What’s missing in women’s safety plans in India?

Womens safety in India has been a major concern for decades Despite various initiatives and promises the country continues to see worrisome levels of genderbased violence From the infamous 2012 Nirbhaya case to more recent cases like the Abhaya rapemurder case RG Kar rapemurder case and Badlapur school sexual assault the issue has persistedWith repeated incidents of gendered violence especially sexual violence coming to the fore ityet againraised concerns about the effectiveness of the governments action plans to protect womenAs a reaction to the outrage and demands for justice over the Kolkata medics case the West Bengal assembly had unanimously passed the Aparajita Bill which called for harsher punishments for those who have committed sexual offences against women and childrenEarlier we explored how effective this bill would be and in this report midday spoke to experts who stated that the nations approach to womens safety still has significant inadequacies They suggested that there is still a large gap between policies on paper and their realworld executionThe current state of womenrsquos safety in IndiaWomenrsquos safety initiatives have gained more attention in recent years with governments introducing schemes like the Nirbhaya Fund setting up fasttrack courts for sexual violence cases and launching emergency helplinesWhile the government through the Indian Penal Code and several Acts like POCSO Criminal Law Amendment of 2013 and other legislations with the most recent being Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita have introduced stringent laws against sexual violenceSpeaking to middaycom Mumbaibased activist Hasina Khan said that while laws in India exist that deal with crimes against women especially sexual violence however these bills have loopholes she saidThe laws were passed in a hurry with minimum interaction with the experts and thence they have loopholes Particularly speaking about sexual violence we should check the method of implementation of the bills said the founder of the Bebaak CollectiveMeanwhile Akhil Neelam the cofounder of the Centre for Gender and Politics focusing on womens safety said There are gaps in addressing safety in public spaces and for women in nontraditional work environmentsHe added While existing policies like the POSH Act have laid a foundation for addressing womens safety in workplaces implementation remains a significant challenge Weve observed instances where companies seek POSH training certificates without conducting actual training undermining the policys effectivenessWhat do records sayThe National Crime Records Bureau NCRB data showed a steady rise in the total number of crimes against women in India over the last decade In 2013 there were 223652 cases reported and by 2022 this figure had increased to 445256When focusing specifically on rape cases the numbers have also seen a consistent increase In 2013 22871 cases of rape were reported and this number rose to 35600 in 2022 The year 2021 saw the highest number of reported rapes with 35603 cases Although there was a slight dip in 2020 the overall pattern remains one of concernSpeaking on Mumbai the city saw 5543 instances of rape get documented with a steady increase reaching 7456 by 2022 Although there was a modest decrease in 2020 to 7023 cases the overall trend has been one of constant growthSimilarly in Maharashtra as a whole the number of rape grew from 39526 in 2013 to 58796 by 2022 The numbers have risen considerably year after year with 2020 indicating a slight decrease before continuing to rise in 2021 and 2022Gaps in government policiesResponding to a query on what her thoughts are on the implementation of laws concerning crimes against women Hasina Khan said that the methodology of its implementation needs to be looked atFor instance the budget allocation and infrastructure recommended under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 has been in shambles for quite some now Similarly in regard to sexual harassment a complaint can be filed within three months of the incident Meanwhile the implementation of the Internal Complaints Committee has not been uniform she saidTheres a need to examine how is the government utilising existing laws and infrastructureWe lack budget are inadequate to efficiently implement the existing laws We dont need new bills that constantly talk about capital punishment for sexual assault said KhanIt is crucial to examine how the government is dealing with genderbased violence and what is the state doing to deal with it Khan addedMeanwhile Adv Nausheen Yousuf responding to the writers queries said I believe a lot of times women need a support system at every stage they need to know their case interact with the prosecution so as to know the stage of it psychological support etc Though we have the law keeping up to it and even addresses victim compensation a lot more could be done here The societal stigma is something at the ground level which we all are grappling with the idea of ideal victims daunts every processShe further explained A lot needs to be done with sexual harassment at the workplace and domestic violence laws Usually people tend to undermine domestic violence its invisible part of life sadly acceptable and not taken as seriously as sexual violence Thats my major worry Articles are written about sexual violence whereas domestic violence victims are forgotten Though its a more severe and intense and deep issueWhen asked whether the lawswhich deal with crimes against womenare inclusive or not Khan said that she does not think present laws and policies are inclusivePoliticians use womens issues as political tools for their advancement said Khan and added that the women want quick redressal of their complaints adequate infrastructure and others When the government provides us with all thats when well be their ladki bahins she quippedSuggestions for improvementTo fill the gaps in womenrsquos safety plans activists and experts have proposed several actionable steps that the government can consider These suggestions focus on enhancing existing policies improving enforcement and fostering a cultural shiftWe believe our legislators can set an example by establishing clear legal protections for women in political spaces This can be achieved by strengthening existing laws such as explicitly including political parties under the POSH Act or creating specific legislation for this sector Akhil Neelam told middayHe further stated Additionally it should be mandatory for all political parties to establish Internal Complaints Committees to address issues of harassment and discrimination Improving data collection on genderbased violence and discrimination in political spaces is also essential to better understand the problem and implement effective solutionsMeanwhile Naushen Yousuf stated that firstly it is crucial to provide awareness and train officers to ensure they treat marginalised communities with fairness rather than neglectShe further stated that building confidence within these communities to approach legal forums is essentialSpeaking about the reforms the government can implement she said and added Starting with our legislators we must deny election seats to those facing accusations with pending cases There should also be a support system at every level of the legal processUnfortunately marginalised men often receive harsher punishments such as the death penalty while those from affluent backgrounds escape justice due to faulty investigations or misuse of evidence Even when marginalised individuals are accused the wealthy often have access to a fleet of lawyers highlighting the disparity in legal support The Nithari case is a clear example of this injustice while cases like Asarams reflect the slow legal processes We need to critically examine and address these issues to ensure true justice for all said Nausheen