about her own experiences with harassment, she notes that it is far from a problem exclusively confined to India. "I think sexual harassment is a global problem and it's something women have to live with every day of their lives," she said. She also urges people not to generalize about different countries. "One person does not represent a nation and one experience should not define it," she added.
- [url="http://ireport.cnn.com/people/sarahbrowngb"]sarahbrowngb[/url], CNN iReport producer[/background][/i][/size][/font][/color][/font][/size][/font][/color][color=#000000][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=5]
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[font=inherit][size=5]I am an Indian woman. I have lived in this country my whole life. I went to college here and have used the public transportation in at least five of those cities. Ever since the world heard about Ms Rose Chasm's story, my friends and I have actively debated about India on social networking websites. Some of us were ashamed for India. Some were embarrassed. All of us were angry at those who tortured this poor woman. Our hearts went out to her and then our eyes scrolled down the comments section of the article.[/size][/font]
[font=inherit][size=5]I spent all night reading the 1,000 odd comments left behind by people. Some implored people to not visit India, especially women. Some apologised to Ms Chasm on behalf of Indians everywhere. It broke my heart. There was ignorance but also fear in what people wrote.[/size][/font]
[font=inherit][size=5]People were afraid of the country I called home my whole life. And I quietly rifled through my own experiences. Yes. Unfortunately I have been groped at and harassed by men. I am a runner and every time I set out to run by myself, I make sure I have my phone with me and pepper spray, in case men on the streets decide to harass the girl running in sweatpants (I never wear my shorts on solo runs).[/size][/font]
[font=inherit][size=5]But that's not what the country is all about. It's a big nation that should not be generalized. In any city you will find millions talking different languages, following different cultures. You simply cannot speak for all of them in one breath. It's not possible in India.[/size][/font]
[font=inherit][size=5]For every guy who has harassed me, I can think of lot more who have come to defense. A couple Sundays ago, two guys on a scooter decided to follow me on a couple laps as I went on a long run. I stopped to yell at them and quickly an auto driver and another man showed up to drive those men away. The country is a world unto itself and it has to experienced to understand why a billion odd people choose to call it home.[/size][/font]
[font=inherit][size=5]And then I was reminded of another story that has gone viral in the last few days - the shooting of Australian baseball player, Christopher Lane allegedly by three young American teenagers just because they were bored. With that incident came a spate of angry responses from people who urged tourists not to go to America because it's not safe. It's these kinds of generalizations that keep us afraid of the great unknown. I loved visiting America, when I had gone there on vacation recently. I enjoyed every part of it. Was it all ideal? No. I did somehow always end up on the group that was searched "randomly" in airports and one woman kept pestering me about Yoga even though I have never practiced it my whole life but I know that one person does not represent a nation and one experience should not define it. My heart goes out to Ms Rose Chasm. I hope she finds peace and light at the end of the tunnel. I also hope she visits India again. It's a beautiful country. And while you may not end spotting snake charmers and elephants walking on the streets, hopefully you can make some great friends.[/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/size][/font][/color]

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