New Delhi, India — Men Helpline has expressed disappointment over recent remarks made during discussions at Times Evoke under the theme “Technology and Women’s Rights,” where Artificial Intelligence was portrayed as being inherently “designed by men and for men.”

Men Helpline strongly rejects such characterizations, calling them technically flawed and socially divisive.

Prominent economist and Member of the European Parliament, in the said debate, remarked that the digital world promotes toxic masculinity while overlooking crimes committed by women and male issues. Men Helpline believes such framing risks reducing complex technological governance debates to gender-based narratives.

Artificial Intelligence systems are shaped by datasets, institutional policies, and regulatory design — not by biological identity. Reducing complex technological governance questions to gender-origin rhetoric oversimplifies the issue and distracts from measurable fairness standards.

“Selective equality in AI governance risks turning a technical oversight matter into a gender blame narrative,” said Kumar S Ratan, Founder of Men Helpline. “Public policy must remain evidence-based, not ideology-driven.”

Gender is Not an Issue

Men Helpline emphasized that there are ways to identify if any bias exists in AI systems, then the response must focus on structural accountability mechanisms, including:

• Independent audits of training datasets
• Publication of comparative error rates
• Transparency regarding content moderation asymmetries
• Clear disclosure of safety filter design standards

In the debate, while bias was discussed during the debate, no empirical dataset or audit evidence was presented to substantiate claims of systemic gender-origin bias.

We believe that technological governance requires transparency, empirical evaluation, and symmetrical enforcement — not identity-based framing.

Equality Must Include Male Vulnerabilities

While public debates often highlight women’s safety in digital environments, Men Helpline pointed out that such discussions frequently overlook male vulnerabilities, including:

• Male suicide rates
• Male victims of domestic violence
• Boys’ educational decline
• Father–child separation
• Male health concerns such as prostate cancer
• Long working-hour patterns with less compensation recognition

“Equality cannot be partial,” the statement added. “Frameworks that consistently ignore male suffering cannot claim to represent universal justice.”

Overcorrection Is Not Justice

Men Helpline cautioned against bringing new imbalance with AI.

“Protecting one gender by marginalizing another does not build fairness — it institutionalizes asymmetry,” the statement added.

We reject any attempt to redefine equality as a one-directional policy tool.

Men Helpline Propose

Men Helpline advocates for:

• Gender-neutral AI governance frameworks
• Symmetrical safety enforcement mechanisms
• Data-driven and independently verifiable audits
• Transparent regulatory standards
• Universal human protection principles

Men Helpline reiterated its opposition to ideological narratives that divide society into competing victim categories.

Closing Statement

Men Helpline urges policymakers, media platforms, and public leaders to adopt balanced, inclusive approaches when discussing technological governance.

“In a rapidly evolving digital era, all genders are adapting, contributing, and striving for growth in equal environments. Framing AI as a gendered instrument risks deepening division rather than strengthening accountability,” the statement concluded.

AI governance must be accountable to all humans.

Justice cannot be selective.

Men Lives Matter Too – End the Bias
Equality Means Everyone

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act) leaves men and LGBTQ+ individuals vulnerable and unprotected, hence there is a need of gender-neutral laws for harassment at workplace

This bias in the law not only perpetuates stereotypes but also deters men from reporting harassment.

Men Don’t Report Sexual Harassment

Men rarely report instances of sexual harassment, and the reasons are deeply rooted in both legal and societal biases. First, India’s legal framework heavily favors women in harassment cases. A man who reports harassment risks facing a counter-allegation from the accused woman. In such situations, the law often presumes the woman to be the victim, leaving the man vulnerable to arrest without a thorough investigation.

Secondly, societal attitudes make it difficult for men to speak up. Claims of harassment against men are often dismissed as humorous or unimportant. Victims are ridiculed and told to “man up,” further discouraging them from seeking justice. The fear of being mocked or labeled weak forces many male victims to suffer in silence.

The Prevalence of Male Victimization

Contrary to popular belief, sexual harassment against men is not rare. The Indian National Bar Association conducted as survey in year 2016 which revealed that 22% of harassment victims in workplaces were men. Despite this, India’s legal system and workplace policies remain silent on the issue.

Legal Bias That Need Addressing

The POSH Act explicitly identifies only women as victims. The Indian Penal Code, too, fails to address sexual harassment against men. This leaves male victims with little recourse, violating their constitutional right to equality under Article 14.

Gender-neutral laws are the need of the hour. By replacing the word “woman” with “person” in the POSH Act, and adopting inclusive language in the Penal Code, India can ensure justice for all victims of workplace harassment, regardless of gender.

Global Examples

Countries like Australia, Denmark, and the UK have successfully implemented gender-neutral workplace harassment laws. These frameworks prioritize the dignity of individuals over gendered assumptions, offering equal protection to all. India must take a cue from these nations and modernize its laws.

Conclusion

Workplace harassment is not a gendered issue; it is a human rights issue. Men deserve the same protection as women under the law. Until India implements gender-neutral laws, male victims will continue to suffer in silence, perpetuating a cycle of injustice and inequality.

The idea of navigating the gender bias in Indian law is to explore the men’ hidden struggle due to the bias. India’s legal system includes gender-specific laws which has lead to discrimination against men.

Gender equality is vital for any society both men and women are equal. To ensure gender equality in true sense, it’s important to address the biases that exist within India’s legal framework—particularly when these biases affect men.

Legal Biases and Their Impact on Men

Misuse of the Dowry Prohibition Act (Section 498A of the IPC): Section 498A of the IPC and Section 85 and 86 of BNS, is one of the most frequently misused laws in India. Many cases filed under this provision involve false accusations, leading to severe repercussions for the men accused. A large number of these cases are dismissed, but only after causing significant social and mental trauma to the men involved. Careers are often disrupted, family relationships strained, and men find themselves trapped in an unending legal battle with limited recourse for clearing their names.

Gender-Biased Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA): The Domestic Violence Act, or PWDVA, does not recognize men as potential victims of domestic abuse, even though studies indicate that men can also suffer from abuse in relationships. Men who experience harassment or abuse from their partners have no legal protections under this act and are often met with skepticism when they attempt to report such cases. This lack of support drives many men to remain silent, fearing ridicule or disbelief from society, leading to a cycle of suffering that goes unaddressed.

Custody and Divorce Proceedings: In custody disputes, the courts often favor mothers as primary caretakers, assuming this is always in the best interest of the child. As a result, fathers are often marginalized in decisions regarding their children’s lives, even when they have a close bond. In divorce proceedings, men may also face undue financial burdens, as they are often expected to provide alimony and financial support, sometimes even in situations where the split in financial responsibility could be more equitable.

Men’s Mental Health Consequences

Men who face false accusations or legal harassment often experience severe mental health challenges. Social stigma around these issues can lead men to suppress their feelings, as they are pressured to conform to societal expectations that view men as inherently strong or “resilient.” The inability to openly discuss emotional distress contributes to depression, anxiety, and in extreme cases, suicide.

Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveals that married men’s suicide rates are alarmingly high compared to women. While this is a complex issue with multiple contributing factors, legal and social challenges play a significant role. Without proper legal protections or support systems, men facing harassment or false accusations find themselves isolated, with few options for help or advocacy.

Need for Gender-Neutral Legal Reform

To create a fair legal system, India must adopt gender-neutral laws that allow for an unbiased assessment of cases, regardless of the gender of the victim or accused. Gender-neutral reforms would provide balanced protection for everyone, addressing each case based on its individual merits. Countries such as the UK and Canada have already adopted gender-neutral legislation, ensuring all victims and accused individuals receive fair treatment under the law.

Creating a gender-neutral approach in laws like the Domestic Violence Act would allow male victims of domestic abuse to access protections without impacting anyone’s rights. Instead, it would bring a sense of equity to the legal system, ensuring that justice is not skewed in favor of one gender at the expense of the other.

India’s legal system has made significant strides in addressing issues, but biases in the law continue to cause harm to innocent men. By embracing gender-neutral legislation, India can ensure that everyone has equal access to justice and protection.

Countering false accusations of rape and sexual assault is challenging, it requires your complete focus on fighting for your justice and sometimes you need to study the law, related judgments and provisions. False rape cases are disaster for men and family.

Men wrongly accused of heinous crimes such as rape and sexual harassment often suffer from the weight of public perception, physical stress, and long legal battles. This blog explores the available legal recourse for men who have been have been trapped in false cases and seeks to raise awareness about how to strike the right balance between protecting male victims and safeguarding innocent men.

Proving Malice in False Accusations

One of the major challenges in pursuing legal action against a false accuser is proving that the accusation was made with malicious intent. Courts require strong evidence to show that the accuser knowingly and deliberately made false statements with the intent to harm. This can be a difficult hurdle, but with the right legal representation and a well-documented defense, justice can be achieved.

The Consequences of False Accusations

False allegations of rape and sexual harassment are serious offenses, and their consequences can be life-changing. Even after acquittal, men’s reputation, dignity, and mental well-being may never fully recover. Public perception often remains negative, making it difficult for the wrongfully accused to rebuild their lives.

However, there are legal tools available to counter these false accusations, ensuring that those who misuse the law are held accountable for their actions.

Legal Remedies for False Accusations

If you’ve been acquitted in false rape or sexual harassment charges, there are several legal steps you can take to seek justice. Indian law has certain provisions to fight back against false allegations and malicious prosecutions.

Filing a Criminal Complaint

The Indian Penal Code (IPC) has multiple provisions under which you can file a criminal complaint if you’ve been falsely accused:

Section 211 – False Charge of Offense with Intent to Injure: This section is used against individuals who intentionally file false accusations to cause harm.

Section 182 – False Information Given to a Public Servant: If the accuser provided false information to the police or another public official with the intent to cause harm, you can file a case under this section.

Section 420 – Cheating and Dishonest Inducement: This section can be invoked if deception played a role in the accuser’s actions, especially if there was an ulterior motive like extortion or revenge.

Section 500 – Defamation: The wrongfully accused can file a defamation case if their reputation has been harmed by the false allegations. Section 500 seeks to compensate the accused for the damage to their personal and professional standing.

Section 120B – Criminal Conspiracy: If the false accusation involved multiple people conspiring to harm the accused, they can be charged under this section for criminal conspiracy.

Holding Public Servants Accountable

In many false accusation cases, public servants, such as police officers, may act improperly or fail to follow due process. If you believe that public servants mishandled your case, there are specific IPC sections under which you can hold them accountable:

Section 166 – Public Servant Disobeying Law with Intent to Cause Injury: If a public servant, such as a police officer, violated legal procedures or acted unlawfully in handling your case, you can take action under this section.

Section 167 – Public Servant Framing Incorrect Documents with Intent to Injure: If a public servant deliberately framed false documents, they can be prosecuted under Section 167.

Filing a Civil Suit for Compensation

Apart from criminal complaints, the wrongfully accused can file a civil suit seeking compensation for the damages they suffered due to the false accusations. This includes compensation for loss of reputation, emotional distress, legal fees, and career damage. Such a lawsuit can help to recover some of the losses caused by the false charges.

The Information Technology Act, 2000

If defamatory or explicit content was shared online to harass or defame the accused, the Information Technology Act, 2000 provides additional legal recourse. Under Section 67 (punishment for publishing obscene material) and Section 67A (punishment for publishing sexually explicit material), the accused can seek justice for the misuse of online platforms.

From criminal complaints under the IPC to civil suits for damages, the falsely accused have options to hold their accusers accountable and restore their reputation.

Despite historical notions of respect and honor associated with marriage, the modern legal system fails to uphold the principles of equality for men.

In the modern legal landscape, men often find themselves navigating a system that seems to prioritize the rights and well-being of women and children over their own. From divorce proceedings to child custody battles, men frequently encounter biases and challenges that undermine their sense of respect and equality within the family structure.

Traditionally, marriage has been viewed as a sacred bond, symbolizing mutual respect, support, and partnership between spouses. However, with evolving societal norms and legal frameworks, the essence of respect for men within the family unit has come into question.

The rise of feminism, which promotes women’s empowerment in the name of gender equality, has adversely affected men and the institution of marriage. The feminist while talks about gender equality but they just talks about power and money to women without any responsibility on the cost of equality for men. So it’s crucial to ensure that such efforts do not come at the expense of men’s rights and dignity within the family unit or in the society.

Feminism often presents a biased view by highlighting issues such as the suicide rate among women while overlooking the comparable rate among men. This selective presentation aims to evoke sympathy, ignoring the stark reality that suicide rates among male are nearly twice as high. Similarly, discussions on rape cases often ignore the fact that over 70% of allegations against men are false, as revealed in the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. Despite these important concerns, there remains a significant lack of attention to the detrimental impact of false allegations on men’s well-being and their lives.

Moreover, when addressing child custody rights, despite efforts to promote gender-neutral custody laws, Courts tend to award primary custody to mothers, often leaving fathers with limited visitation rights and diminished roles in their children’s lives. This imbalance not only undermines the importance of paternal involvement but also perpetuates outdated stereotypes about gender roles in parenting.

In reevaluating the concept of marriage in the changing societal norms, it’s imperative to address these disparities and strive for a legal framework that promotes equality, respect, and fairness for all parties involved. This includes advocating for reforms that recognize the valuable contributions of men within the family and ensure their rights are upheld and protected.

Addressing men’s issues is crucial for achieving true gender equality. True gender equality means that all genders, including men, women, and non-binary individuals, have equal rights, opportunities, and protections under the law. The legal system should have provisions in place to ensure that men’s rights are recognized, respected, and upheld just as rigorously as those of any other gender.

Ultimately, marriage should be a partnership built on mutual respect, support, and equality, regardless of gender. Our society can move forward only by maintaining true gender equality and a safe environment for men.

Behind every successful man, it’s him alone. Man’s success is due to a complex interplay of factors, including his own hard work, talent, determination and importantly his own will. While the support of others can undoubtedly play a role regardless of gender.

In today’s societal landscape, the narrative has shifted. Behind every successful man, it’s him alone; the women’s empowerment has fostered a mindset of individualism among women, leading some women to prioritize personal gain over familial responsibilities. Such biased women has no vision for family, nor they concerned about the children.

The rise of feminism advocates for rights of women, but it is important to acknowledge that families are comprised of individuals of various genders, ages, and roles, it consists of men, women, children, and senior citizens. Focusing completely on individual rights or women’s rights has diminished the support which is essential for the well-being of the family as a unit.

Many such cases have been observed where highly educated and professional women seek alimony from their husbands, abandoning careers and familial duties in pursuit of free money from husband. However feminism claims the credit for providing women with greater autonomy, but the reality is that societal shifts and increased information exchange have played pivotal roles.

This narrative of individual empowerment has neglected the essential balance between power and responsibility. Feminism’s exclusive focus on rights without responsibilities poses a threat to the family institution, which is ultimately putting the burden on men who are compelled to focus on work for earning along with domestic tasks.

Now women are no longer interested in supporting their husbands, they do not want to take care husband’s old parents and even in many cases they do not even allow their husband to care them, however women could have supported their husbands in many ways, such as by providing emotional support, encouragement.

In today’s world, it is more accurate to say that behind every successful man it is him only and the network of people who have supported along the way. This network may include family, friends, mentors, colleagues, and strangers who have provided encouragement or inspiration. It is important to remember that success is not a solo journey; it is something that is achieved through the help and support of others regardless of gender.

This year on International Men’s Day, we are focused on highlighting “a positive conversation about men, manhood and masculinity“.

This year “a positive conversation about men, manhood and masculinity” will be theme for International men’s day. Due to the constant propaganda against masculinity, no one wants to talk about this, although one should not forget that “good men do exist”.

The propaganda against positive masculinity has led to the neglect of the human rights of men in law. The police registers an FIR only on the statement of the woman and the men have to run to the courts and police stations to prove their innocence.

Such violation of human rights is not just seen in laws but our boys have to face its implications like government brings many schemes to empower girls but there is no such scheme for our boys. It seems that the propaganda against masculinity is meant to demean our sons and men.

So in such a situation, it become more important to continue conversation about “positive masculinity”.

The marital rape application which is pending at Delhi High Court making every effort to term the sexual intercourse between husband and wife as illegal?

The marital rape is the matter of transformation in the society and the rigid roles of husband and wife has to take a move, but certainly not a matter of criminalizing it. We are in 2022th the socio-economic setup & the traditions has changed.

Various rights like the right to life and dignity, the right to privacy, the right to freedom and the right against discrimination exists for both men and women, but the Marital Rape petition has been filed taking a view that these all rights are property of women.

If a men slapped with Rape like heinous cases, he will never get a job due to societal mindset. Considering the misuse of process of law at highest side in family dispute, the law will become a Men Destroying opportunity.

It is erroneous belief in the said petition, justifying rape in marriage based on a misconception, that the institution of marriage itself is originally founded on male supremacy over a woman’s body, which gives a man the right to assault his wife (spouse) as a corrective practice. The truth is that, marriage is a 7-birth bond, which is established based on belief and a small string can break the belief so the marriage institutions and the other aspect is that Patriarchy is just a myth. If the law has to come in the pressure of feminist arguments, then there should be provisions of automatic divorce and end the ways of mediation.

What are the way around:

This need to take care in various phases as:

• Sensitization (Awareness in society)
• Transformation in marriage system
• Reform in consensual sex (Awakening the respect of consent in couples)

Male rights activists are constantly raising their voice against the misuse of the process of law made to protect women from harassment, through which men are being harassed by falsely accusing them.

It is believed in the society that our girls are more vulnerable than women, but the NCRB data are just the opposite. Due to the graph of women is on much higher side, the feminist argument of underreported cases will not sustain with the said data.

Connecting Suicide in Married male with the CII reported

We have seen in thousands of cases, where women files cases under dowry harassment and they also include the occasions which attracts IPC sections related ‘unnatural sex’ on husband while some allegations attracts ‘attempt to commit rape’ or “rape’ on old aged father-in-law and kin.

The women’s putting all such baseless occasions and allegations just to harass the husband to a maximum extent and to put maximum pressure just to put husband and kin on their knees. And then the harassment begins for men for at-least 4-5 years.

Coming back to the NCRB data, it also reveals that most of the Rape cases are false considering the highest rate of acquittal.

Based on our experiences, that most the women’s who files cases are staying with their parents, so they do not believe in family traditions, and such laws are indirectly helping them to break the family in the name of Women Rights and Empowerment. Such women are using children as a tool to harass husband so they have nothing to do with family but at the same time they want free money from husband’s hard earned money without any responsibility.

Government should must analyze further the data that, how many cases of ‘unnatural sex’, ‘rape’ and ‘attempt to commit rape’ sustained in family dispute, while the men and their family harassed for so may years due to these sections.

We urge the government to help analyze the data and strengthen our family tradition that men have lost hope in.

We highly appreciate the Uttar Pradesh Police, which has set a benchmark in the society by booking the Lucknow girl under IPC sections 394, 427. We have also analysed both the videos of her beating, thrashing the boy. We have also analysed her posts on FB, which is highly derogatory and challenging the laws. However, she inappropriately opened the gate of the car, dragged the boy, broken his mobile are something like trespassing someone property and stopping someone.

We also appreciate Swati Maliwal for seeking justice for the boy. In the matter, Netizens reaction was much awaited and appreciated that they come-up on time.

NCRB data indicates mass misuse of the process of law, which were made to protect women, but now these laws have become terror for men and boys. Even there is no protection of men in false cases, because most of the cases, decision comes after trial which takes years-n-years.

According to NCRB, conviction rate in Rape cases are 25.5, that means 75.5 percent men were falsely accused in rape cases, and they were jailed, they lost their reputation. The similar observation can be seen in “attempt to commit rape”, it is total 80.3 percent men were falsely accused.

It has become a fearful situation for our boys and sons that they cannot even act to save themselves from harassment by the woman. The reason is that, in such a situation no one can control his position and if by mistake any private part of the woman is touched then it attracts many sections of IPC including molestation cases.

There is a need to set an example in the society, and a message should be passed that wrong doers cannot roam freely, irrespective of gender.