#YesAllWomen vs #NotAllMen: Twitter the New Battleground Against Misogyny

The battle against patriarchy and misogyny is being fought not just on the streets of our cities but most vociferously on social media.

Following the massive outrage over the Bengaluru molestation incident, many men took to Twitter on Tuesday to defend their gender — using the hashtag #NotAllMen. It was ostensibly a bid to remind women folk that not all men are molesters, rapists or even patriarchal. It massively backfired and how.

Women and men have hit back with #YesAllWomen, in turn reminding these men that their facile attempt at making the conversation about themselves instead of the women who were assaulted on New Year’s Eve is a disservice to the issue of women's safety. The fact is, almost every woman has at some point or the other in her life has been a victim of unwanted overtures, has been groped and molested and that tragically is the daily reality for women in any public space (and often, even at home) — a reality that #NotAllMen can fathom.