WERE WOMEN EVER SAFE IN INDIA OR ANY PART OF THE WORLD AND WHAT PREVENTIVE MEASURES IS THE GOVERNMENT TAKING TO HELP

WERE WOMEN EVER SAFE IN INDIA OR ANY PART OF THE WORLD

AND WHAT PREVENTIVE MEASURES IS THE GOVERNMENT TAKING TO HELP

“We have an abundance of rape and violence against women in this country and on this Earth, though it's almost never treated as a civil rights or human rights issue, or a crisis, or even a pattern. Violence doesn't have a race, a class, a religion, or a nationality, but it does have a gender.”  ― Rebecca Solnit, Men Explain Things to Me

Were women ever ever safe at any time?  

The culture and tradition of India is considered as old and great all over the world where people used to worship various female goddesses, saints and poets. India is also a powerful nation and famous worldwide for being the largest democracy in the world. However, women backwardness is also very clear in the Indian society because of the social issues, problems and lots of restrictions against women. Women who belong to the lower and middle class family suffer more than the women of higher class family.  Women in the Indian society generally face problems of sex discrimination, which they face from their birth and continues till their death, high percentage of illiteracy, female infanticide, dowry system, etc.  Lack of proper education, responsible for household works, rape, sexual harassment at workplace, etc are some big issues for the women in India. However, a lot of positive changes has occurred in the woman's status as the number of educated people is increasing in the country.

Still in the modern age, women have to face many more problems in their daily life and struggle a lot to establish their career. There are many parents who prefer to have only boy baby and allow education to boys only.  Women for them are only medium to keep family happy and healthy.

A woman is seen in the society with more intense ridicule sight and become at higher risk of honor killing if she is involved in the love marriage or inter caste love marriage.  

There are various issues and problems which women generally face in the society in India.

Some of the problems are mentioned and described below:

• Sexual harassment: It is the form of sexual exploitation of a girl child at home, streets, public places, transports, offices, etc by the family members, neighbors, friends or relatives.

• Dowry and Bride burning: It is another problem generally faced by women of low or middle class family during or after the marriage. Parents of boys demand a lot of money from the bride’s family to be rich in one time.

• Disparity in education: The level of women education is less than men still in the modern age. Female illiteracy is higher in the rural areas. where over 63% or more women remain unlettered.

• Domestic violence: it is like endemic and widespread disease affects almost 70% of Indian women. It is performed by the husband, relative or other family member.

• Girls have no property rights like boys forever.

• Child Marriages: Early marriage of the girls by her parents in order to be escaped from dowry. It is highly practiced in the rural India.

• Status of widows: Widows are considered as worthless in the Indian society. They are treated poorly and forced to wear white clothes.

• Violence against women: Women are getting affected by the various violence almost every day which is disrupting the society. Women are being victims of violence at huge level day by day because of increasing crimes against women. Women who are uneducated more prone to divorce and desertion by their husbands at any stage of life. They have to live whole life with fear of divorce. In some cases they have to finish their life because of unbearable conditions.

The sad truth is that the political sphere is just one of the many places in India that women find dangerous.  From the streets to bus stops, to crowded market places, women don’t feel safe in public. Girls in villages across India are at risk of sexual assault. And India’s cities aren’t any safer for women and girls.

With the world watching, Indian officials promised to take important steps to tackle this massive problem affecting women in India’s cities, rural villages, schools, homes and on public transportation. They must be held accountable for promises they have made to keep women and girls safe. And the global community must ensure the steps that the Indian government has taken are actually working to keep streets, schools, bus stops and any other public space safe and free from violence.

In late 2012, shortly before the now-infamous fatal gang rape of the New Delhi woman who was riding a bus with her fiancé, ICRW (The International Center for Research on Women) conducted a study to understand just how safe — or unsafe — Delhi’s women and girls felt in the city’s public spaces. Later, ICRW was striving to go back to see what, if anything, has improved or changed in women and girls’ feeling about safety in public spaces.

Additionally, women are fearful when they go out after dark, and they avoid going outside alone altogether, for fear of violence. That’s one in every five women who often choose not to engage in public life because they fear for their safety.

Since the world’s attention turned to India after this horrific attack in 2012, the government has taken some important steps to combat violence against women. A month after the attack, the Verma Commission made recommendations to change India’s criminal law code to provide for quicker trials and enhanced punishment for criminals accused of committing sexual assault against women. This was seen as an important step to acknowledge that broader approaches were needed to combat sexual violence and that governments need to take seriously any attack If on women and also to hold perpetrators of sexual violence accountable for their crimes.  Such cases should be fast tracked so that the accused is punished accordingly.

What we don’t know is whether or not actions by the Indian government, including recommendations by the Verma Commission, have actually made a difference in the lives of India’s women and girls. Do women and girls feel safer? Are perpetrators of sexual violence held accountable? Or is justice languishing in courtrooms and police stations.  When the victim goes to the Police Station to lodge a complaint and get an FIR written, the police take it very lightly and such embarrassing questions are put up to the victim that some weaker victims feel that it is better not to ask the law to help them.  Otherwise the police will drive them away by saying the area falls under different jurisdictions and if the victim is poor or  weak or does not have anyone to support her or if her family does not have connections in the ruling party then she may just decide to move away and keep quiet about it.  

Then there was the Park Street Rape case (and the victim was totally blamed for getting herself molested by a group of men, just because she had gone to the night bar and some of the culprits were known to her) even till date some of culprits are moving around scot free and before the judgement the victim is no more.  Yesterday, you must have read the case in the papers of a girl wearing shorts and smoking in public and if she was what is anyone’s problem.  Wearing shorts in not indecent, yes but she should not have been smoking in public as it is not ethical at least for a lady.  She may smoke at home or elsewhere but not in the public place.  She did make a complaint at the Police Station and though the law took it down for  for that also the Police made such a hue and cry just because there was a difference in the ink colour for the date written that they had to harass the victim at 3 a.m. and could not wait till later.  It is just a farce showing the public that they are doing their duty for a change.  After all this have they caught the miscreants.

But very recently some women have shown courage and have been brave enough and took action themselves as best as they could and showed the male that there are women who can fight back and mind you they did fight back so well that were not afraid to come back to the same area again.  I hope and pray we have more women like this who can try and fight back.  In fact we should have more self defence training in schools for girls that the Government can think of for the betterment of the country.

Interestingly clothes, alcohol, drugs and provocation weren't the popular options as triggers as some of our leaders would have us believe. Delayed and often denial of justice is another reason people cited as cause of rapes.

It is not always only rape, have you ever thought how the auto rickshaw drivers and the bus driver have any mercy for the women while alighting or getting onto the vehicle.  Sorry for my language they just feel as they can drive in any manner and they will not be taken to task as it is their “Baap Ka Raj”.

Why are rapes and eve teasing so common?

"Rapes happen because some men are insecure, afraid of being rejected or deserted by the woman and they need to feel in control of the woman - so they rape. Rapes also happen because they've been allowed to go unpunished for eons. Men have traditionally been believed when they deny rape and women have traditionally been found to be liars regardless of how her behaviour, mental health and physical health say differently. Rapes happen because rapists are secretly admired by other men who'd like to be rapists but are afraid of getting caught.

In a group, often men egg each other on to break the barriers of humanity that set them apart from animals.  Alcohol does not help in such situations. The willingness to cause emotional and physical injury to a fellow human being stems out a mental illness.

Because of frustration and lack of humanity in some people and of our rotten judiciary and police system.  The youngsters of today also enjoy eve teasing, though there is law against that too but is it being carried out or just as usual it lingers on.  All the more encouraging the youngsters of today.  It is because the fear of law is not there. Speedy justice is not there. Fair trials are not there.   We really need strict vigilance starting from the very top level of the Government e.g. immediate strict action.

Because of messed up eastern and western cultures...

Because women's dress code. They wear vulgar dresses in the name of modernity. That induces men. It's human nature that men will be attracted to do sex when women wear improper dresses.  Girls wear even more skimpy clothes in foreign countries. How many of our Indian folks dare to even touch them. Because they know they will be behind bars for 10 years straight away. No connections, no money will help.  Allow the same to happen in India and all this will stop.  But in India the culprits are bailed out and the case goes on for years in the Court for hearing and they are moving around scot free. Lack of speedy and fair trial.  No fear of law. People get away by saying "law will take its own course", means nothing will happen for next 20 years or so.  Because naturally we are animals, but we called our self as human. It is in the nature of animals having forcefully sex that is what we call as rape.

There are multiple reasons. Pronography available on mobile gives EASY ACCESS to persons merged in sexual thoughts throughout. Vulgarity in the name of manoranjan. Drugs, Alcohol & joblessness. Because males are coward morons and disgusting!

There are no morals in people these days, they don't fear to Police or God. God is not seen, Police can be handled. Feeling of "can get away" with the crime among the rapists mainly because of non-governance of an elected government.

RAPE is a crime happening all over the world including developed nations. The only difference that in India the conviction rate is far lower than other developed nations. But irrespective of the conviction rate, the crime remains unabated.

This is totally due to dirty mentality of human being whether it is a male or female. If you are able to find out it's reason....clue is, the advertisement of female as a SEX MATERIAL in the movies which is watched by every age of people...there are other reasons also…  Prostitution should not be illegal if not legalised.  Everyone should find an outlet for their sexual urges.  This world is a survival of the fittest. what about those people who can not marry?  We all have access to free porn that is not illegal.  Where to take it out then? Police should do more important work rather than seeing who is sleeping with whom.

Men get sense of power and control over women when they rape. Nothing to do with the way women behave or dress, there are couple of reasons- high male to female ratio and secondly, rape has been a symbol of power and achievement among some men, which is ridiculous

Government first need to put a full stop to these provoking ADS which has women in lead roles.  Look at any AD of today's be it a Deo or any product. They are all provoking. Is Government sleeping. Due to dress, and woman and celebrities showing off their sexy parts in dress.  Sometimes one feels is the AD on the product or otherwise.

They do not have respect for any women in their life may it be mother, sister or wife. These things are thought when they are young or kids. Men who grow up without any respect for any women in their life treat women as just an object of their entertainment.

No fear of punishment given to the crime

Rapes happen..but when it's out of proportion it shows failure of / corrupt and hence weak law and order mechanism, its top executives and rulers. The solution is at TOP not at bottom of power hierarchy.

It happens when the perpetrator wants to teach the woman or her guardian a lesson. This is simply viewed as an irreparable insult to the woman or her guardian, for who she is sometimes a ""possession/object"" or sometimes a fond relation.

Because certain men are losing self esteem and pride in themselves. Certain men seem to be letting themselves be taken over by their libido.  "It is a psychological problem and is similar to mental illness”.

I would have appreciated if the question was Why do men rape? instead. More and more children are becoming victims too. I wonder why do men rape children - 5 years, 10 years, 13 years. There is a complete lack of compassion. Lack of culture, unerupted anger towards society and lack of interaction and intimacy with a women.

Deteriorating human values. As a society we are systematically failing to pass on moral responsibilities to our children. At a juncture when information is freely available on any topics under the sun, it is doubly important to make our children understand what's wrong & what's right. Time starved society (family, school) failing to do so.

"It's purely a question of individual's character except in extremely rare / non existent cases of ""due to situational"" factors.

In any case a rape committed is a rape committed and the those who have done so should be held accountable for their actions.My personal survey says almost every rapist convicted in india is alcoholic, so why not to attribute this menace to alcohol. Most educated ones will try to convince him or her to stay out of rapes."

"I'd say India being a conservative society is the reason behind most rape cases. I mean Look at the west . The education, the open society is helping the western civilization men and women co-exist with equal values. In India, sex education is still not in the school curriculum as it is considered a matter of shy to the teachers. But this turns out the reason when the same children turns an adult and he starts seeing any women on road with lustful eyes.

Now, had the society been more open this could have been avoided, less penalty to the sex offenders could also be another reason for increase in rape cases. Hence stringent actions should be taken against the offenders ."

In certain countries severe punishment are to rendered to the rapist

If it is an Islamic country and all its laws and regulations are as per the Islamic Sharia laws. If a person is found guilty of rape or any sexual assault he is beheaded in public. The body and the head is then stitched together and buried in a grave. The punishment is same for both men and women if they commit the crime. Also there is a provision for execution through stones. If a person commits rape stones are showered upon him until he dies. This death is not easy and quick but more painful, and the criminal has to suffer until he dies.

In China a rapist is given a death penalty. Capital punishment is given for committing a rape by firing a bullet at the spinal cord, below neck, leading to death. The execution rates are way too high here. Castration, a surgical action in which a biological male loses the use of testicles, is also used as a punishment for rape. This causes sterilization and as a result the male cannot reproduce again.

In India Rape was not considered to be a major crime. The rapists were given punishment, up to seven years of imprisonment. But after the Anti Rape Bill passed by the Indian Parliament in April 2013, a rapist can be given a life imprisonment or even hanged till death.   But here the case lingers on before the culprits are prosecuted.

If you take the statistics, majority of the rapes are committed by less educated people such as drivers, workers, anti social elements, very low income group people, and by those people who were not exposed to diversity in life. The number of rapes done by well educated people and by those people who have seen diversity in life (w.r.t profession, places, cultures, etc.) is much less compared the previously mentioned section of people. Sexual harassment may be in high in well educated class. So, we need to constructively identify those sections of people (less educated, low income, less exposed to diversity, etc.), and start educating them with a systematic and effective plan. This is also a cause for the insensitivity of those people. There is no experience of bonding and love in their lives. We need to address all these aspects.

There can be wide range of factors, one of them could be intimidating person / pictures / videos etc. seen (this type of things western world is used to since long time); however here these things have kind of just started ... peoples are not very much used to it ... this can trigger beast in few people .... then that beast completely takes over that person & doesn't care about anything .... western effects are quickly followed by certain portion of society while some portion of society is not at speed with that …

Lastly, again because the society is still largely immature, when women are aware of the kind of men around, they should avoid wearing tempting attire. I am not one of those maniacs who are against women freedom, but considering the circumstances that would be a smaller price to pay, an unfortunate one though."

"1. Because our judiciary is not efficient, they take time to roll out justice, the people who go through rape have to also undergo continuous torture as they are constantly reminded of the same till the case closes

2. insensitive bureaucrats- The stupid remarks clearly shows that no one really cares or will do anything to change the state

3. Unsafe and dark areas in the country ensure that No one can travel safely, more police patrolling and lighted areas will help

4. None of the above will be effective unless people are enlightened about the plight and the equality of all."

Want to stop rape?? Legalize prostitution ASAP. Potential rapists can have sex legally rather than raping someone ."

I feel the overall mentality of Indian people should change then only all the criminals, and will never happen due to + three main root reasons: 1 the art of clothing the body by women.2 sextual knowledge has been misused ie now sextual knowledge is given to our children when they have need of strong thoughts. May be one of the reason is media. Another reason may be our Law is not to strong.

The rapes are increased especially with the minors aged below 5 years.. if some intelligent person says its the dress that women wear provokes men to rape then what does it provoke in children below 5 years of age ? The ideology of men is to be changed here not the spicy food or the way of dressing needs a change in this country ! Our culture is different than western culture for good and bad both. In our society people wait for their mid 30s to get what they naturally crave from the age of 16. To add more to my point in more decent manner, I will mention that current judgement of a court say premarital sex is illegal. I think, we should learn that people can make decide what is right and wrong. This is the reason we have legal age of 18/21. In our country sex is highly over rated thing for all the mentioned reasons. Don't forget country like us (India, Pakistan etc.) has the highest viewer ship of porn contents.

Strict punishment should be given as and when proof is established. Also the accused and his family should be shown on TV, media newspaper to feel humiliation. Also a machine should be made like from which an penis shaped iron rod comes out and the accused should be given the same torture in public to feel the pain.

We must all unite (not only the public but also the Government should be involved to help) and find out the preventive measures for this heinous act.  It cannot be diminished but if strict actions are taken against the accused, it should not take months or sometimes years for the judgement to be passed maybe we can at least reduce it to a certain extent but you and me know that we cannot eradicate it as we will always have mentally sick to handle with.

This is my opinion as a Parent I have also tried to teach and train my daughters and now my granddaughters how to protect themselves while walking in a crowded area as you very well aware that some mentally sick men get a cheap thrill to brush by when they pass by a young girl / women.  Some men are not even bothered about the age.  How sick you can feel about it.

“Self respect by definition is a confidence and pride in feeling that you are behaving in an honorable and dignified manner. -Respect yourself by respecting others.”

P. Narang

17th April 2016