Don’t stand by, intervene: GCC’s women safety campaign urges bystanders

The video begins with a woman waiting at a bus stop, clearly exhausted after a long day at work. As she waits, two men start making comments about her. One of them approaches her, and it’s seen that she’s uncomfortable. However, a trans woman intervenes and stands firmly beside her, providing her a sense of support.

Shortly after, a man with a child moves forward and stands next to the woman.

The harasser falters and is intimidated by the newfound support for the woman. These are the visuals from one of the videos taken by the Greater Chennai Corporation for its latest campaign on women’s safety.

Despite being ranked as one of the safest cities in the country, Chennai still faces significant issues with sexual harassment. Alarmingly, when such incidents occur in public spaces, the lack of bystander intervention often allows harassers to act with impunity.

Women’s safety

A member of the GCC’s Gender and Policy Lab team, told DT Next, “One of the surveys we conducted in November 2023 across the city revealed that 12-22% of women respondents had reported sexual harassment in public spaces. Of which 62% said that no bystander intervened during the harassment.”

In response, a campaign ‘Thappunu Therinja Pattunu Kelu’ (Question Immediately When You Know It’s Wrong) that focuses on women’s safety was launched by the Lab. Last month, Mayor Priya Rajan inaugurated it by unveiling two Public Service Announcement (PSA) videos that provided guidance on how bystanders can safely intervene and help women in distress.

So, what is bystander intervention? It’s the act of recognising a situation where someone needs help, and responding in a way that can positively affect the outcome. It can help send a message about what is acceptable behaviour in a community.

Kevin Shadrach Nithin, director of one of the PSAs, explained, “When a woman is being harassed in a public space, the bystander doesn’t always have to shout, scream, or resort to violence, as it could escalate the situation, causing harm to everyone in the situation. There are different ways to manage such a situation, and many are not informed about it.”

Not preachy

The 5Ds in bystander intervention are different strategies you can use to support someone who’s being harassed — distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct.

Adarsh Kumar, executive producer, director and writer of one of the PSAs, opined, “The type of intervention we chose for one of the PSAs is ‘distract’. It focuses on using an indirect approach to de-escalate the situation by redirecting attention away from the harasser, thereby allowing the potential victim to safely distance herself. The goal is to inspire a sentiment and translate that into action. The video aims to make the community think of itself as a collective with agency to stand up against harm.”

Rarely does a case of harassment, abuse or any form of sexual violence in a public space end with a Good Samaritan or a superhero to the rescue. “That doesn’t happen all the time. The real heroes don’t wear capes,” smiled Kevin. “We wanted the message to be shot in a way that felt real to you – as if it’s happening right now next to you. We wanted to educate people on the ways they can handle such situations.”

Since it was a social campaign, the makers of the video were particular about the PSAs not being preachy. “The way we convey a message is important. If we’re too preachy, it may not resonate with the audience, which is anyone who is watching it, and the message can get lost. We had to ensure that the message reaches everyone,” he said.

Relatable experiences

Sana Udhayakumar, actor in one of the PSAs, concurred, and added, “I could relate to the character I played on screen, as the situation has happened to me in broad daylight in New Delhi. I’m sure it happens in Chennai as well, but perhaps not to the same extent. Again, people next to us may silence us, though the reason for it may vary.”

She recalled a social media post by her friend that read: ‘The silent aggression towards women starts on the road. Like there is little aggression and then there is rape’.

“This hit me hard,” she stated. “When a fellow passenger is being harassed in the bus, and we don’t do anything about it, the culture of rape starts there. It forms a collective conscious, were the subliminal message is that ‘rape is ok and nobody is going to help’. We need to send a message that any form of gender-based violence must be addressed immediately to prevent sexual assault.”

A consultant with the Gender and Policy Lab emphasises that it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure each other’s safety. “We wanted women to feel good but not feel disturbed in the process of being helped. That’s how it should be done. The campaign’s message is to ensure that women don’t feel uncomfortable or threatened when someone intervenes,” explained the consultant.

Actor Mrittika, another actor in one of the PSAs, averred, “In one of videos, the fruit seller is a woman. She takes a strong stand against the harasser. As much as I agree with it, I feel bystander intervention has to go beyond gender-identity; as in, anyone should be able to intervene regardless of their gender.”

Fifth D

Also taking about 5th D in bystander intervention, which is documenting the incident, Mrittika pointed out that the importance of having evidence of such incidents, as victim-shaming was one of the biggest problems in sexual harassment cases in India.

“Whether the video should be used later on or not depends on the consent of the victim/survivor. However, when we file an FIR or recount the incident, the victim is often asked a lot of questions, and it’s almost always about whether such an incident really happened or not, and whether there’s proof,” she elaborated. “If a survivor reports a case of harassment on the bus, for instance, the perpetrator gets off easily, as there’s no proof of the incident. If there is video-proof, accountability becomes easier, which is very unfortunate but true in my experience.”

These PSAs will soon be showcased in theatres and other public spaces to ensure they reach a wider set of people.

Small actions often lead to bigger changes. In cases of harassment, even minor interventions by bystanders can significantly impact the prevention of such incidents and ensure women’s safety. Remaining silent while witnessing sexual harassment in a public place is a choice, which must be discouraged, and this effort by the GCC is step towards achieving a safer public space for women.