New Delhi- The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) has hailed the courage of women journalists from Newslaundry, who have filed a defamation suit against social commentator Abhijit Iyer-Mitra in the Delhi High Court. The lawsuit addresses Iyer-Mitra’s derogatory tweets, which labeled the journalists as “prostitutes” and Newslaundry as a “brothel,” prompting the court to demand their removal before proceeding with his defense.

The campaign for gender equality is exhausting and feels unending, which makes it crucial to celebrate every single win to keep despair and burnout at bay. In a powerful statement, NWMI celebrated the Newslaundry journalists’ legal action, stating, “We stand in solidarity with women who work at Newslaundry who have been at the receiving end of verbal abuse so vile from this man, that the court refused to proceed with hearing his defence until he took down his tweets against them. We particularly commend the plaintiffs in this case for objecting not only to the effort to tarnish their reputation as women and as journalists, but also to the dehumanisation of sex workers in the defendant's choice of words. In this and so many other ways, we believe that this legal action by the women employees of Newslaundry is representative of the fight for dignity of women everywhere.

Violence against women - verbal, physical, psychological - is a constant in societies worldwide. The digital era has increased the number of spaces in which this violence occurs. As women journalists, we now find ourselves under unrelenting assault in the public sphere. Abuse and personal attacks have become so routine that they have been normalised, and we are told - as survivors of sexual harassment are always told - to "take it in your stride", "grow up", "have a sense of humour", and worse. The volume of sexual abuse against women on social media is so high, that it is impossible to highlight each instance or take legal action each time, which is why we are grateful to every woman who does. As this particular case continues to be heard in court, we place our faith in the judicial system and hope that justice will be served."

The Case

On May 21, the Delhi High Court, presided over by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, sharply criticized Iyer-Mitra for his offensive posts. The court deemed the language “impermissible in any civilized society” and ordered their removal within five hours after a heated exchange with Iyer-Mitra’s counsel, Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai. Dehadrai, who initially defended the tweets as comments on Newslaundry’s alleged questionable funding, later apologized and conceded the inappropriate choice of words. The case, which highlights the intersection of free speech and online abuse, was scheduled for further hearing on May 26.