‘It Was An Arab Spring For Gender’

Leslee Udwin’s film India’s Daughter on the December 2012 gangrape has been backed by many Hollywood personalities, including Meryl Streep, for the 2016 Oscars. The Indian government had the film banned, claiming it a conspiracy to blacken India’s global image. The film glorifies India for the protests, Udwin tells Ushinor Majumdar in an interview along with other previously-undisclosed facts following a screening at the 9th Global Investigative Journalism Conference held recently in Norway.What was the global reaction to the protests after the December 2012 rape in Delhi?Many countries did not cover the protest. They are as much in awe of the protest as I was when I saw it. They said, “We didn’t realise to what degree Indian people were enlightened and came out onto the streets.” Actually, it is a hugely positive film about India which is why it’s wrong to say it was a conspiracy to shame India.In the version you have screened, it shows a set of worldwide statistics on violence against women. The BBC version has left it out.If a company invests before the film is finished, they become an acquirer of the rights. They only have rights in the UK. Because they put up the money for the film, they cut their version of it. Despite my pleading, BBC took off the statistics which were an integral part of the film.What was the reaction to those statistics on violence against women?Viewers were shocked to learn that 96% of women in Egypt are subjected to genital mutilation, that 33% of girls between 13 and 17 in the UK have experienced sexual violence. But, there isn’t a country that doesn’t hold its hands up. Nobody shies away from this ??? It’s 2015. Only Indians want to pretend it doesn’t exist in their country.You mentioned that you are working with the UN on a solution to violence against women. So, what according to you is the solution?We have been teaching our children numeracy and literacy only and have woefully neglected their wholesome education, to teach them values