IPS officer Merin Joseph's Facebook controversy shows society's sexist stereotypes

When Merin Joesph uploaded a photograph of herself with Malayalam film star Nivin Pauly on Facebook, she probably didn’t expect it to snowball into a debate about protocol and sexism.

The Assistant Superintendent of Police under training in Ernakulam Rural District, Kerala uploaded her photo, in full uniform along side the actor on 12 July and it soon went viral with 13,481 likes and 104 shares. The same photo was then made her profile photo and that notched up a further 8,494 likes and 92 shares.

Joseph and Pauly were guests at St Teresa’s College in Ernakulam at a programme to felicitate the students.

But apart from popularity, the photo got a lot of flak as well with certain news organisations calling it a breach of protocol and criticising her for posing in her uniform.

The photo may have gone viral for a couple of reasons, maybe it was the presence of the actor, maybe it was the fact that she was in uniform, maybe it was the media criticism, or maybe it is the fact that she is a woman.

Joseph responded to the criticism about her with a scathing Facebook post saying that she had not broken any rules; she was off-duty when the photo was clicked and that it was taken by an MLA himself, during a break in the function. She attacked the sensational media outlets and clarified her stand,calling it a non-issue.

Why didn’t I react so far to the so-called controversy caused over my photo with Mr. Nivin Pauly at the MLA function in…

Posted by Merin Joseph on  Thursday, July 16, 2015

This is not the first time that Joseph has caused such a buzz on social media. Earlier in September 2014, Joseph had become an internet sensation for being an attractive woman in uniform. According to a report by  IBTimes , her photos went viral on Facebook after a group named “Kochi pazhaya Kochiyalla” posted a photo of her on their page.

More than 500 people shared the photo, over 12,000 people liked it and around 300 users commented on it. Users even created Facebook pages dedicated to her and shared her personal photos. Many have also said that they would commit a crime just to be arrested by a woman as good-looking as her. Media picked up on this as well with one story even comparing Priyanka Chopra’s look in the _Gangaajal 2,_where she plays a cop, to Joseph. Her wedding was extensively covered too.  

While there are several reports on her ’ good looks’, not much has been reported about her  impressive credentials. According to Hindu profile on the IPS officer, she cleared the exam in the first chance in 2012 and has a A and MA in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. She was even selected from the Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy to lead the Indian delegation for the Y20 summit, an official youth engagement programme of the G20 countries.

A few weeks back, another female civil servant was the victim of sexism in media. In a column in the Outlook  magazine called Deep Throat,  a write-up focused much word space on an IAS officer’s fashion statement and the fact that she was “eye candy”. Though the article doesn’t name any officer in particular, it alluded to Smita Sabharwal, the first female IAS officer to be appointed by the Telangana chief minister’s office. Sabharwal retaliated by saying that a few perverts didn’t demotivate her and she filed a case against the magazine.

While Joseph may have dismissed the ‘controversy’, what this whole issue reveals is a deep-rooted sexist stereotypes in society. A woman finds it hard to be accepted in roles that are not traditionally associated with the fairer sex. And Joseph’s Facebook fiasco proves just that—it’s tough being a stoic, articulate and successful woman in India without sexist stereotypes.