In May 2020, the “Bois Locker Room” incident went viral and was met with outrage in India and across the world. During this incident, it was discovered that a group of 16 to 19 year old boys from elite schools in Delhi, India had created a private Instagram group titled “Bois Locker Room,” where they were routinely sharing, commenting on, and objectifying photos of girls.
Group members allegedly shared nude photos without consent and joked about raping the subjects of these photos. After spending hours sexualizing girls, they exchanged posts detailing how and when they would sexually assault them.
The “Bois Locker Room” incident has triggered a Delhi Police investigation and numerous online discussions about the spread of unfettered misogyny in online communities frequented by young men.
We have just published a primer to examine the incident from a feminist lens, explaining why it was not a one-off occurrence — but rather a manifestation of systemic patriarchy that leads to toxic masculinity and rape culture in our society. Our primer further examines consent and masculinity in digital spaces and situates “Bois Locker Room” as a form of online gendered violence. We provide recommendations for how we can tackle rape culture and create online and offline spaces that are equitable, safe, and free of violence and patriarchy.