A Women Safety in India: A Call for Urgent Action.

 Empowering Women through Safety, Support and Reform

The day a woman can walk freely on the roads at night, that day we can say that India has

achieved independence.

Women safety is one of the important issues in today’s world. While world is achieving economical,technological, and social advancements, but in reality, the world is still not giving freedom to women. True freedom and development are possibly only when women feel safe and respected in every sphere of life — whether at home, on the streets, in workplaces or online.

The horrific incident of the rape and murder of trainee doctor in Kolkata had sent a shock wave

across a nation over the incident and it led to the attention towards the women safety in not only in India but for whole world. This incident draws the same public outburst like Nirbhaya Rape Case.

India as the fourth largest growing economy still continues to face discrimination and violence against women. It is deeply noted that 88 rape cases are reported daily in the country. There has been number of frequent cases such as rape, eve-teasing, child marriage, and dowry and most important honour killing on a decade or so, India witnesses a disturbing rise in the vulnerability of women with increasing incidents of violence and exploitation.

According to the NCRB report 2022, crime against women has been increased by 4% in 2022 with reported cases rising from 4,28,278 in 2021 to 4,45,256 in 2022. The report indicates that the crime rate per lakh women population rose from 64.5 in 2021 to 66.4 in 2022.

According to NCRB, the most prevalent types of crimes reported include:

(a) Cruelty by husband or his relatives ~ 31.4%

(b) Kidnapping and abduction of women –19.2%

Assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty – 17.1% And Rape – 7.1%

According to Women Peace and Security Index 2023, India ranks 120th out of 177 countries.

The index score for India is 0.583, which places it in the fourth tier for women’s safety.

As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), around 30% of women in India between 15–49 years of age have experienced physical, sexual or domestic violence.

If we talk about the reasons behind such lack of women safety in India. The main reason is the

deeply entrenched patriarchal culture in India. The male superiority complex and normalized

masculine violence is prevalent.

For example, the saying “Ladkon ka toh chalta hai” reflects a mindset deeply rooted in Indian

society.

Secondly, the objectification of women—especially in Bollywood—is a major contributor to the normalization of shaming women for being bold.

While Bollywood has produced many women-centric films, it has also consistently portrayed

women as objects—especially through the concept of the “item girl.” This has shaped a mindset in society where a girl is seen merely as an object, and her body is sexualized with impure intent.

Thirdly, cultural stigma prevents many women from reporting domestic violence. Fear of societal backlash or harassment discourages victims from coming forward. This results in a low rate of reporting, even in serious cases like rape or harassment (e.g., brushing off incidents of rape issues under the carpet.

The fourth and main reason for women’s safety issues is women’s dependency on their husband

and brother for the labor force. Lack of financial dependency makes it difficult for them to escape from domestic abuse, e.g., increase in cases of domestic violence.

Fifth, the lack of education and awareness. Most women do not know their legal rights and are

afraid to complain against the violators. Fear of the system against them is also one of the reasons for crime against women. Women are not safe in both their homes as well as in public places.

E.g., Nirbhaya case, Jyoti Yadav rape case.

Kolkata rape case highlights the lack of safe public spaces for women.

But there have been many initiatives taken by the government to prevent crimes against women.

Legal Protection

 Against Child Violence:

1. Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006

2. The Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012

 Against Domestic Violence:

Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961

Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

Central Government Initiatives

(a) Establishment of Nirbhaya Fund

(b) National Database on Sexual Offenders

© Cybercrime Portal – MHA has launched a cybercrime portal

 State Government Initiatives

(a) Mission Shakti by UP Government

(b) Police Pink Booths – by Delhi Government

© Meri Saheli initiative launched by Railway Protection Force

(d) Online Movement – #MeToo / #HerOK Campaign

These are the challenges in ensuring safety of women despite the legal and policy initiatives:

Delayed Justice – India’s legal system has always faced delays in court cases and light punishment for sexual crimes.

Decreased faith in the justice system – people lose confidence.

Negligence in conviction process – where only 39% of the officers believe that the gender-based complaints are baseless. Sometimes, police don’t write complaints by the victims.

Ineffective utilisation of public funds – Despite 100% release under the Nirbhaya Fund from 2013 to 2022, the actual expenditure remains under 50%, presenting a serious lapse in Implementation.

To ensure women’s safety in India, comprehensive reforms are essential, like:

Gender-sensitive recruitment, Training, and the establishment of women-friendly police stations. One lawyer in the same police station.

Justice reforms should also include:

Fast-track punishment, Increased representation of women in the judiciary,

Capacity building, and Setting up women safety centres. Countries like UK and USA have such centres which provide Medical and financial support. Media should also act responsibly by Protecting the victims’ identities and Promoting successful stories. There should also be active participation of civil society in Reporting crime and Supporting women who go against crime.

NIGHA IMTIYAZ MALIK

journalist