Film: Not Just A Hymen

In a day and age where the conversation about sexuality and character gathers much debate, I’m sharing a film that we made as a project at Xavier’s, which explores the taboo around women’s virginity before marriage and the myth of the hymen. The Kanjarbhats, comprising a small community in Pune, have an age-old tradition of judging the virginity and thereby character of a woman after the first night of her marriage. The village panchayat is summoned to pass a verdict that ‘maal khara hai’ or ‘maal khota hai’. This, of course, is followed by further harassment and dehumanization through invasive two-finger tests, outrageous purity rituals and an attempt to affirm the stronghold over women who are seen as possessions.

This ritual is fundamentally wrong on multiple levels- one, the presence of blood is in no way a proof of the presence of a hymen, as it is present in different shapes and forms, can be elastic and is sometimes absent from birth. It’s insensitive and insulting to carry out virginity tests without the permission of the woman. Second, the gross belittling of a woman’s self-respect and dignity by passing a moral judgement on her personal choices, over which she has been given liberty constitutionally, is preposterous. Third, the obsession of our society with moral policing and controlling our women hinders any balanced relationship, inside or outside the family. It is unjust to openly discuss the character of a woman when a man walks without any justification or consequences of his actions. Why does the pride of an entire community, an entire society lie in a woman’s vagina? Why are we so consumed with the sexual choices of consenting adults, let alone women? Why does the presence of a hymen decide the life and fate of innocent young women? And when will this tormenting stop, when will we see them more than just ‘pride’ and as thinking, rationalizing humans?

Do watch this short film on the link below and share your thoughts with me!

https://youtu.be/hD1Ub7zIJiQ