Crimes Against Women On The Rise: Need For Intervention
Crimes Against Women On The Rise: Need For Intervention
When it comes to ensuring safety for women, India lacks on all fronts. Recent statistics reveal that crimes against women in 6 of 8 Northeastern states rose in 2013 compared to 212. Assam led the list. It is also the seventh most unsafe place for women on an all-Indian level. The list is topped by Andhra Pradesh followed by UP, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and MP, according to National Crime Records Bureau in its Crime on India-2013 report.
West Bengal had reported the highest instance of crime against women in 2012. This state is now in third place. The spurt in crimes against women in Northeastern states is also appalling. Reported instances of crime against women in Assam rose to 17,449 in 2013 as against 13,544 in 2012. In Tripura, between 2012-2013, crimes against women rose from 1628 to 1559. The numbers for Meghalaya were from 245 to 343 and Arunachal Pradesh reported 288 instances of crime in 2013 as against 201 in 2012. Sikkim too experienced a rise in reported crimes from 93 to 68. Nagaland is clearly the safest of the Northeastern states when it comes to women as crime rate rose from 51 to 67, as against the massive rise in other states.
Women in India are subject to a whole host of crimes including rape, abuse, molestation, kidnapping, abduction, dowry deaths and cruelty inflicted by husbands and relatives. Women are often the target of mental harassment, torture and violence. Whether it is the December 16,2006 Delhi gang-rape or the case of the Badaun teenagers who were gang-raped and hung from a tree, crime is on the rise in India. Urban India is no safer. The heinous murder of lawyer Pallavi Purkayastha or the infamous shooting of Jessica Lall point to the lack of safety, security or protection of women from murderous predators.
Official crime statistics have also officially established Delhi to be the “rape capital” of India. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau has now provided the numbers to back up the claim that Delhi is one of the most dangerous and unsafe places for women in the country.
With 18.63 reported rapes for every I lakh women, Delhi has topped the country when it comes to the number of reported rapes as a proportion of the population. In 2012, Assam, Chhatisgarh, MP, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura all reported the highest number of rapes relative to their population. In absolute terms, Madhya Pradesh leads the country in the number of reported rapes.
Data for 2013 obtained from the National Crime Records Bureau also shows a 27% increase in crimes against women in India, taking it to its highest level in 3 years. While the murder rate fell slightly, theft and robbery rates rose by 10% and 17%. When will India ever succeed in ensuring safety for its women? The untold stories of women and girls who continue to suffer atrocities will no longer remain hidden.
Crisis centres for helping women to gain access to safety are being established. Authorities are waking up to the fact that girls and women need to find their voice to protect themselves and fend off attackers. But empowerment still remains a distant dream for many of India's grandmothers, mothers, sisters, aunts and young girls. With changing governments come changing aspirations. But one thing that India still continues to aspire for is a country where girls and women are accorded safety, respect and dignity whether they live in Badaun, Delhi or any other part of our nation.
