Violence Against Women: a State Level Analysis in India
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Violence Against Women: A State Level Analysis in India MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT Submitted By: Tanisha Khandelwal. M.Sc.(Applied Statistics). Symbiosis Statistical Institute, (Symbiosis International University, Pune) Submitted To: Mr. Rohit Parashar Consultant, MWCD. TABLE OF CONTENTS S.no. Content Page No. 1 Introduction 3 2 A Review of Literature 4-5 3 Data and Methodology 5-6 4 Discussion 6-19 (i) Index for Domestic Violence against Women in India 6-9 (ii)Index for Violence against Women in India 10-14 (iii)Index for Violence against SC/ST Women 15-19 5 Conclusion 19-21 6 Refrences 21-22 2 Violence Against Women: A State Level Analysis in India 1. Introduction The principle of gender equality has been enshrined in Constitution of India. Although women can be victim of any of general crimes such as murder, robbery, etc. but there are some gender specific crimes which are being characterized as crime against women, more specifically labeled as violence against women. The fear of violence can prevent women from pursuing education, working or exercising their political rights and voice. Violence against women causes suffering and misery to victims and their families and places a heavy burden on societies worldwide. It is a social construction based on a societal consensus about the roles and rights of men and women(Krahe Barbara,2017). Violence against women is a serious cause of concern as it also deprives women of their freedom and other safety rights which is a very bad indicator for any country’s development. From every region, women have grasped the power of social media to expose their pain and harm, including through use of the hashtags #MeToo, #NiUnaMenos, #BalanceTonPorc, #PrimeiroAssedio, #Babaeko and #WithYou(UN Women, 2018). Violence against Women in India is systematic and occurs in public as well as private spheres. It is underpinned by the patriarchial social-norms and inter and intra gender hierarchies. Women are discriminated against and subordinated not only on the basis of sex, but on the other grounds such as caste, class, ability, sexual orientation, tradition and other realities. That exposes them to a continuum of violence throughout the life cycle. The manifestations of violence against Women are a reflection of the structural and institutional inequality that is a reality for most women in India (Manjoo Rashida,2013). Most forms of violence are not unique incidents but are ongoing, and can even continue for decades. Because of the sensitivity of the subject, violence is almost universally under-reported (Watts Charlotte, Zimmerman Cathy, 2002). Young women, early in their careers, are among the least powerful in a workplace and commonly targeted by sexual abusers. Sexual harassment can be bound up with discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Racial and ethnic myths and expectations can also influence the sexual expectations, prejudices and entitlement that infuse sexual harassment. Thus, Violence against women is rooted in discrimination, inequality and share of power, making it challenging to address. Men and women who have not had opportunities to question gender roles, attitudes and beliefs, cannot change them. Women who are unaware of their rights cannot claim them. Governments and organizations without access to standards, guidelines and tools cannot adequately address these issues. Once evidence accumulates and awareness grows, the potential for stopping all forms of violence does too. Bonds have been forged between women who have named their abuse and those who have not been public about their abuse. They have inspired and strengthened each other, they have found comfort in the collective outing of their traumas and consequent harms. They have together challenged the norm of public silence and broken the pattern of women’s required acquiescence to sexualised expressions of gender inequality. In the Millennium Development Goals, unfortunately violence against women was not addressed. But now in Sustainable Development Goals, considering the sincerity of the issue, violence is addressed in a comprehensive way. The Sustainable Development Goals have been adopted by all governments of the world. No matter where we are, we have a common platform and a common agenda to address violence against women. The mid-year projected female population of India in 2016 as per NCRB report was approx. 614.24 Million. This study attempts to focus on prevalence of various forms of Violence faced by women in various sphere of life. 3 2. A Review of Literature Violence against women is not a new phenomenon, nor its consequences to women’s physical, mental and reproductive health. One in three women experience some form of physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Women and girls face far greater levels of vulnerability, marginalization and resulting violence, especially for those who experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, like widows, elderly people, as well as women whose sexual orientation someone decides is not acceptable. Violence against women and girls (VAW) is both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality. The issue of gender-based violence is at the heart of human rights. It is in fact in many ways a determining factor as to whether we can ever have a just society which is free of gender based discrimination and violence(UNDP,2018). The life trajectories of women are a major factor in the world’s future stability and prosperity. The lives of millions of women and girls around the world, are being stunted or halted by the violence that prevails in their everyday life. And because so much of this violence happens at home, for many of them there is nowhere to escape, nowhere to run to. A place where you call home, your refuge, is actually where you are most vulnerable. Another new challenge being faced by women is how technology is fuelling the trafficking of women, cyber bullying and many other forms of violence that is yet not being recognised. A baseline study revealed that in New Delhi, 92% of women had experienced some form of sexual violence in public spaces during their lifetime. In 2016, close to a third of total crimes reported against women in India was cruelty or physical violence by her husband or his relative. According to a study by UN Women organization, 23% of female undergraduate university students reported having experienced sexual assault or sexual misconduct in a survey across 27 universities in the United States in 2015. In a multi-country study from the Middle East and North Africa, between 40 and 60 per cent of women said they had experienced street-based sexual harassment (mainly sexual comments, stalking/following, or staring/ogling). Practices like early marriage are also widespread, particularly in low human development countries, where 39 percent of women aged between 20 to 24 were married before their 18th birthday ( UNDP,2018). Adult women account for 51 per cent of all human trafficking victims detected globally. Nearly three out of every four trafficked women and girls are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. At least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation in the 30 countries with representative data on prevalence (UN Women, 2017). Today, 49 countries still do not have laws that protect women from domestic violence. There are forms of violence where we have seen change, but because the different types of violence against women have such a big profile, it becomes a drop in the ocean(UNDP,2018). Femicide in Latin America is a serious challenge. Now 80 per cent of countries in that region have adopted a protocol, through which they are developing and designing common programmes so that they can enhance learning between and amongst themselves. Violence against Women is not a small problem that only occurs in some pockets of society, but rather is a global issue requiring urgent action. It is time for the world to take action: a life free of violence is a basic human right, one that every woman, man and child deserves. The Government of India has identified ending violence against women as a key national priority, which resonates with the Sustainable Development targets of the United Nations on gender equality. Goal 5 (Gender Equality) of SDG aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women in the public and private spheres and to undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources and access to ownership of property. Full implementation of this goal matters because it has the potential to transform unequal power relations between women and men and address structural barriers impeding progress. 4 The Prime Minister’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative aims at equal opportunity and education for girls in India. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has taken a number of initiatives to ensure safety and protection of women. One Stop Centres has been set up for support of women who face violent crimes. They provide access to an integrated range of services including police, medical, legal and psychological support. 3. Data and Methodology The Report presents a state level comparison of existing situation regarding Violence against women using three indexes listed as below: . Index for Domestic Violence Against Women . Index for Violence Against Women: . Index for Atrocities Faced by SC/ST Women The secondary data for the reported incidents for various forms of violence against women prevalent in India (29 states &7 UT) have been obtained through National Crime Records Bureau(NCRB) ,Crime Statistics- 2016. For calculating the SC/ST female population of 10 districts of Telangana, the data is obtained from the reports of District Census Handbook of Andhra Pradesh (as per census 2011). Calculation of crime rate: Crime Rate for various states and UT’s is calculated as crime committed against women per lakh female population.