“It’s her fault.” – a phrase that has been used to justify countless acts of sexual harassment and assault, placing blame on the victim rather than the perpetrator. The key allegation against the victims is that they were not dressed appropriately, which might have led to the harassment.

This victim-blaming attitude often hinges on the notion that women’s clothing choices invite unwanted attention. However, a groundbreaking study by researchers at the Cognitive Science Lab at IIIT-H challenges this pervasive belief, revealing that attire plays no significant role in the objectification of women.

The study, titled ‘Objectifying Gaze: An Empirical Study With Non-Sexualised Images,’ employed eye-tracking technology to monitor the visual gaze patterns of participants as they viewed images of men and women dressed in neutral attire – jeans and a shirt.

The research aimed to investigate whether women are subjected to objectifying gazes even when their clothing is not considered provocative.

The study, done by Ayushi Agrawal, Srija Bhupathiraju, was presented at the Cognitive Science Society (CSS) conference 2024 held in Rotterdam recently. 

The findings were both startling and revealing. Regardless of the participant’s gender, the study demonstrated that women were consistently subjected to objectifying gazes, with attention directed towards both facial features and sexual body parts.

This suggests that the objectification of women transcends clothing choices and is deeply ingrained in societal attitudes and perceptions.

Kavita Vemuri, a Professor at the Lab who guided the researchers, said that women, regardless of their clothing choices, often endure intrusive gazes in both public and private spaces. The IIIT-H team opted for images of men and women in jeans and shirts.

Ayushi explains, “We considered using salwar-kurtas and/or saris, but ultimately chose the pant-shirt combination as it is the most common casual attire today.”

Interestingly, the study also highlighted a key difference in gaze patterns between Western and Indian contexts. While Western studies have often observed a greater focus on sexual body parts, the IIIT-H study found that the gaze was distributed between sexual body parts and the face in the Indian context.

This distinction may reflect the cultural emphasis on facial features in Indian society, where attractiveness and social information are often gleaned from the face.

The implications of this research are far-reaching. By providing empirical evidence that objectification occurs regardless of attire, the study challenges the harmful stereotype that women’s clothing choices are to blame for unwanted sexual attention. It underscores the need to address the root causes of objectification, including toxic masculinity, social biases, and media portrayals of women.

Moreover, the study has the potential to spark important conversations about the pervasive nature of objectification and its impact on women’s lives. By shedding light on these gaze patterns’ automatic and unconscious nature, the research encourages individuals to critically examine their biases and behaviors.

As the researchers point out, this study is just the tip of the iceberg. Further research is needed to explore the complex interplay of factors that contribute to objectification and to develop effective strategies for promoting gender equality and respect.

However, this ground breaking work represents a significant step forward in understanding and addressing the issue of objectification, ultimately contributing to a more just and equitable society for all.

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