Abstract :
1. Introduction
2. When Laws Say Men’s Rights are NOT Human Rights
3. Domestic violence laws
4. Child custody laws and visitation laws work against men
5. Gender biased rape laws in India
6. What needs to be done to change the situation
7. Men’s Rights are also Human Rights
8. Men in Our Lives
9. Conclusion
Article:
Introduction:
While there are several bodies at district, state, national and central level to protect the interests of women and girls and address their grievances, India doesn’t have a single body or commission looking after issues of men and boys. Hence since there is no such Commission there are no Composition , Powers , Functions described or given by the National or State level to Men as such. In this article we’ll study different roles of Men in our lives, Men’s rights are human rights too.
When Laws Say Men’s Rights are NOT Human Rights :
Men as well as women fall under the category of human beings, both men and women belong to the same species. Therefore, according to this logic, human rights should include the rights of men as well as women. But surprisingly enough, some laws in India as well as in other countries do not say so. A casual look at some such laws in India is enough to show that the law indeed does not consider men as humans.
Domestic violence laws :
The present domestic violence laws in India do not recognize that men can be victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence is usually viewed by the society as something done by the husbands against wives. But the harsh reality remains that even wives commit acts of domestic violence against their husbands. In the month of June, 2020, the video of a wife in Kolkata beating her husband had gone viral in the social media. Besides, the Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF), an NGO working for Men’s rights, have said that during the month of April 2020, as many as 1,774 men reached out to them alleging domestic violence by their spouse.Many such cases go unreported due to several reasons. Men often feel stigmatized while talking about being victims of domestic violence. They would often get considered ‘unmanly’ if they confess that they are indeed victims of domestic violence. Such feelings often discourage them from coming out to seek help. Besides, there is also the fear of the woman using the gender biased domestic violence laws against the man even if she herself is the perpetrator of the violent act.
Child custody laws and visitation laws work against men :
Acts like Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 and Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956 deal with child custody and visitation laws. Here too we can see that the laws are heavily biased. If the divorced wife wishes, she can stop the divorced husband from seeing his children for long periods of time. On top of this, he would legally be obliged to pay maintenance to the children even when he doesn’t get a chance to see them.In India, the custody of the child is given to the father only if the mother in unstable or has opted to leave the home without the children. Such one sided laws need to be changed and replaced with ones which give preference to joint custody or shared parenting.
Gender biased rape laws in India :
In India, section 375 of the Indian Penal Code deals with rape. It defines rape as “sexual intercourse with a woman against her will.” Nowhere in the Indian law does it say that men can be victims of rape. It says that men can only sodomise, not raped. It is to be noted that when the Central Government in 2012 tried to make rape laws gender neutral, the attempt was vehemently opposed by certain groups.The existence of such laws obviously means that any male victim of rape would have little to no legal ways to get justice. Several incidents across the world have shown that men can get raped and that women can rape men.Another issue which such laws create is the case of false rape accusations. In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of false rape accusations made against men. Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) had come up with a report in 2014 stating that more than half the rape cases filed between April 2013 and July 2014 the capital city were false ones. People who wish to settle personal scores or extort money from innocent males often use the tactic of filing false rape cases. The busting of several honey trap rings in India indeed proves this point.Often, media do not highlight such reports probably due to the fear of backlash from certain groups who have vested interests.When some people misuse the gender biased laws to a great extend, it shows that it is an important issue which needs to be tackled.
What needs to be done to change the situation :
If certain laws in India are made gender neutral it would naturally mean that men would also get a chance at receiving justice.Besides, once these laws are made gender neutral, it would also mean that they won’t get misused by anyone for their own selfish benefits. This would in turn save money and time for the judiciary. It is also to be noted that enacting stricter punishments against people who file false cases of domestic violence or rape would also deter them from making such cases in the future.At the same time, the harsh criticisms which the Indian government had to face while trying to make gender neutral rape laws itself shows that it is not an easy task to bring about such changes.
Men’s Rights are also Human Rights :
Even when governments, multinational corporations and society at large consider men as expendables, it remains a fact that men have as much rights as anybody else to be considered as humans. When several reports across the world show us that majority of suicide victims, majority of homeless people, majority of homicide victims etc. are all men, it is a pity that very few laws exist which safeguard the well-being and interests of men. In such an atmosphere, it is only a right thing to say that men’s rights are also human rights.
Men in Our Lives :
By (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329738087_Men_in_Our_Lives)
Everyone has read about girls, moms and wives Every day and everywhere we read about ‘women’. I am a woman too but I realize that in today’s world sometimes the thought process is skewed towards women and in the bargain ‘Men’ are left out, without giving them a proper recognition. The male brain is highly specialized, using specific parts of one hemisphere or the other to accomplish tasks. Men are able to separate information, stimulus, emotions, relationships, etc. into separate compartments in their brains. They see individual issues with parts of their brain,while women look at the holistic or muliple issues with their whole brain (both hemispheres). All of a woman’s senses are, in some respects, more finely tuned than those of a man. Men aren’t always on the same page as women.Men are from Mars and women are from Venus – one is so different from the other.The men in our lives are ‘unsung heroes’. A good father is one of the most unsung, un-praised and unnoticed and yet one of the most valuable asset in our society.A boy/man is one of the most beautiful creation of God. He starts compromising at a very tender age. A boy of 3 years stops riding his tricycle for his younger sister. A boy-friend allows the girl-friend to take his ‘Silky Dairy Milk Chocolate.’ A young man of 26 gets married prepared to shoulder the responsibility of a young lady and also of the ‘would be children’. A man with a kid plans for the kid’s education and arranges for kid’s school fee. A man in his thirties takes a loan and keeps paying EMIs for a ‘House’ for his family. It is usually a man who has to arrange for roti (bread), kapada (clothes) and makan (house). He is the HOME BANK. All depend on him. He does all this without complaining. He is happy in the happiness of his family. He does not share his worries with his wife as she is a part of him. He has to bear that burden alone. He does not find or very rarely finds a friend with whom he dares to share his worries and fears. It’s time to learn something about men. We very well know that a man and a woman are two wheels of a cart. If they both don’t work together to pull the cart, it would be a disaster. It is with gratitude and a challenge to understand ‘MEN’ in our lives, that I write this paper. I shall explore what a 21st century man feels, is burdened with, aspires for and contends with. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329738087_Men_in_Our_Lives hypothesis is that in India
I. 50% of adult males are married; have female friends; are healthy; burdened with the responsibilities; yet enjoy games, hobbies and touring etc.
II. 20% of men are addicted to one or the other substances and
III. To explore kind of sexual orientation men have.
On the basis of facts the present study proved the hypothesis that:
• 50% of adult males are married; have female friends; are healthy; 84.9% are burdened with responsibilities; yet 50.94% enjoy games & hobbies and 88.68% have toured in India
• Nearly 19 % of men are addicted to one or the other substances and
• There are > 10% homosexuals Men do have lots of responsibilities yet try to keep them-selves healthy by taking interest in games and hobbies.
Conclusion:
As there are different provisions powers, functions given to women in India , Men also deserve equal rights ,provisions, equalities and laws as they too are human beings.
References https://www.saveindianfamily.org/when-laws-say-mens-rights-are-not-human-rights/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329738087_Men_in_Our_Lives
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