Half the WorldTrafficking in images: A new form of violence against women [Archives:2005/849/Culture]

By Nisha
Introduction:

'Half the World' is a metaphor to remind that women are not just a critical constituency of the world, we are half the human world. We, women, speak the language of the world, but remain unfamiliar with the dialogue for which the language is used. We are at ease with the way we have been embodied but often we have to bear the 'consequences' for being constituted differently from men. The slow steps toward equality between women and men have often treated women with a left-wing affirmative action without addressing the fundamental issues that cause and sustain inequality. Or these steps have taken the shape of a bit of welfare coupled with a right wing reprimand, pressurizing to keep the demands within what decision-makers are ready to dole out. But we, women, have gone past the first tentative steps towards demanding our rights. It is the time, therefore, to give space to our way of looking at life that enhances, broadens and deepens our (women and men's) understanding of women's lives.

Articles in this series will provide that space to raise the issues that

affect 'Half the World' with greater confidence, expectations and raise

questions for each reader of the Yemen Times to dwell upon and act upon.

As evident from crime reports that frequently appear in the newspapers and magazines, pornographic pictures of women and children are often forcibly taken. But there are also cases where the images are taken in a different environment but put on the internet without permission and with an intent to harm the person in the pictures or to arouse the viewers. The first case is obviously a form of blatant sexual violence. The second type is both an example of sexual violence as well as an example of diversification of the tools of sexual violence. It shows the shift – how images taken in a different mood and environment and therefore not violence could be turned into sexual violence using new information communication technologies. The intention, whether to have fun or to make money are immaterial because in both cases the act results in harm to the person in the pictures.

Another issue that is often raised is whether or not trafficking in images is violence against women. It definitely is. The difference is that trafficking in images can have larger clientele – those who could afford commercial sex as well as those who cannot for whatever reasons. Trafficking in images is a proliferation of the perverse sex business, it makes it possible to reach voyeuristic men at low cost with less dangers to their 'social reputation'.

There is a close link between the issue of trafficking in images and women's rights. In most of the advertising agreements that models sign, usually agencies have clause that pictures could be used in any way the advertising agency wants. Just because this clause is present in the contract that a model signs and agrees to, does not mean that it is not violatative of rights or that pictures taken cannot be used in an inappropriate way or for pornographic purposes. For example, about two-three years back, one of the established Hindi cinema actors had to go to the media and eventually the court against her film director to stop him from using a particular scene to promote the film. The story of the film involved an adolescent boy's infatuation with a woman in late 20s or so. This particular scene involved visual intimacy between the two actors playing these roles. When the actor who played the woman protagonist objected to crash commercial use of this footage, the director (also established and 'respected') retaliated that if she were so prude she shouldn't have done the film and that he is not violating the contract. The media further scandalized the case and focused on the actor's not so conventional lifestyle and her looks in that film and the particular scene. This actor eventually managed to get a court injunction that stopped the director from using that particular scene to sell the film. The entire process suggests that in reality the woman has little control of the images taken of her. It also suggests that in the process to gain control the woman may have to bear further attacks on her rights.

Both trafficking in women and children (particularly girls) and trafficking in images are related. Not just because that often it is trafficked women and children who are used for filming pornographic material but also because both carry the intention of perverse sexual pleasure at the cost of the rights of women and children. But the treatment these two issues have received so far from the society and rights based organizations are very different. There is much recognition of the issue of trafficking in women and children and progress has been made in raising awareness against this form of exploitation. There are also some concrete examples of action against trafficking in women and children for sexual exploitation. But the trafficking in images for sexual exploitation has not managed to gain the kind of attention it needs. It remains lost in the contest between individual rights, sexual rights and freedom of media.
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