Jubel D’Cruz
In this present scenario, women are seen as a sex object that anyone and everyone are ready to play with. Why a woman is raped, harassed, humiliated and eve-teased? Is it only because she is a woman? In 80 to 90 per cent cases, the accused is known to the victim. For instance, 27 per cent of rapes are committed by neighbours, 22 per cent involves the promise of a marriage, and 9 per cent are committed by family members and relatives.
Many a times, the victims do not come forward to file a FIR against her family members and relatives, as it might tarnish the reputation of the family. From the abortion of female fetuses, child marriage and dowry killings to rape and domestic violence, Indian women face multiple threats, largely due to deep-rooted attitudes that view them as inferior to men. When a woman gets married, sometimes she is mentally and physically harassed by her husband and in-laws for the sake of dowry.
There is no safety for our women under the democratic government in our country. A lot of cases of rapes and murders are reported everyday in the print and electronic media and the culprits are freed soon after their arrests. Even the police are not trained and sensitized to handle sexual crimes in our country.
Even though the government has amended anti-rape laws to rapists for girls below the age of 12 years, crimes against them continue to rise unabated. Already there is a huge backlog of rape cases in court. Due to snail paced justice delivery system, women have to wait for a long period of time to get justice. It is rightly said that justice delayed is justice denied. Instead of amending laws, there is a need to create awareness in the society about respecting women.
The gruesome and heinous rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata on August 9 has left me and many others heartbroken and angry. This tragedy is a painful reminder that violence against women is not limited to just one country – it is something women everywhere, from the richest to the poorest nations, fear every day.
The words 'protect your daughter' are said and heard very frequently. However, ‘educate your son' is hardly ever voiced. This imbalance reveals the ongoing failure to address key aspects of gender equality and respect. To break this cycle, we must prioritize educating boys about respect and equality. From an early age, girls are taught to be cautious and compliant, constantly reminded of their potential vulnerability. In the meantime, boys are repeatedly given unchecked free rein, without understanding how their behaviour can affect others. This difference in upbringing furthers a culture where gender-based violence escalates. Boys must learn from an early age that their rights do not include the power to control or harm others. Such education is indispensable to tearing down the harmful cycle of toxic masculinity that continues violence against women.
In my knowledge, the punishment for a rapist should be harsher than death. He should live a grim life that makes him believe that death is better than life, yet he will not get it easily. He should be made to suffer by either breaking his limbs or deforming him in a manner that makes it difficult for him to live a decent life. Implementing these measures, in my view, could significantly reduce the fear that women face, both day and night.
In the words of actress Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson of Paris, "Rape is not just a physically violent act perpetrated against one victim, it is an assault on humanity.”