Indians are miffed with their Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi. And why not?
In a rather bizarre statement made on a television show, Gandhi defended the imposition of early curfews on girls' hostels (known as dormitories elsewhere) across the country, saying young women needed protection from their own "hormonal outbursts."
When questioned by a female college student on the rationale behind 6 p.m. curfews in ladies' hostels, the minister said: "When you are 16 or 17 you are also hormonally very challenged. So to protect you from your own hormonal outbursts perhaps a lakshman rekha (boundary line) is drawn. It really is for your own safety."
Ironically, she was invited to speak on gender equality and women empowerment around International Women's Day.
Unsurprisingly, Twitterati slammed her for the "regressive" comments.
Some of them even reminded her of her own past. Gandhi is married in India's oldest political family, the Nehru-Gandhis, and had met her husband, the late Sanjay Gandhi, as a teenager.
"Hostel curfew to save girls from hormonal outbursts: Maneka Gandhi"
Says a modern girl who had love affair at 17 & married at 18yrs 27days!— Arun Shourie fαи (@FeignShourie) March 6, 2017
So Maneka Gandhi advocates Hostel curfew for 'Girls' to ✋ Hormonal Outburst
I really laud her vision to see that all the rapes are by women— Aastha Varma (@AasthaVarma) March 6, 2017
You know what would be safest? Lock hormonal men in, instead of denying women the right to lead a full life. https://t.co/ysCYc08bhB
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) March 6, 2017
I wish to know what is 'hormonal outburst' for girls a term coined by Srimati Maneka Gandhi some sort of 'sexual rampage' Is it?
— Smita Mishra (@Smita_Mishra1) March 7, 2017
@Manekagandhibjp Shldn't ur statement abt locking women at night be applicable to men too?dey also hv hormonal outburst @ night @TimesNow
— Siddhartha Srivastav (@cruzeronmove) March 7, 2017
@scroll_in Pray tell what hormonal outburst can girls have only in the night that they can't have in day time. MG stick to animals pls.
— bd (@caffeineworkz) March 7, 2017
Practice what you preach. Indeed!
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