Women's Perspectives on Rape in India

Cary Friday B Block Women’s Perspective of Rape in India In India, thousands of cases of rape are reported each year, but only a small percentage of them are taken to court. Despite being able to speak openly about sexual harassment, not enough is being done to legally address and prevent these acts of violence; and most men are uneducated as to what constitutes sexual harassment.

After years of having suffered many acts of abuse, women in modern India who are sexually harassed face an ongoing struggle of trying to attain effective legal help from the government. Instead of having strong police forces behind them, some women are beginning to stand up for themselves in order to fight against the crimes committed against them.

Many women all throughout India are aware of the abuse taking place around them, but are struggling to find ways to deal with the issues. Having to admit to having been raped is hard for some women, which is why some cases of sexual assault remain unreported. Somali Khan, a women from India explains how it is hard for women to have the urge to report abuse, “[Women] didn't feel confident to go out of the household, to complain to either an NGO or to some legal officer, seek counseling.” 1 Feeling unsafe after abuse makes it more difficult to battle these crimes because less people will know when they are committed. Women are also deterred from reporting abuse because when officials are approached, little is done legally to help them.

According to Indian National Crime Records Bureau, 24,206 rape cases were registered in India in 2011 but only 5,724 people were convicted for the crime.

Similarly, in 2010, 22,172 rape cases were registered while the number of convicted persons for the crime was 5,632. 2 In just two years, over 45,000 cases of rape were recorded, and the number of women

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2

Ranjana Kumari. “An Awakening in India to Scourge of Violence Against Women” interview by Fred Lazaro. India. (October 24, 2012), accessed May 15, 2013 , http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/jan-june13/indiawomen_04-01.html.

"Pakistan: India Shame: 68,000 Rape Cases in 2009-11; Only 16,000 Convicted," Right Vision News, Feb 05, 2013, accessed May 15, 2013 http://search.proquest.com/docview/1283829965?accountid=12012.

who are being raped steadily rises each year. The fact that this amount of abuse occurs is disturbing in itself, but what is even more alarming is that only a quarter of the offenders are being convicted. When women are not legally protected against rape, men who have committed these horrid acts can easily become multiple offenders.

Without being punished by law, men who have abused women will not face any major consequences, and in turn, they can continue their offenses. Ranjana Kumari, who is the head of, “The Delhi Based Center for Social Research” explains, “There are 95,000 cases of rape are pending at different levels of the court system. We know that seven to nine years it takes to get a conviction.” 3 This statement shows how it still takes years to become one of the 25% of males convicted of rape, so even they have time to become multiple offenders as well. This leaves women entirely powerless, and without the government to turn to.

Despite having very little legal help, women are still able to turn to each other. The idea of discussing sexual abuse freely was unheard of in India years ago, but currently, this information is freely accessible. Fred Lazaro, reporting in India, states how, “…[rape] is in the news almost every day.”4 With stories of abuse being brought forward, many women are seeing the misogyny that occurs around them and feel outraged. Women activists in India hope that the spread of information can help educate other women to speak out for their rights as well.

A group called, “The Red Brigade” is composed of women in India who have been angered by the crimes committed against women, and want to fight back. When a group’s leader hears about an account of abuse, “Sometimes the Red Brigade will ask the police to get involved, but if all else fails they take matters into their own hands.” 5 After not being able to rely on the police, women are beginning to work with each other. By teaching women ways act out against oppression, the government will have no choice but to notice the thoughts and actions of The Red Brigade. A woman named 3

Ibid. ibid.

5 Gethin Chamberlain, "World: Don't Push Your Luck with the Red Brigade: Indian Women Fight Back Against Sex Abuse: A Female Self-Defence Group in a Provincial City has a Simple Message for Male Tormentors: Show Us Respect Or Else, Writes Gethin Chamberlain," The Observer, (Apr 07, 2013), accessed May 15, 2013, http://search.proquest.com/docview/1324326786?accountid=12012.

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Usha Vishwakarma, who leads this group, was almost raped by a schoolteacher when she was 18. Recently, she has started an all girl school that not only provides general education, but also teaches its students about how to use self-defense for safety. By educating other women, those who are a part of The Red Brigade believe that they have the ability to change the treatment of women for better.

The publicity of rape in India is growing rapidly, but the rates in which these crimes are dealt with remain low. Many women are left defenseless and with no one to turn to, as the government has proven to be unreliable in most cases of sexual assault.

Some women in India are voicing their opinions as well as literally fighting back against men who threaten other women. It is important that women are able to find ways to support themselves, but in order to face the issue of rape in a widespread and effective manner, help from the government is needed.