DCW advices women to report instances of harassment on the pretext of COVID help

By: WE Staff | Thursday, 20 May 2021

During the coronavirus outbreak, the Delhi Commission for Women advised women to report cases of sexual harassment under the pretext of providing medication or oxygen cylinders.

"The whole nation and Delhi have fought a tough battle with coronavirus. However, some unscrupulous people are taking advantage of this situation and sending obscene messages to women who ask for help in getting medicines or oxygen cylinders on Twitter," the panel said.

Women who have been harassed should write their concerns to livingpositive@gmail.com, the panel said. "If you or anyone known to you has faced this situation, you can email us on livingpositive@gmail.com. Such men will not be spared," it added.

The virus is spreading quickly throughout the population, and the health-care system has so far proven to be largely ineffective. Due to a paucity of hospital beds, medical oxygen, and an unstable mechanism for finding plasma donors, people have been driven to chase down any lead floating on Twitter.

Volunteers try to verify numbers that are shared online for oxygen cylinders or medicines, but the volunteering looks like an invitation to men to just slide into the DMs and it becomes difficult for the volunteers to distinguish those who genuinely need help from the clutter of such unwanted messages.