The state commission for women is a statutory body set up to provide a voice for women’s issues and concerns. They have done a commendable job with their limited powers, but however, yesterday a member of the Rajasthan’s state commission for women was embroiled in a controversy after an insensitive act of clicking a selfie with a rape victim when she went to visit her along with the chairperson Suman Sharma.

Lame excuse from the commissioner
The selfie was clicked by Somya Gurjar who along with the commissioner visited the rape victim. The victim had undergone unimaginable horror as she was raped by her husband and his two brothers who also tattooed the woman with expletives on her forehead and hand for not paying the dowry of Rs 51,000 . The commissioner though has denied her awareness about the selfie, it was found that she was looking at the frame when the picture was taken. Somya Gurjar has been asked by the commissioner to give a written explanation for the act.

The behaviour of both the women shows the insensitivity of the statutory bodies and its appointees towards the plight of women on the ground, especially the rural areas. Any person, man or woman who are empathetic towards the horrifying things which women are subjected to, would not have even thought of such an insensitive thing to do.

The Logical Indian condemns the commissioner and the member of the Rajasthan state commission for women for the insensitive act. We request the state and the central government to re-look at the appointment process of the commissions. We request the governments to bring responsible women or activists who have worked with victims on the ground and more importantly women who are empathetic to the cause of marginalized and victimized women with a special focus towards rural areas.