As per the latest data from NCRB, the crime against women rose from 41.7% to 53.9% between 2011 and 2015 up to 3,27,394 cases were reported in 2015 alone, 4,437 cases attempted rape, 59,277 kidnapping 7,634 dowry deaths and a whopping 1,13,403 cases of domestic cruelty among others.
BUT SURELY YOU ARE NOT SHOCKED
every news report following a rape or sexual assault begins or ends with these statistics.
As an individual, if you have always wanted to make a difference to the alarming scenario of women's safety in India( but did not know how to)- here's a 5-step starter kit.
(1) KNOW YOUR BASIC RIGHTS
when it comes to reporting a crime several women hesitate in filing a report, fearing social backlash, family dishonor or insensitive law officials. This naturally awards a sense of impunity to sexual offenders who are tempted to go even further next time. Whenever possible therefore it's important to arm ourselves with the laws and rights at our disposal. For instance, the zero FIR ruling by the Supreme Court states that a rape victim can register her complaint from any police station. She can also file this report online or through registered Post.
(2)DENOUNCE VICTIM BLAMING
Blame,shame and backlash are the main reasons why most women hesitate to press assault charges shaming the women for her clothes, her lifestyle or simply the place she happened to be at the time of crime is knee-jerk reaction with damaging repercussions 'she deserves it because she's a sex worker, or she was hanging out with boys and wearing shorts' are convenient narratives spun by a patriarchal society, which arm to shift blame from the perpetrator to the victim. This lies at heart of rape culture and is by the far the biggest way we fail these brave enough to report a crime it goes without saying that we must end this toxic and dangerous practice of victim blaming if we are to make this is safer, saner and more respectful society for women.
(3)HAVE THE TALK WITH YOUR FAMILY
This is particularly crucial when you consider that over 90% of rapes reported in India are committed by people familiar to the victim, including relatives, neighbors, and employers. To create an equal as well as safe space for women it's important to drive change right from an early age. Children, after all, follow by example. We instruct our daughters to watch out for dangers on the road, but often forget to teach our sons something as basic a consent and accountability as consequences we raise girls who lack confidence and boys who think they can get away with anything a recipe for disaster if there was ever one.
The next time you find yourself saying 'boys will be boys' take a moment to reconsider you may be part of the problem
From chowmein and cell phones to hostel curfews politicians over the past several years have found many innovative things to blame for the high incidence of crime against women. While may laugh over them, these sentences ultimately reflect that authorities have neither learnt to take the crimes seriously nor handle them sensitively to make things worse these ridiculous notions often distract up from outraging over a rape, we merely move on to outraging over stupidity rather than shake our heads and carry on, next time point out how all this nonsense prevents us from rectifying the sorry state of women's safety in India.
(5)DON'T FORWARD THAT RAPE JOKE
We often let issues like gender inequality take a backseat because the problem and complex for any one individual to tackle. However, there is one thing you can personally do to make sure that things don't get worse and that is to stop forwarding, creating or share incentives content among others.
Rape Jokes are not funny. Do not forward them even for a laugh and definitely reprimand those who do. Some logic holds For sexist jokes and forwards passed around on family groups as well as Bollywood chartbusters that celebrate harassment as love. Point out how much jokes songs and ideas create a culture of misogyny and objectification, ultimately creating the world where men presume that 'no' only means they must try their luck again.
Reacting after a crime is only natural whether you post your opinion online or to take to the streets in protest what might work are smaller practical steps that are less exciting than a candlelight march but infinitely more useful in the long run.
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