WOMEN SAFETY IN INDIA

By:

MAHENDER(12112020)

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In the ancient India, women held a high place of respect in the society as mentioned in Rig-veda and other scriptures.

“यत्र नाययस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवता: ।यत्रतैास्तु न पूज्यन्ते सवायस्तत्राफला: क्रिया: ।”

The universal truth is that in a house, all the deities are pleased where women are honoured and no meritorious deed will not yield any result where they are abused.

Volumes can be written about the status of our women andtheir heroic deeds from the vedic period to the modern times.

INTRODUCTION

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Women is a symbol of love, purity, knowledge, sacrifice, etc.

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Later on, because of social, political changes, women losttheir status and were relegated to the background and

are very much prone to crimes against them nowadays.

Swami Vivekananda said “Circumstances have forced upon us, for many centuries, the women's need of protection. This, and not her inferiority, is the true reading of our customs”.

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CRIME AGAINST WOMEN

The Semantic meaning of ‘crime against women’ is direct or indirect physical or mental cruelty. Crimes which are directed specifically against women are characterized as‘Crime Against Women’.

Violence is also known as abuse and include any sort of physical aggression or misbehave.

When violence is committed at home it becomes domestic violence and involves family members such as spouse, parents or servants.

Domestic violence may involve different means such as hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, restraining, throwing objects.

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Violence in broader includes threats, sexual abuse, emotionalabuse, control &domineering, intimidation, stalking, and economic deprivation, rape, abduction, kidnapping and murder(criminal violence).

Dowry death, wife battering, sexual abuse, maltreatment of awidow and for an elderly women (domestic violence).

Eve-teasing, forcing wife/daughter-in-law to go for foeticide, forcing a young widow to commit sati, etc (social violence).

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The United Nations defined “violence against women” in 1993in Declaration of Elimination of violence against women as

“Any act of gender based violence that results in or likelyto result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts, coercionor arbitrary deprivation of liberty whether occurring in public or private life”.

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CLASSIFICATIONThese are broadly classified into two categories.

A. The Crimes Under the Indian Penal Code(IPC)

Seven Crimes included under this head are as follows:

I. Rape (section 376IPC)II. Kidnapping and Abduction for specified purposes (section 363-

373IPC)III. Homicide for dowry, deaths or attempts (section 302/304-B IPC)IV. Torture –both mental & physical (section 498-A IPC)V. Assault on women with an intent to outrage her modesty (sec.

354)VI. Insult to the modesty of women (sec. 509 IPC)VII.Importation of girls from foreign countries (366-B IPC)

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B. The crimes under special and local laws(SLL)

I. The Immoral Traffic (prevention) Act -1956II. The Dowry Prohibition Act-1961III. The Indecent Representation (Prohibition) Act-1986IV. The Commission of Sati Prevention Act-1987

The provisions of the law affecting women significantly have been reviewedperiodically and amendments carried out to keep pace with the emerging requirements.

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cruelty by husbands or

relatives, 38.4

Dowry death, 2.6

Dowry Prohibition Act, 3.5

Immoral Traffic Act, 0.8

Others, 0.1

Rape, 10.9

Kidnapping and Abduction, 16.8

Insult to modest

y of women,

4.1

Assault on women with an intent to

outrage her modesty, 22.9

Source: NCRB

CRIME AGAINST WOMEN -2013Percentage Distribution.

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COMPARISIONS

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INCIDENCE OF CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN-2013

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CAUSES?

A. Lack of VALUES in IndiansThere are a few reasons and are as follows:

Bollywood and media:

Both these media are projecting films and advertisements

that contains nudity and vulgarity.

Misuse of Internet:

There are millions of porn sites.

INDIA ranks 2nd in watching porn over internet.

Philosophy of Patriarchy: Dowry:

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Liquor: Diverts mindset. Loses self control. More than 75% accused of rapes are either family

members, relatives, friends or close associates.

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B. Improper Protection System

• According to Criminal Law Journal, there have been 80 and 75percentage of cases have been reported in High Courts and Supreme Courts respectively between 1983-2011 from villages.

• Delay in the process of prosecution.

• There are just over 30+ judges in Supreme Courts.

• There are 24 High Courts in India and have only 160 judges altogether.

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Government’s Initiatives

There have been a number of initiatives from the national government or the judiciary which have touched upon issues of violence and crimes against women.

• The National Policy for the Empowerment of Women,2001.The policy also made a specific mention of violence against women, asserting that:

“All forms of violence against women, physical and mental, whether at domestic or societal levels, including those arising from customs, traditions or accepted practices shall be dealt with effectively with a view to eliminate its incidence. Institutions and mechanisms/schemes for assistance will be created and strengthened for prevention of such violence, including sexual harassment at work place and customs like dowry; for the rehabilitation of the victims of violence and for taking effective action against the perpetrators of such violence.”

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•In 2006, Domestic Violence Act

Under this Legislation, all states were to appoint ProtectionOfficers to support and guide those affected by domestic violence.

In Delhi alone, 6000 cases have been registered under the Domestic Violence Act in the three years since the Act was passed. 17 Protection Officers have been appointed, attached

to family courts across Delhi.

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• Eleventh Five Year Plan(2007-2012)

has included a reference to preventing Violence Against Women in its chapter titled “Towards Women’s Agency and Child Rights”, acknowledging that VAW is a major issue in both rural and urban areas.

The Plan promises to strengthen both the legislative environment and the justice delivery mechanism under the Domestic Violence Act.

•The Ministry of Home Affairs has also issued directives to state governments from time to time on women’s safety.

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Prevention/reduction of these crimes

• Instilling the ethical values in & among the male gender.

• Installation of CCTV cameras in public places.

• Clean and safe public toilets for women.

• Improved infrastructure, including pavements and street lights.

• Improving the public transport system.

• Restriction on drinking in public places.

• Increased police presence and more recruitment of women in police, as well as gender-sensitization of the entire police force.

• Deployment of uniformed as well as plain-clothes police personnel in public places.

• Increased publicity of helpline numbers, accompanied by effective and immediate readdresses of complaints of sexual harassment received through the helpline.

• Awareness campaigns regarding sexual harassment.

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RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WOMEN

Awareness about the rights and laws.

Awareness about the immediate aid like the usage of mobiles.

Carrying instruments that could save them at the time of

incidents like pepper sprays.

Self defence training.

Equal share of property rather than dowry.

Trust your Instinct.

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शोचन्न्त जामयो यत्र ववनश्यत्याशु तत्कुलम ।न शोचन्न्त तु यत्रतैा वर्यते तद्धर् सवयदा ।

Peace and prosperity lies in the society where woman ishappy and honoured.

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“BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD”

SAVE ME!

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