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The Uber
rape case is another reflection of the vulnerability of women in our society,
which is unwilling to accept men and women as equals.
This heinous sexual assault holds up a
mirror to Indian society’s aversion to a modern, self-assured woman who dares
to break the age-old mould of the submissive woman.
Our aspirations of emerging as an
economic and cultural superpower will come to nought as long as women continue to be victims of discrimination and violence in
our country.
It is a
matter of national shame that in a recent Thomas Reuters poll, India has been
ranked the 4th-most dangerous place for woman to take public transport and the
2nd-most unsafe country for women at night and for verbal harassment.
More
damningly, security for Indian women have not showed any improvement even two
years after the gruesome Nirbhaya rape and murder case. On average, 40 cases of
crimes against women are registered daily by the Delhi Police, including at
least 4 rape cases a day. The statistics
are no better in the rest of the country.
Gender Inequities Spur Violence
Against Women
The numerous
sexual assault and rape cases we read about daily point to an unravelling of the
dark side of the Indian society. It’s no secret how scores of Indian women living
in joint families have to silently endure sexual assault by family members. These
crimes are more often than not hushed up in the name of family honour.
Outside the
family set-up, women from so-called “lower castes” are molested and raped with
impunity by “higher castes” without any fear of censure or punishment.
Our cultural
mind-set vitiates against a fair treatment of women. Society aids and abets this
cultural prejudice by saying that our women need not be educated because their role
should be limited within the four walls of her house.
Now, as women
are coming out of their purdahs and ghungats to enter the workplace, this
male-centric view of society is being challenged.
Women were previously
asked to dress in a certain way, but now when they decide to dress differently they
are made to feel vulnerable.
Women were previously
expected to remain quiet, but now when they speak up they are made to feel
vulnerable.
India has Failed Her Daughters
In India, we
have pushed women to a position of extreme vulnerability by depriving them of
both societal and judicial protection.
Everybody
from law makers to law enforcers have failed to inspire trust in women. All they
have to show are policies and pronouncements, but nothing in terms of on-ground
action.
The implementation
of Vishakha guidelines that outline the duties of employers with respect to sexual
harassment/assault at the workplace have been patchy at best. Though Rs. 1000
crore Nirbhaya Fund has s no clarity yet on how the funds will be utilized to
bring about systemic change.
Except for a
handful of cases, I am yet to see the promise of easing the filing of FIRs in rape
cases and dealing with them in a time-bound manner through fast-track courts.
The
political establishment has also failed to set an example. Allegations of
sexual misconduct should be reason enough to bar a politician from holding
public office. Instead several politicians alleged to have been involved in rape
and other sexual crimes continue to hold ministerial berths in India. This sends
out a very wrong signal making a mockery of the administration and
belittling the gravity of sexual crimes
against women.
Exemplary Punishments Can Be
Deterrents
As long as we continue to be apathetic to the subject of sexual assaults, ‘safety’ will continue to elude women in the country.
Here, I must
point out that the corporate world in India has shown spine by taking a ‘zero
tolerance’ attitude towards sexual misconduct. Several head honchos like Phaneesh
Murthy (Infosys, iGate), Gopal Kanda (MDLR Airlines), Pradeep Srivastava (Idea
Cellular), Tarun Tejpal (Tehelka) and many others have been made to pay for their
erring ways.
If corporate
India has implemented a stringent Sexual Harassment policy in the work place,
why are the political class exempt?
Conclusion
Women in
India have a huge trust deficit today because neither society nor the government
has tried to build credible confidence. Women constantly feel vulnerable,
threatened and unsafe because there’s nothing to give them hope or trust that
something is being done to rectify the situation.
It is time we said enough is enough and do all that it
takes to create a society for women “where the mind is without fear and the
head is held high!”
