WILL OR BILLS

While various issues were discussed in the February session 2013 of the G-20 summit at Moscow, ‘Violence against Women’ was not left out. It was in this gathering that India was declared as the worst place for women.

Increasing rates of female foeticide, infanticide, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and other forms of gender based violence has led our country to this Hall of Shame. A place where every 25 women fall victim to crimes with at least 3 of them being raped and 12 being tortured by husbands, India her own reasons to justify such acts.

From the reports revealed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) crime against women have escalated from 5.9%in 2006 to 7.8% during 2006-2011. The reports exhibit a steep rise in domestic violence as well showing a leap from 8.25% in 2006 to 11.41% in 2006-2011.

In 2006, the legislation passed a bill seeking “wife-beating” and “marital rape” as criminal offenses under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005. But this step seemed of little or of no help to stabilize the devasting situation.

According to a survey conducted by Students of Yale and Australian University, the cause for violence against women has been largely due to the prevailing dowry system and long term oppression of females. Though this doesn’t explain the larger picture of cruel physical assault on women just for physical pleasure. About 45% of the crimes against women are caused by cruelty by husbands and relatives. Laws quoting dowry system as a criminal practice began in 1961. 52 years later the system prevails deep rooted in the society self explaining the effective law enforcement in the country.

At this point it should be noted that it is not just the responsibility of numerous laws passed in the legislature to protect women but also that of Police department. We expect them to guard the streets and take us to protection during a mishap or violence. Safety of women on roads is a sloppy issue as far as India is concerned. Molestation, rapes, Physical assault are fear factors that exist inborn in every female in India. The protection strength in streets and public places have been thinned down to a great extend as protection of state and national VIPs seems to be of higher priority than protection of citizens itself.

The figure released by the Bureau of Police Research and Development(BPR&D) show that the number of police personnel on duty for protection of VIPs is much more than the actual sanctioned number of personnel. The country protects 14,842 VIPs with 47,557 police personnel when the actual sanctioned number is 32, 476- a 15,081 in excess. Many of the states like Bihar, UP, MP etc have a lop-sided ratio of police personnel to common people approximately at 1:1200.

The locational difference is striking for atrocities against women calling for slums to be first position followed by the rural and urban areas. This particular fact pulls us to recognize that educational background and employment among women reduces atrocities significantly. Surveys reveal that higher education among women expands fall back options for them outside home and thus lowers domestic violence. Also high levels of female earnings are vital for lowering domestic violence against women.

To draw a conclusion, personally, I would say that role of judicial, locational difference; socio-economic factor etc becomes insignificant unless the cultural aspect of dowry and protection for women changes perception in our society. 52 years after ban of dowry, it still persists as a major social issue and laws for protecting women against suppression has also been in records since 1956. Ultimately, these laws and empowerment can get into place only if the cultural mindset is changed and awareness is created in expansion of economic opportunities, higher education, asset accumulation, and above all a mutual respect is given to women.

Well, it is not only about men folk that need change of mindset, women themselves too are responsible for their own dignity and self expression to live a life of their choice.