Gender-based crime has become an integral part of the society across the world. Crimes against women are seen in various forms and its place of occurrence may extend from home to the community and beyond, and to the state machinery.
At present scenario, crime against women has become a major social concern for the society. The growing rate of gender-based crime has become one of the biggest challenges for our society.
Crimes against women are so rampant these days that we find at least one instance reported while we read the daily newspaper or flip through the television. To add to that, numerous such cases go unreported leaving behind trails of suppression, physical and emotional damages.
While such cases cannot be stopped in just a day, sensitization and quest for gender equality should be the way forward along with sincere pro-active steps and stringent laws.
On International Women’s Day, we may think of these small actions as baby steps for a gender-neutral society.
- Break the silence and always raise the voice against such crimes and report it.
- Gain basic awareness of the laws so that you are able to recognize when your rights are violated, and also to look for a solution.
- Get in touch with local women’s rights groups if you hear of any violence-related incident, or if you wish to attend or organize trainings on violence against women for your colleagues, friends and peers.
- Within an institution or organization you have a right to find out the processes in place to combat crime against women.
- To reduce crime against women at workplace, you have a right to know whether your office or college has set up a harassment redressal cell and the right to demand that such a cell is set up.
- Empowering women to protect themselves. It is important to know basic self-defense techniques for any crucial situations.
- Bringing awareness in the society is very important. Steps need to be taken to make people aware.
- Mindset of the people needs to change. They should understand that women are not sex object and they have equal rights and status in the society.
- We also need to understand that if a woman gets harassed, it is not her shame but the shame of the society she lives in as such a regressive mentality is present in the society.
- Social norms and traditions should not go against women’s rights. If it becomes an obstacle for women’s right, we need to change/correct it.
- A woman never asks her rights from the society, she deserves the right to equality to live in the society. Therefore, we need to correct our misconceptions.
- Education is one of the best tools to fight for women rights. Society should also ensure this from their side.
Along with these, the government machinery should also own up responsibility to reduce crimes against women. There are a lot of laws and provisions to save women rights. The ‘system’ needs to implement them properly and act seriously to fight against this social evil.
For this, the government needs to strengthen the laws and ensure that the citizens are made aware of the same. The role of police is immense as cases of violence are often un-reported. The victims should feel comfortable to approach police for help, which will make justice delivery better. A separate cell for women and helpline are necessary steps in this direction.
