The horrifying sight of women being paraded while unclothed in Manipur has striked a fatal blow to women’s protection and dignity in the country. This incident has also brought to the forefront the issue of women’s independence and freedom.
The entire occurrence in Manipur forces us to confront the notion that we are still ensnared by the bonds of division, extremism, hostility, and animosity. These chains are fastened by those who crave power, seeking to dominate us and make us subservient to their ideology and directives, which serve their dictatorial agenda rather than considering the well-being of humanity.
The propagation of violence and the instillation of fear have proven to be effective tools for authoritarian rule, and the nation finds itself under the grasp of this influence today. As is often the case, women bear the brunt of such situations.
Since independence, there are number of laws enacted for improving the condition of women. But the question to ponder upon is that are women really benefiting from all these laws? And if they are, why is there an increase in number of crimes against women each year as reported by NCRB?
NCRB data shows 13.13 lakh missing women in India—10.61 lakh above 18 and 2.51 lakh below 18, according to union ministry. The thriving tourism sector, like one found in Goa, contributes to this issue. The state conceals darker aspects like prostitution, escorts, and pornography, driven by sex tourism and trafficking of women from various regions, even abroad. A 2002-2003 National Human Rights Commission study by the Institute of Social Sciences highlights Goa’s highest incidents of trafficking among states, shedding light on this alarming problem.
Goa’s cheap and easily available alcohol, legal gambling opportunities and drugs affect women directly and indirectly.
A Recent report by state Government’s Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) of March 2022 said that there was rise in teenage pregnancies in Goa with youngest victim encountered was a 10-year-old.
Women’s Hotels and ashrams have been trade centres for illegal activities against women as found in the case of December 2017 Adhyatmik Vishwa Vidyalay ashram where hundreds of girls and women were drugged and raped for years.
Recent protests by women wrestlers has flagged some important and pending queries on the Indian sports administration. In sports sector too, harassment, molestation, and dress code issues are common which are mostly neglected. Rising use of nubile young girls as cheerleaders at international rugby and cricket events speaks volumes about how women are commodified on and off the field.
The sorry state of Women Journalists can be understood from recent stories of Tanushree Pande who had to face a hefty price costing her privacy for reporting in Hathras gang rape of Dalit women and exposing the duplicity of police burning the body of victim to get rid of evidence.
In February 2021, Dalit labour rights activist, farmers’ protest organizer Nodeep Kaur, was granted bail after being imprisoned on trumped up charges related to the farmers’ protest in Delhi.
She was allegedly physically assaulted as well as sexually abused whilst in prison.
The Indian Women’s Health Report 2021 highlighted that 90% of employed women encounter conflicts and health issues while juggling familial, personal, and professional responsibilities. Population control measures, involving contraceptive use and abortions, have inadvertently endangered women’s health. Although the root cause of resource scarcity lies in the unequal distribution of wealth, the misconception of population explosion often leads to misguided policies. As time progresses, the fallacy in this approach might become evident, prompting a realization of the natural progression of population growth similar to nations like China and then the burden of replenishing the population could once again disproportionately fall on women, compensating for years of loss.
The recent announcement of the Union Cabinet to increase the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21, makes controversial and interference in the personal lives and freedom of choice in marriages for girls, especially now where there is growing urge for partners at early age both for boys and girls.
September 2018 Ruling of Supreme court that Adultery with married woman will be unpunishable has further open more doors for crimes against women with clean chit to men who can malign the case to adultery even in case of forced rape thus weakening women’s stand. Supreme Court’s recent judgment to decriminalize prostitution, has also granted an open license to play with the life of girls and women
Regarding Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme, The Committee on the Empowerment of Women chaired by Maharashtra MP Heena Gavit tabled a report revealing its poor performance with 80% of the funds being used for advertising and not on sectoral interventions.
Under the pretence of women empowerment new laws are enacted and women are appealed emotionally by declaring them as ‘Historic Announcements’, which take Women on cloud nine.
When policies aim to empower women, they often falter by not truly understanding the root issue, its origins, and its consequences. This leads to a significant failure in providing lasting solutions. Furthermore, these policies frequently carry hidden agendas. Patriarchal entities manipulate women-centric laws, constitutional rights, funding, quotas, and empowerment initiatives for their own gain, rendering them perilous for women.
Only grants, policies and laws will not solve the age old issue of injustice to women but the rot in the society needs thorough cleansing. A society lacking in morality cannot effectively promote the well-being of its members. Morality finds its roots in qualities such as compassion, honesty, loyalty, genuine intentions, a positive outlook, and unselfish endeavours. These values are often nurtured through a firm faith in God and the dedicated pursuit of selfless actions to honor that Lord by preparing oneself for the day when everyone’s accounts would be presented to that Almighty Judge in His divine and just court. If the mentality of the human beings is developed based of these moral principles, there is hope to see a better India for women in coming years.
