[RSTV Summary] THE BIG PICTURE – VIOLENCE AGAINST

WOMEN
insightsonindia.com/2019/12/04/rstv-summary-the-big-picture-violence-against-women

December 4,
2019

[RSTV Summary] THE BIG PICTURE – VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Watch Video At: https://youtu.be/vrgb2-hT_hE

Introduction:

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 Every year 25th November is observed as International Day for the Elimination
of Violence Against Women and this year the theme is Generation Equality Stands
Against Rape. Violence against women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality ,
development , peace and fulfillment of women and girls’ human rights. According to a
WHO report one in every three women and girls experience physical or sexual
violence in their lifetime most frequently by an intimate partner. As per the NCRB
data in India cruelty by husband or his relatives accounted for the highest number
of cases recorded in the crime against women category in 2017. Safety and security
of women has been accorded top priority by the govt in India and several steps have
been taken over the years to tackle this issue.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (IDEVAW)

It is observed every year across the world on 25 November.

The aim is too raise awareness about violence against women and girls, end
violence against women. It also seeks to show that prevention is possible against
violence of women.
The 2019 theme for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against
Women is ‘Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape’
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was instituted by
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in December 1999.
This day is commemorated in memory of Mirabal sisters who were three political
activists from Dominican Republic. They were brutally assassinated during the
Rafael Trujillo dictatorship (1930-1961) in 1960.

Violence against women- definition:

The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women issued by the UN

General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based
violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or
suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of
liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”

Alarming Figures:

1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime,

most frequently by an intimate partner.
Only 52% of women married or in a union freely make their own decisions about
sexual relations, contraceptive use and health care.
Worldwide, almost 750 million women and girls alive today were married before
their 18th birthday; while 200 million women and girls have undergone female
genital mutilation (FGM).
1 in 2 women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or family in 2012; while
only 1 out of 20 men were killed under similar circumstances.
71% of all human trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls, and 3 out of 4
of these women and girls are sexually exploited.
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 Violence against women is as serious a cause of death and incapacity among
women of reproductive age as cancer, and a greater cause of ill health than traffic
accidents and malaria combined.

How grave the situation is? Why we must eliminate violence against women?

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread,
persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today, remains
largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.
In general terms, it manifests itself in physical, sexual and psychological forms,
encompassing:
Intimate partner violence (battering, psychological abuse, marital rape,
femicide).
Sexual violence and harassment (rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual
advances, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment, stalking,
cyber- harassment).
Human trafficking (slavery, sexual exploitation).
Female genital mutilation.
Child marriage.
The violence which goes unnoticed apart of physical and sexual violence is the
emotional and mental violence that women face.
The biggest share of this violence goes to husband or in-laws.
A lot of violence is also faced by girls at workplace and at home.
Violence against women at home never gets accounted.
Now, women have reached space but the ground realities are still down.
Despite after women getting education, they continue to be considered as unequal
sex.
Girls face discrimination even before they are born.
The sex ratio itself is the indicative of violence against girl foetus.

Legal Provisions:

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) law was enacted to

protect the minors. This is one of the first laws which is gender neutral.
The Indian Penal Code has many stringent provisions in itself. After the Nirbhaya
case, amendments were made in the code in 2013 on the recommendations of
Justice Verma committee. The amendments have made the code further
stringent.
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and
Redressal) Act (POSH Act) was enacted in 2013 as a comprehensive legislation to
provide a safe, secure and enabling environment, free from sexual harassment, to
every woman.

In what ways does it affect women who have faced it?

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 The adverse psychological, sexual and reproductive health consequences of affect
women at all stages of their life.
For example, early-set educational disadvantages not only represent the primary
obstacle to universal schooling and the right to education for girls; down the line
they are also to blame for restricting access to higher education and even translate
into limited opportunities for women in the labour market.
While gender-based violence can happen to anyone, anywhere, some women and
girls are particularly vulnerable – for instance, young girls and older women,
women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex, migrants and
refugees, indigenous women and ethnic minorities, or women and girls living with
HIV and disabilities, and those living through humanitarian crises.
Violence against women continues to be an obstacle to achieving equality,
development, peace as well as to the fulfillment of women and girls’ human rights.
The girl who faces any kind of violence carries it with her and it becomes the
generational thing
All in all, the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – to leave no
one behind – cannot be fulfilled without putting an end to violence against women
and girls.

Suggestions:

Awareness about gender equality and women’s rights should be instilled in boys
and girls from a very early age in order to bring about a change in the mindset of
the future generation.
Stigma attached to victims of violence should be removed by conscientising the
community through outreach programmes.
Legal literacy camps should be conducted on a regular and systematic basis at the
local community level.
Domestic violence should be recognized as a health issue
The prevalence and the health consequences of violence should be documented
Proper Counseling
There should be a special court with a woman judge and magistrate in each
district to handle domestic violence cases
Government should ensure proper enforcement of existing laws.
Police should be trained to be respectful and courteous to women in distress.
Media should be used to sensitise the officials and the public about violence so as
to develop a positive attitude towards women in general, and women victims, in
particular
Strengthening research and research capacity to assess interventions to
address partner violence.

Way Forward:

We need to provide children with greater parental guidance.

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 In families, there should also be a relationship of authority and respect between
parents and their children.
Women should be respected at home. When women are respected at home,
then children also learn about the importance of respecting women. Parents
cannot treat their sons and daughters differently.
People should be made about Zero FIR.
The state has to work towards making people aware of laws like POCSO Act,
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act etc. The state should also make
the penalties of not abiding by these laws clear to the public.
Gender-sensitization programmes should also be started for males of family,
police personnel, medical fraternity etc. Police apathy, especially when a woman
approaches the police should be worked upon.
Encourage and adopt family focused practices that promote equal access for
both girls and boys to high quality education, and ensure opportunities to
successfully complete schooling, and to making educational choices
Students should be taught to engage in community activities so that they
understand realities and also understand how to cope up with realities.
Community get-togethers should also be encouraged so that people get to know
each other. Neighbours should also get to know their neighbours. Community
activities should be encouraged.

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