Women misusing laws against men in India for extortion, manipulation and revenge/vendetta has become an epidemic that not only threatens the moral fabric of our society but puts lacs of innocent men behind bars.

Lacs of innocent men are languishing behind bars in overcrowded jails, and there are no laws to protect them or legal body to hear their anguish and support them.

Our constitution states that we are all equal irrespective of caste, colour or gender. However, we have laws that only protect women and no parallel laws to protect men. In fact, pro-women laws are being misused to victimise men and men have no real recourse under law.

we need to put deterrents in place to prevent misuse of laws, victimisation of men, and also to ensure gender neutral laws are put in place.

#MENTOO with Pooja Bedi intends to push lawmakers to draft legislation in parliament to create checks and balances in society that give men and their families equal protection under law and punishment to those who misuse laws.

please note; #MENTOO Is not ANTI #METOO. Women who misuse laws and file false cases are a DETERRENT to women empowerment movements.

what needs to change?????

1. NAME OF ACCUSED TO BE KEPT AS CONFIDENTIAL AS VICTIMS NAME UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.

(EXCEPTIONS TO BE MADE IN CASE OF RAPE OF MINOR/ GANG RAPE/ OR IF CONDUCTED IN AN INSTITUTION OR FACILITY FOR WOMEN OR CHILDREN)

A woman who files a rape complaint gets her identity protected but the men carry the hashtag of #RAPIST from moment case is registered. Not just them, the women in their families be it mother, sister, wife, daughter all bear the brunt of his rapist hashtag. Shockingly if case is proven false, no real punishment is meted out the woman who has destroyed the life, career, reputation of the man and put him and his family through mental, emotional and physical torture. Punishment for the woman can be a mere 500 rupees.Statistics are shocking.

Data by the Delhi Commission for Women states 53.2% of rape cases filed in Delhi between April 2013 and July 2014 turned out to be false.

2. RAPE/ DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES FILED POST 3 MONTHS OF DATE OF ALLEGED RAPE/ABUSE TO BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY AND ARREST ONLY AFTER INVESTIGATION OF THE SAME.

most fake cases are filed after deliberation, plotting and connivance with friends, family and lawyers.

statistics claim almost 75 % of DV cases are false and According to NCRB data, 10% dowry cases filed each year are PROVEN FALSE. there are over 11 LAC men languishing in jails implicated in false cases.

In 2013, out of the investigated 1,12,058 cases, 10,864 were false. And in 2012, 10,235 out of 1,03,848 were proven false. After this data was released, the Supreme Court had observed that the law meant to combat the menace of harassment of women by their husband or in-laws was often being used as a “weapon rather than shield by disgruntled wives”. The IPC 498A being a cognisable and non-bailable offence only worsens the plight of those falsely accused. Sections 354, 509 and 376 are there to protect women, and not to terrorise innocent men.

3. SEVERE PENALTY TO PUT IN PLACE FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO HAVE FILED A FAKE CASE AS DETERRENT TO OTHERS.

Please note: there is a distinction between an acqquital on grounds of insufficient evidence and when it is a PROVEN false case.

4. CREATION OF NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR MEN.

if women have a body that addresses their issues we need one in place for men as well. DATA states that for For every 16 women who commit suicide 25 men commit suicide.

5. INTRODUCE PURUSHDHAN which will give a man the same economic rights and footing as STREEDHAN.

many cases are coming to light of Women marrying men and within a few months demanding divorce and large sums of money. They threaten a man and his family under sections of 376, 354, 509 and 498A if they don't comply. The assets a man is given by his famliy or what he has earned prior to marriage should be considered his. Only what is earned during their marriage should be part of a divorce proceeding based on number of years spent together and whether kids are involved.

6. RIGHT to PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENTS

Currently pre nups are not legal as it absurdly gets challenged under bonded labour laws. Men are increasingly shying away from marriage as it means extortion. Clarity on money will bring rights and respect to both.

7. TO CLEARLY DEFINE RAPE

there have been judgements stating that if a man leaves a live in relationship it can fall under rape. promise to marry and not marrying is equivalent to rape. Rape is a heinous crime and laws for it are stringent. We need to clearly define rape.

8. PALIMONY TO BE TAKEN AS SERIOUSLY AS ALIMONY.

if a man is not earning and a woman is, he should be entitled to palimony with the same respect and laws that grant a woman alimony.

9. GENDER NEUTRAL LAWS TO BE IMPLEMENTED

when men face domestic violence there is no law to support them even if they submit videographic evidence. same with rape. Men on men rape and women on men rape needs to recognised especically when rape is defined as intercourse under threat/coercion. Also for sexual harassment laws in the workplace to be gender neutral.

Men in India have been imprisoned not only by gender stereotyping but also a lack of laws and no official body to hear their cries. Men are human. and if we want an equal society, equal relationships, equal justice, we need equal laws.

Please support our petition and lets push for EQUALITY and JUSTICE

thank you SO SO SO MUCH

Pooja Bedi for #Mentoo