‘There is no tool for development more effective than empowerment of women’ —kofi annan
[Or]
‘A woman with a voice is, by definition, a strong woman’. -Melinda gates’
Am I next? Or are you the next? Do you feel safe while walking on the streets? Can you go out at night fearless? I think I’ll receive one common reply for all the above questions ‘NO’. Are women’s safe? Probably one would say ‘NO’ keeping in mind the recent incidents. The ‘Crime in India’ 2019 report by NCRB shows shocking figures about how women are subjected to cruelty every hour. Every 16 minutes a rape happens. [A woman becomes a target of trafficking every four hours.] Condition of women’s safety is vulnerable in India including the minority women. A total of 4, 05,861 cases of crime against were registered during 2019. Rajasthan reported the highest number of rape cases (5,997), followed by UP (3,065) & MP (2,485).
The recent highlighted case before us was Hathras gang-rape and murder where a 19-year-old was brutally raped by 4 men, dragged, strangulated by her dupatta breaking her spinal cord in the process, her tongue was cut off. All of this happened on 14 September 2020, and the complaint was registered on 20th September. When the victim family took her to the nearest police station they refused to register the complaint and humiliated them. The victim died on 29th September after struggling for 15 days in a hospital in Delhi. The victim was cremated on the night at about 2:30 am by UP Police without the consent or knowledge of the victim’s family. That’s the true face of women’s safety in India. When the news went viral on social media, [Agra Police, Hathras DM, and UP’s Information & Public Relations] officials called it ‘FAKE NEWS’. Later, it was said that the case was twisted to promote ‘caste-based tension’ and no semen traces were found in forensic report of the victim. One should know the presence or absence of semen itself does not prove rape. All of this conspiracy, politics & caste-based tension costed life of an innocent. The mere thought of how she would have screamed for help, how brutally she was tortured scares me inside out. Whenever I think of her struggling for 15 long days to survive, it makes me believe that there is no humanity left.
After this case, a woman was gang raped in Rajasthan by 3 men. Another women was allegedly raped and murdered by two men in Balrampur district of UP. I don’t understand why people are making these safety issues steps to climb their vicious political agendas. Aren’t these their responsibility to provide a better environment for us? Many of such cases don’t even get registered as the family is afraid of the culprits,social humiliation, political issues and they don’t have much faith in Indian Judiciary. Few political leaders watch it as an opportunity to spread casteism & hate among people or gain political beneficiary for their party. Let’s not be selective for such important issues.
The most recent case of a 21-year-old woman who was shot dead by a man because she refused to accept his marriage proposal in Haryana on 26th October 2020 went viral on social media. Isn’t it our choice? Does our consent even matters? Just to rape her or shot her dead because she said ‘NO’. What kind of men are they? Is humanity still alive? Still we don’t have strict laws for women safety. Fast track courts for rape cases are still at stake. People will do rallies, light up candle march, shout justice for so & so, once again #justiceforso&so will trend on twitter but what next? Again a rape will happen. Does any of it raise woman’s safety standard? The answer will always be the same ‘NO’. The patriarchal society still thinks it’s because of the length of the dress, the way she lives, her character, her habits, and her night-outs. What about the 4 month-old girl child? Was she not well-dressed? What was HER fault?
Why don’t we question a man when he comments on a woman? Why don’t we question a man’s values when he sexually assaults a woman? Why don’t we stop them their only? All these questions still woman are blamed when they get raped. We are told to adjust. Many women suffer marital rape. Most of us even don’t know what this means. Domestic violence against women is story of every next house. Day-to-day we hear about rape, eve-teasing, sexual assault, and many more such things. What do we do about them? What do we learn from them? Simply, NOTHING.
Conclusion/way forward: – Reforms should be made not only judicially but also socially in each and every house. Separate panel of police dealing only with women safety issues should be made with more number of lady officers. It’s high time that strict laws should be made by the government on such sensitive issues as soon as possible. Fast track courts should be strictly made for such issues. Media should keep the identity of the victim confidential as their family might have to suffer because of this. Self-defense training for women has become necessity of today’s world. Small steps will lead to build the country- India, as we have dreamt of- A safe, free, and humane environment with equal respect for all.
(Writer is a student of FoC, BHU and Member of FETC, BHU)
Disclaimer- All views expressed in the article are writer’s personal opinion.