Women safety: Instead of moving forward, we are regressing

Near constant reports of violence against women in India since the tragic death of December 16/12 gang rape  victim two years ago, as well as the surrounding discourse both in the public media and private drawing rooms are of great concern, to say the least. It feels that instead of moving forward, we are regressing by the day. Although there is an increase in the reporting of crimes against women, we are falling woefully short in ensuring women’s safety across India. Instances of violence against women across the country are reported nearly every day in the media, which has certainly led to greater awareness among the public, but the heart of the matter is that women in India still do not feel safe neither outside nor inside their homes.

To get to the root of the problem, we must further answer the question, “What is violence?” Does violence only equate to the the instances of extreme physical abuse such as rape? Or is it also the myriad "‘normalised" forms of violence, including non-verbal and non-physical forms of violence, which women and girls experience on an everyday basis? Leering expressions, unwanted sexual advances and even irrational restrictions from within the community: such impositions restrict women from exercising their choices in personal, as well as in professional matters every single day.

These experiences of violence cannot be backed with a medical report, which may result in arrest or even trial of the perpetrator, but this violence is nonetheless very real to the women and girls who experience it, almost everyday. As a result, women feel they are left with limited choices and often resort to violence in an act of self-defence. Such violence clearly shows desperation on the part of girls who are repeatedly subjected to sexual harassment and restrictions in one form or another as they have lost faith in the system or authorities to grant them safety in public space. The law makers and law enforcing machinery must work together to understand and develop a better understanding of the broad ways in which women experience violence.

This expanded scope of violence is very well-articulated in the Justice Verma Commission report, which includes such subtle-yet-painful forms of molestation. Instead of holding the victim responsible and subjecting them to further trials and tribulations, the authorities would do well if they analyse the root cause of increasing attacks on women. We as a society have still not learnt how to sensitively deal with the issue of violence against women — even if a crime is reported, the victim’s ordeal does not end. Invariably girls are put in a situation where they are made to explain things that cannot be explained — there is a dearth of sensitivity and respect toward the victim, which reflects societies’ views on violence and further feeds the cycle of violence.

Poor implementation of laws and maintenance of safety measures installed for the purpose of safety and security also leave women and girls vulnerable to violence. Whether it is the women helpline numbers, regular patrolling, surveillance of vulnerable places or sexual harassment committees at workplaces; there is no mechanism to ensure the security system is functional and updated on a regular basis - a missed opportunity to protect women and monitor progress. Additionally, there is no evidence to prove that the laws designed to protect women are actually being followed as crime against women in crowded public spaces is still on the rise. In fact, prevention of crimes against women in public space is all about anticipation – know in advance the vulnerable spots and put in place preventive measures. For instance, when the authorities delineate "vulnerable" or "unsafe zones" in a city, they must also ensure that those zones are monitored closely and women who are within those zones are provided adequate safety.

We know that one of the most effective ways to anticipate violence is to simply listen to women and girls. In order to make any progress, we must instil in them the confidence that they can - and should - approach police if they feel unsafe. When taking down a report, police must conduct interview with utmost discretion, respect and with sensitivity. Public discussions are mostly effective in sensitising both the society and civil servants about the ordeal of the victim. Furthermore, as a country where women are frequently oppressed, the role of NGOs and civil society groups must be recognised not just for counselling the victim but also for spreading awareness to help prevent such incidents in the future. Civil society groups should be treated as partners in creating a fair, stable and progressive society.

We must collectively make it our responsibility to prevent violence against women in public and domestic spaces. Capital punishment and bans are just ways of shirking responsibility. All the efforts made to boost economic progress and technologies go to waste, when the outdated surveillance system fails to ensure safety for half the population in this country? It’s long past time, we stand up and ensure women can use public spaces without fear or threats to their safety. The message should be loud and clear: Women, too, are equally entitled to use public spaces with dignity and respect.