Men Too Movement Origin and Way Forward

Children’s Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP), Bangalore based NGO had started the #MenToo initiative in October 2018 in response to #MeToo movement. Protestors in Bengaluru said that their movement is against false cases registered under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, and added that their fight is also against the ordeal of children who are raised by single parents following a disturbing separation.

Actor Karan Oberoi was arrested on 5 May 2019, after a 34-year-old woman claimed that he had raped her on multiple occasions and had also extorted money and gifts from her. However, they were in the consensual relationship as per the affidavit filed by Karan Oberoi in court. Immediately after his arrest, his friend and Bollywood actress Pooja Bedi came in his support to bring gender neutral laws and investigation to launch #MenToo movement. Bedi asserted that the women are misusing their rights unlawfully, putting the reputation of the innocent men in jeopardy.

Twitter users tweeted with #MenToo to show support with accused Karan Oberoi and protested against the unfair laws that target men. Twitter users were posting under the hashtag, claiming that these type of accusations are causing suicide among the common man. The movement was spread all across India.

This movement is very essential in a country like India where there are several gender biased rules and a large number of fake cases are filed against men. Generally most of the false cases filed against men are under Sec498A(Domestic Violence), Sec 375(Rape), Sec354(Outraging Modesity) of IPC.

One of the most abused law in India is the Section 498A of IPC which states the punishment for domestic violence. According to this section if a woman is treated with mental or physical violence by the husband or his relative, then she can throw them behind the bars for 3 years. The woman does not need to give any evidence whatsoever.

In 2016, 6745 cases under IPC 498a were considered false as per the final report. 2958 cases were considered as a mistake of facts. 8308 were considered as true but insufficient Evidence.

 In2014 a large number of cases filed under sec125 were false.The Delhi Commission of Women put out a report stating that 53.2% of rape cases filed between April 2013-July 2014werefalse. Most of the times these cases become extortion tools and although the acquittal rate in rape cases is 74%.

There are many laws made to protect women but none of the gender-based laws are for the men. Cases of false allegations that men decide to fight go on for years and years.

Laws related to crimes like rape, sexual assault, and dowry in India are largely gender-biased, where men are usually considered to be the perpetrators and stretched litigation destroys a man’s reputation. Men Too movement is very important in order to protect the men from  the injustice faced by them, as women are misusing the law to charge innocent men of blackmailing and extortion.