Women Safety- Something which should be discussed.

 

What are we discussing?

   Women’s Safety in India

      Biggest challenge in tackling the issues 

     Measures taken by Indian Government 

     Best practices that can be adopted from other countries or from any state of India 

     When I say women aren't safe. There will come a lot of opinions. Some may say women are still not safe, some may say the world has evolved and progressed, so claiming that women aren't safe is a myth. Women are empowered, independent and can fight for herself. So there is no need of talking about it. 

      I personally believe that the ideas and belief and the soul of women has empowered truly and that has led her to touch skies and be a star in educational, economic, political fields. But physically the body of women is still a thing to be scared of. As woman, I might not feel bad if someone admires my thoughts, criticises my work, abuses my beliefs but the one thing which will shake me off would me someone touching me without consent. One thing which will traumatize me would be someone forcefully holding me and not letting me go. And when we think in that way, I would loudly claim WOMEN ARE NOT SAFE! 

      

      Why is it still important to discuss this?

The world has entered into a new millennium but from the dawn of civilization till date, the women of the patriarchal society of India continues to be oppressed and ill-treated. She is dependent, weak, exploited and faces gender discrimination in every sphere of life.

The gender based violence that threatens the well- being, dignity and rights of women extends across social, cultural, economic and regional boundaries.

Women’s safety in india

Statistics:

In the year 2021, India ranked 140th out of 156 countries in a World Economic Forum report assessing gender inequality worldwide. The sobering reality is further underscored by the fact that the country witnessed a staggering 13.2% increase in overall crimes against women in 2021 when compared to the previous year, with a total of 4,28,278 registered cases. The statistics are disconcerting, painting a bleak picture of a nation grappling with gender-based violence and glaring gender disparities.

Causes:

In a world striving for progress and equality, India finds itself at a crossroads when it comes to addressing one of its most pressing challenges - women's safety. The crimes encompass a wide spectrum of brutality, ranging from rape, molestation, acid attacks, cruelty by husbands and their relatives, to domestic violence, among others.

Predominantly, the origins in deeply ingrained gender bias and inequality, exacerbated by the dearth of educational opportunities and a consequential lack of economic and social participation for women leads to crimes against women.

The challenges faced by the Indian administration in tackling the issues related to women's safety in India can be:

To start with the biggest challenge, as a woman what I feel and firmly believe is the cause of failure to tackle the crimes is the glorified objectification of women by media, series, movies, plays, slangs etc. It has now become a culture and with the film industries glorifying it for entertainment has given the people a legal check to objectify women as per their convenience. Perhaps limiting this would be a huge step to take forward.

Further, the challenges are as follows:

   Underrepresentation of Women in Administrative and Law Enforcement Roles: According to the Data on Police Organizations report, published in 2017 by the Bureau of Police Research and Development in India,  women comprise only 7.28% of the total Indian police force. While women’s representation in the police has been growing in recent years, the pace remains slow. They made up only 10.5 percent  of all police officers in the country as of January 01, 2021.

  Inadequate Reforms in Policing Infrastructure:  The police-population ratio, currently 192 policemen per lakh population, is less than what is recommended by UN i.e. 222 policemen per lakh population. 

  Underreported cases: An estimated 99.1% of sexual violence cases are not reported. Even if one excludes marital rape and assault from the analysis, the extent of reporting sexual violence is still small. Only about 15% of sexual violence committed by others (someone other than the current husband) is reported to the police.

Need:

Addressing the pressing issue of women's safety in India demands a multifaceted and comprehensive approach.

1. Cultural and Societal Shift: Challenge gender bias and violence through a shift in societal mindset and extensive awareness campaigns.

2. Inclusive Law Enforcement: Urgently reform law enforcement to be responsive, sensitized to women's challenges, and diverse.

3. Privacy and Comfort: Improve police station conditions for secure reporting with hygiene and privacy; ensure the presence of female officers.

4. Cultural Transformation: Break the culture of silence, support survivors, and establish a system safeguarding rights and dignity.

Measures taken by Government:

Here are the key measures taken by the Indian government to ensure women's safety,

1. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

2. National Commission for Women (NCW)

3. Mission Shakti Program

4. Swadhar Greh Scheme

5. Sakhi – One-Stop Centers

6. Digital Shakti Campaign

7. Ujjawala Scheme

8. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Initiative

9. Nirbhaya Fund

Additionally, to promote gender equity in policing:

1. Reserving 33% of positions for women in Union territories

2. Advising states to pursue legislative action for gender balance in police

3. Establishment of the Women Safety Division within the Ministry of Home Affairs

4. Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) for distress calls

5. Safe City Projects for urban safety with enhanced surveillance and technology

6. Panic buttons on public transport and ‘she toilets’

7. Women's desk in all police stations

These measures reflect the government's commitment to improving the security and safety of women in India.

Different strategies by different countries to ensure women’s safety:

1.      Community Policing and Foot Patrols (United Kingdom): Encouraging police officers to engage with the community, conduct foot patrols, and build trust can deter crime and provide a sense of security.

2.      Women-Only Transportation (Japan and Mexico):  Introducing women-only cars or buses during peak hours can reduce incidents of harassment and assault on public transportation.

3.      Gender-Responsive Budgeting (Sweden): Allocating budget resources specifically for women's safety initiatives can help address safety concerns more comprehensively.

4.      Gender-Sensitive Policing (Nordic Countries, Australia and US): Training police officers to be more sensitive to gender issues and ensuring that more women are part of the police force can improve responses to women's safety concerns. Gender diversity targets by the Australian Federal Police (AFP),  Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2016–2026 in Australia and the United States Capitol Police’s Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Action (IDEA)

Different strategies adopted by different states of India:

1.      Pink Patrols, Delhi

2.      She AUTO, Ahmedabad Gujarat

3.      Surakasha App, Rajasthan

4.      Nirbhaya Squad, Uttar Pradesh

5.      Women Police Stations

6.      Priyadarshini Cabs, Hyderabad, Telangana

These state-specific strategies aim to create safer environments for women, promote gender- sensitivity, and ensure that incidents of violence and harassment are promptly addressed. While these initiatives are promising, there is still room for further improvement and coordination at the national level to ensure consistent women's safety measures across the country. India, at national level through an effective dialogue with different countries and the states as well, can bring in good policy measures and adopt innovative solutions to ensure women’s safety in the country.  

Why such negotiations are necessary?

Legislation by itself would not suffice because violence against women is a deep rooted social problem. It is worth mentioning that PM Jawahar Lal Nehru who remarked, “Legislation cannot by itself normally solve deep rooted social problems. One has to approach them in other ways too, but legislation is necessary and essential and hence that it may give that push and have educative factors, as well as the legal sanctions behind it, which help public opinion to be given a certain shape.”

With this blog, I open the forum for you all to comment down your thoughts and experiences and share any innovative idea or practice which you think India should adopt to ensure safety of women in public as well as personal space. 

Regards

Aditi Punya Prakash Sharma