Eve teasing is a euphemism used in India and sometimes Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal for public sexual harassment or molestation of women by men, with use of the word "Eve" being a reference to the biblical Eve, the first woman. It implies that the woman is in some way responsible for the behaviour of the perpetrators of this act. Considered a problem related to delinquency in youth, it is a form of sexual aggression that ranges in severity from sexually suggestive remarks, brushing in public places and catcalls to outright groping. Sometimes it is referred to with a coy suggestion of innocent fun, making it appear innocuous with no resulting liability on the part of the perpetrator. Some voluntary organisations have suggested that the expression be replaced by a more appropriate term. According to them, considering the semantic roots of the term in Indian English, Eve teasing refers to the temptress nature of Eve, placing responsibility on the woman as a tease.
Sexual harassment by strangers, as with any type of harassment has been a notoriously difficult crime to prove, as perpetrators often devise ingenious ways to harass women, even though eve teasing usually occur in public places, streets, and public transport. Some feminist writers claim that this behaviour is a kind of "little rape". Some guidebooks to the region warn female tourists to avoid attracting the attention of these kinds of men by wearing conservative clothing. However, this harassment is reported both by Indian women and by conservatively-dressed foreign women.
History
The problem first received public and media attention in 1960s. In the following decades, more and more women started pursuing college and working independently, meaning that they were often no longer accompanied by a male escort as had been a norm in traditional society. In response, the problem grew to alarming proportions,