Crimes against women - An update

A society that cannot treat its women with dignity, has a troubled present and difficult future.

 Crimes against women - An update

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• The story: The National Commission for Women (NCW) informed that there was a rise of 46% in complaints of crimes against women in the first eight months of 2021 over the corresponding period of last year. That is an extremely worrisome sign.
• NCW: The Commission was set up as a statutory body in January 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990. Its mission is to strive towards enabling women to achieve equality and equal participation in all spheres of life. In October 2020, the Supreme Court said that crimes against women continued in a never-ending cycle in India.
• Crime Heads (No. of Complaints): In decreasing order, the crimes were -

1. Against Right to live with dignity > Domestic violence > Harassment of married women or dowry harassment > Outraging modesty of women or molestation > Rape and attempt to rape > Cyber crimes
2. State-Wise Data - Uttar Pradesh (10,084)> Delhi (2,147)> Haryana (995)> Maharashtra (974).

• Violence against women: The United Nations defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

1. Violence against women is a social, economic, legal, educational, human rights, and health (physical and mental) issue
2. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, reports have shown that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified.

• Reasons: Gender Disparity is a deep-rooted cause of violence against women that put women at risk of several forms of violence. Non-Retaliation, absence of laws addressing their rights comprehensively and ignorance of the existing statutes intensified it. Women desist from reporting due to societal attitude, stigma and mental conditioning.
• Effect: It destroys the internal self-confidence of many women, and has adverse psychological, sexual and reproductive health consequences for girls and women of all ages. Early-set educational disadvantages not only represent the primary obstacle to universal schooling and the right to education for girls; down the line they are also to blame for restricting access to higher education and even translate into limited opportunities for women in the labour market.
• Worldwide initiatives:

1. The Spotlight Initiative - The European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) have embarked on a new, global, multi-year initiative focused on eliminating all forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). It is named thus, as it brings focused attention to this issue, moving it into the spotlight and placing it at the centre of efforts to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment.
2. International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women-25th November
3. UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
4. Indian Constitutional safeguards include (i) Fundamental Rights - guarantees all Indians the right to equality (Article 14), no discrimination by the State on the basis of gender (Article 15(1)) and special provisions to be made by the State in favour of women (Article 15(3)); (ii) Fundamental Duties -ensures that practices derogatory to the dignity of women are prohibited under Article 51 (A); (iii) Legislative Framework - Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005; The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961; The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013; and The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), 2012.

• Summary: Ther promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be fulfilled without putting an end to violence against women and girls. A comprehensive approach is needed. If women are empowered, families will be the first ones to benefit.
• EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) Explain the various problems that arise due to women getting a raw deal from society. (2) What can be done to sensitise society towards deep-rooted ills like violence against women going unpunished? Explain.
  

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