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Indian airline tests feature that lets women book seats away from men (www.cbsnews.com)

submitted 3 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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India's largest budget carrier, IndiGo, is the first airline to trial a feature that lets female passengers book seats next to other women to avoid sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with a man in a move designed to make flying more comfortable for female passengers, according to a CNBC report.

The airline's booking process is fairly standard except for the seat map which highlights seats occupied by women with the color pink. This information is not visible to male passengers, according to the airline, CNBC reported. IndiGo did not immediately respond to CBS MoneyWatch's request for comment on the new feature.

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[-] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 92 points 3 months ago

Do Indian men have a reputation for being inappropriately forward with women? There was a meme that read “every app is a dating app if you’re Indian enough”

[-] catloaf@lemm.ee 92 points 3 months ago

"Inappropriately forward" is a very polite way to put it. I feel like at least once a month there's a new story out of India about a gang rape or something.

[-] FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone 18 points 3 months ago

To be fair India has the biggest population on earth, like 5+ times US population. Per capita statistics would be more interesting here.

[-] ticho@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago

With a topic as sensitive and biased against the victims as this, it's hard to get accurate data - see https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/rape-statistics-by-country

[-] GregorGizeh@lemmy.zip 60 points 3 months ago

Have you like, ignored every second piece of information coming out of india the last decades?

They have a terrible issue with misogyny, there are countless stories of rape and other forms of assault on any kind of women (and girls). Indians, foreigners, none are safe, even with men accompanying them for protection. One or two guys can't do much against a rape mob.

India is probably the first country I would warn a woman away from if she were looking for vacation destinations. Followed by islamic countries.

[-] Socsa@sh.itjust.works 14 points 3 months ago

My wife got invited to a wedding in India and I was not invited (long story). She asked the bride if it was safe to travel to the wedding alone and she straight up said "No. You should find a travel buddy."

[-] garbagebagel@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

Yeah my sister went to India a few years back by herself and while thankfully nothing terrible happened to her, she said she would never go back. Just walking around she said the streets are majority men and they are not shy about staring at any woman (especially someone who was clearly a foreigner). Of course, parts of the trip were cool but definitely not the place to be travelling alone as a woman.

[+] LotrOrc@lemmy.world -6 points 3 months ago

Mm idk about that. Yes there is a lot of violence against women in India. Generally, the Indians flying are not gonna be the ones doing that. Secondly, there is a lot of violence against women all over the world, it's not just an India thing. Hell half the US political system is trying to give women the death penalty for the consequences of being raped. Or just for deciding they don't want kids.

[-] GregorGizeh@lemmy.zip 17 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Not denying violence against women is an issue elsewhere too, but you would be hard pressed to find such a staggering density of sexual violence, in rather public areas, committed by groups of men for little to no provocation other than a woman being in the wrong place.

Now I am not saying all Indian men are rapists of course, but there certainly is evidence of a system wide, cultural aspect creating and enabling this behavior in a way rarely seen elsewhere.

[-] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 months ago

So help you if you’re a lady who wants to be out after 6PM in UP or South Delhi… RIP Jyoti

[-] LotrOrc@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Yeah I mean I can agree with the second paragraph for sure

I dont know the statistics off the top of my head, I'm just wondering how it measures up considering the number of people

But you're right. Especially considering what's just happened this week

[-] ramenshaman@lemmy.world 33 points 3 months ago

As far as I know, yes. The Internet has taught me to not bring a woman with me if I ever go to the Holi festival in India. I've never been to India, I hope the internet is wrong but I had an Indian coworker who told me the same thing.

[-] baatliwala@lemmy.world 31 points 3 months ago

As an Indian I'll say yes, but the people who can afford flights aren't normally the type of people who do that.

[-] JovialMicrobial@lemm.ee 28 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

You could look up the gulabi gang. It's a group of women who fight to protect other women from violence.

Edit - I think it's best if we listen to Indian women speak on the problem. The first time I heard about the gulabi gang and why they exist I was horrified.

[-] kippinitreal@lemmy.world 16 points 3 months ago

Others commented about misogyny etc. in India miss the fact that India is (a) not a monolith & (b) flights are too expensive for 80% of India's population (yes, wealth disparity in India is that bad). So the men on flights are less likely to grope women than let's say a man on a train.

I asked my Indian colleagues about this, and they said they'd use this preference for space (not purely safety). One of them also said men smell worse than women so she'd prefer a woman next to her.

[-] intensely_human@lemm.ee 13 points 3 months ago

India is one of those cultures that still beats female rape victims to death

[-] lustyargonian@lemm.ee 3 points 3 months ago

More like offer garlands and promotions.

[-] norimee@lemmy.world 13 points 3 months ago

Yes.

[-] Schmuppes@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago

Do Indian men have a reputation for being inappropriately forward with women?

That's a very friendly description of their reputation.

this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2024

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