A shocking bit of statistic hit us last week. There has been an 800% increase in rape cases in the last 40 years. Each passing decade should have been safer for women in a country that aspires to be a world leader. But India is today a more dangerous place for the fairer sex than it was ever before.
For Kiran (not her real name), it was almost a daily habit to stroll outside her home in south Delhi and chat with friends on her cellphone. She probably thought she had nothing to fear though the area where she lived had many single men, mostly students like her. Late last year, the girl from the northeast was raped and killed when she refused a neighbour's advances.
The accused later reportedly told a psychiatrist , "She used to talk on her phone about private matters in front of me. I felt if she's doing that, then she's become mine (Woh meri apni ho gayi)."
His response reflects one truth about modern India - the more it tries to change, the more it remains the same for its women. That seems to be the dark message from statistics released recently by the National Crime Records Bureau, which show that rape is India's fastest growing misdemeanour and has increased by 792% since 1971.
There are no class barriers here, though figures say rapes are more rampant in rural areas. The patriarchal mindset has always been the prime accused and nothing has changed in that respect, whether the criminals are well-shod , PhD students or poor rickshawallas. Today, though, "there are complex multiple forces at play which are causing increasing violence against women" , as Abha Bhaiya, founding member of Jagori, an NGO for women's empowerment in Delhi, says. "True, there's more awareness now and more reporting of sexual violence. More mothers are reporting about child abuse. But the fact is that the number of child rapes has increased. There are regressive forces at play. Women have become more assertive and men are not able to accept that and use heinous ways to punish them. Most of the rapes are done by people known to the victims , which says something about our society."
Activists say the laws have made little difference. "The generation of my parents said women have to suffer in silence. Today women feel they cannot take it anymore, but they are angry that the larger society does not take a stance," says Bhaiya.
With more women entering the workforce, emerging as professional competitors and exhibiting financial and emotional independence, the ill-feeling towards them has increased, say experts . "Modernity is impinging on closed systems ," says Dr Rajat Mitra, director of Swanchetan , an NGO that provides emotional support to survivors of violence and abuse. He feels the growing migrant workforce in the country is part of the problem. "These people carry forward their values and mindset, leading to a clash of cultures. Besides,women from small towns don't take the necessary precautions in big cities, adding to their vulnerability. Men have increased access to porn and other forms of stimulation, and have the feeling that they can get away with it, given the image the police have as those who can be paid off."
Mitra believes that lax law enforcement - and the low importance given to both rape as a crime and to counselling of victims - is contributing to the rise in sexual violence. "Counselling helps in reporting the case, pursuing it in court and getting the accused convicted." But, he says, there has been a decline in psychological services, which have been palmed off to local NGOs that don't have the expertise to deal with complex cases. The abysmal rate of rape convictions in India, about 27% in 2010, adds to the poor image of law enforcers and encourages those inclined towards sexual violence. A former member of the National Commission for Women recalls a case last year in which a rapist was allowed to go free on the basis of a compromise. "It reveals a lack of consistency in court judgments, subjectivity in the interpretation of the law and also adds to the pressure on the victim," she says. There have been shocking instances where victims have been asked to marry their violators. "If that's going to be the trend in courts, it's going to be bad," says the former NCW member. "Rape victims abroad never worry about who would marry them. But here, for victims from semi-urban families, the worry is 'Who will marry me' , and that her family would be ostracized," says Mitra.
This attitude discourages victims from seeking justice. Flavia Agnes, advocate and director of Majlis , a Mumbai-based NGO, is angry at the way some rape trials are held. "Medical evidence goes missing , very young victims are asked about the incident when they don't even fully understand what had happened, male defence lawyers make fun of the girls, the public prosecutor asks the victim questions in an uncomfortable manner (See 'I don't think I will get justice') . Even if one player fails to perform his role properly, the case falls apart."
Mitra agrees, saying rape trials in India can be quite primitive. "Some junior-level police officials discourage women from going ahead with the case, saying their case is not strong."
But additional DCP and Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat is inclined to blame social factors more for the rise in sexual violence - such as higher reporting of cases, the culture of anonymity in Delhi, women being raped on the pretext of marriage and the fact that a high percentage of rapists (97%) are known to the victims. "The involvement of strangers is going down," he says, hinting that the low conviction rate could be a fallout of the same factor.
The future looks both bleak and scary. As the number of girls continues to fall sharply in Indian villages and cities, thanks to generations of discrimination, activists worry that frustration and violence against women will only escalate.
The rape laws
In India, rape is defined as intentional, unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman, without her permission. In Brazil, it's unconsensual vaginal sex and in China, it's forcible coitus with women or by other means against their will. But in Sweden, where Julian Assange is facing trial for rape, it even applies to situations when someone wouldn't be capable of saying "no" . The definition was broadened in 2005 to include having sex with someone who is asleep, or someone who could be considered to be in a "helpless state"
For Kiran (not her real name), it was almost a daily habit to stroll outside her home in south Delhi and chat with friends on her cellphone. She probably thought she had nothing to fear though the area where she lived had many single men, mostly students like her. Late last year, the girl from the northeast was raped and killed when she refused a neighbour's advances.
The accused later reportedly told a psychiatrist , "She used to talk on her phone about private matters in front of me. I felt if she's doing that, then she's become mine (Woh meri apni ho gayi)."
His response reflects one truth about modern India - the more it tries to change, the more it remains the same for its women. That seems to be the dark message from statistics released recently by the National Crime Records Bureau, which show that rape is India's fastest growing misdemeanour and has increased by 792% since 1971.
There are no class barriers here, though figures say rapes are more rampant in rural areas. The patriarchal mindset has always been the prime accused and nothing has changed in that respect, whether the criminals are well-shod , PhD students or poor rickshawallas. Today, though, "there are complex multiple forces at play which are causing increasing violence against women" , as Abha Bhaiya, founding member of Jagori, an NGO for women's empowerment in Delhi, says. "True, there's more awareness now and more reporting of sexual violence. More mothers are reporting about child abuse. But the fact is that the number of child rapes has increased. There are regressive forces at play. Women have become more assertive and men are not able to accept that and use heinous ways to punish them. Most of the rapes are done by people known to the victims , which says something about our society."
Activists say the laws have made little difference. "The generation of my parents said women have to suffer in silence. Today women feel they cannot take it anymore, but they are angry that the larger society does not take a stance," says Bhaiya.
With more women entering the workforce, emerging as professional competitors and exhibiting financial and emotional independence, the ill-feeling towards them has increased, say experts . "Modernity is impinging on closed systems ," says Dr Rajat Mitra, director of Swanchetan , an NGO that provides emotional support to survivors of violence and abuse. He feels the growing migrant workforce in the country is part of the problem. "These people carry forward their values and mindset, leading to a clash of cultures. Besides,women from small towns don't take the necessary precautions in big cities, adding to their vulnerability. Men have increased access to porn and other forms of stimulation, and have the feeling that they can get away with it, given the image the police have as those who can be paid off."
Mitra believes that lax law enforcement - and the low importance given to both rape as a crime and to counselling of victims - is contributing to the rise in sexual violence. "Counselling helps in reporting the case, pursuing it in court and getting the accused convicted." But, he says, there has been a decline in psychological services, which have been palmed off to local NGOs that don't have the expertise to deal with complex cases. The abysmal rate of rape convictions in India, about 27% in 2010, adds to the poor image of law enforcers and encourages those inclined towards sexual violence. A former member of the National Commission for Women recalls a case last year in which a rapist was allowed to go free on the basis of a compromise. "It reveals a lack of consistency in court judgments, subjectivity in the interpretation of the law and also adds to the pressure on the victim," she says. There have been shocking instances where victims have been asked to marry their violators. "If that's going to be the trend in courts, it's going to be bad," says the former NCW member. "Rape victims abroad never worry about who would marry them. But here, for victims from semi-urban families, the worry is 'Who will marry me' , and that her family would be ostracized," says Mitra.
This attitude discourages victims from seeking justice. Flavia Agnes, advocate and director of Majlis , a Mumbai-based NGO, is angry at the way some rape trials are held. "Medical evidence goes missing , very young victims are asked about the incident when they don't even fully understand what had happened, male defence lawyers make fun of the girls, the public prosecutor asks the victim questions in an uncomfortable manner (See 'I don't think I will get justice') . Even if one player fails to perform his role properly, the case falls apart."
Mitra agrees, saying rape trials in India can be quite primitive. "Some junior-level police officials discourage women from going ahead with the case, saying their case is not strong."
But additional DCP and Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat is inclined to blame social factors more for the rise in sexual violence - such as higher reporting of cases, the culture of anonymity in Delhi, women being raped on the pretext of marriage and the fact that a high percentage of rapists (97%) are known to the victims. "The involvement of strangers is going down," he says, hinting that the low conviction rate could be a fallout of the same factor.
The future looks both bleak and scary. As the number of girls continues to fall sharply in Indian villages and cities, thanks to generations of discrimination, activists worry that frustration and violence against women will only escalate.
The rape laws
In India, rape is defined as intentional, unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman, without her permission. In Brazil, it's unconsensual vaginal sex and in China, it's forcible coitus with women or by other means against their will. But in Sweden, where Julian Assange is facing trial for rape, it even applies to situations when someone wouldn't be capable of saying "no" . The definition was broadened in 2005 to include having sex with someone who is asleep, or someone who could be considered to be in a "helpless state"
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