THE NIRBHAYA MOVEMENT

CONTENT
 INTRODUCTION
 SUMMARY OF THE CASE
 BACKGROUND
 SOCIAL IMPACT
 POLLITICAL IMPACT
 LEGAL IMPACT
 CHANGES
 ENFORCEMENTS
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCES
 INTRODUCTION
 On the dark and cold night of December 16, 2012, a 23-year-old woman was brutally assaulted
and raped in a moving bus in south Delhi.
 After the attack, she was thrown out from the moving bus. She was noticed by a passerby, who
informed the police and was taken to Safdarjung Hospital, where her doctors were shocked to
only find five percent of her intestines remaining.
 In her statement, she mentioned that she wanted justice against the six men who did this to her but
she succumbed to her injuries on December 29, 2012 in Mt.Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore with the
cause of death - sepsis with multiple organ failure following multiple injuries
 This incident led to widespread demonstrations and protests across the country and shook the
conscience of the entire nation.
 As rape laws in India don’t permit using the victim's name in the media, she was called
“Nirbhaya” which meant “fearless”
 SUMMARY OF THE CASE
The Nirbhaya case refers to the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old
physiotherapy student, Jyoti Singh Pandey, in Delhi, India, in December 2012. She
was brutally assaulted by six men on a bus, leading to massive public outrage and
protests across India. The perpetrators were arrested and convicted, with four of
them sentenced to death, one committing suicide in jail, and another juvenile
sentenced to three years in a reform facility. The case sparked national and
international discussions about women's safety, rape culture, and the need for
stricter laws and societal change.
BACKGROUND
• Provoked unprecedented protests in India
• Harassment and violence against women
and girls in India came into international
spotlight
• Protest against the prevalence of violent
acts perpetrated against women
• Seven metro rail stations in New Delhi
were closed on 22 December to discourage
protesters from gathering at Raisina Hill
• The attack sparked wide spread protest and
a campaign by civil society group
• The protest against rape has
became a mass movement
 ARREST AND TRIAL
The Delhi Police launched a massive manhunt to apprehend the
perpetrators. All six assailants were arrested and charged with murder,
rape, and other offenses. The trial began swiftly, and the case was fast-
tracked due to public pressure. In September 2013, the four adult
defendants were found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death by
hanging. The juvenile defendant was convicted and sentenced to three
years in a reform facility, the maximum punishment under Indian law
for minors.
SOCIAL IMPACT OF
THE MOVEMENT
 There was no leader for this movement
 There was no common ideology shared by all the protestors
 Brought to light the extent of gender inequality and violence
against women throughout the country
 Helped to create greater awareness and social intolerance
towards gender crimes
 Brought a change to public conversations about women's
issues
 The taboo on discussing rape and sexual violence has been
broken
 The protests brought debates and discussions to our homes
 POLITICAL IMPACT
1. Legal Reforms: The case triggered widespread protests and demands for legal reforms to
address the issue of sexual violence. It led to amendments in existing laws related to sexual
offenses in India, including the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, which expanded the
definition of sexual offenses, increased penalties for such crimes, and introduced new offenses
like stalking and acid attacks.
2. Public Outcry: The case sparked massive public outrage and protests across India, with people
from various backgrounds demanding justice for the victim and stricter laws to prevent such
heinous crimes. Political parties were forced to respond to the public sentiment, and failure to
address the issue could lead to electoral consequences.
3. Women's Safety as Political Issue: The Nirbhaya case brought women's safety to the forefront
of political discourse in India. Political parties started incorporating issues related to gender
violence and women's rights in their manifestos and policy agendas. It became a key electoral
issue, with parties making promises to improve safety measures and address the root causes of
gender-based violence.
4. Impact on Political Careers: Politicians and government officials faced scrutiny for their
handling of the case, leading to resignations and calls for accountability. The public expected
swift action from political leaders in ensuring justice for the victim and implementing measures
to prevent similar incidents in the future.
5. Announcement of the ‘NIRBHAYA’ fund: Indian rupee 10 billion corpus announced by
Government of India in its 2013 Union Budget. The Finance Minister P. Chidambaram
expected the fund to support initiatives protecting the dignity and ensuring safety of women in
India.
 LEGAL IMPACT
 Fast Track courts have been set up for resolving cases of sexual
violence
 Reforms in management of cases related to crime against women
 A Rape Crisis Cell was set up. The Cell was to be immediately
notified when an FIR in relation to sexual assault was made
 FIRs could be made online- Members of the public who help the
victims should not be treated as wrong doers
 Policemen were being trained to deal with sexual offences
appropriately
 The Criminal Law Amendment Act of 2013- The ordinance provides
the death penalties in case of rape
 • The definition of rape included non-peno vaginal intercourse, which
was not the case earlier and all forms of non consensual sexual
activity constituted to rape.
 PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
The Nirbhaya case received extensive media coverage both within India and
internationally. The details of the brutal attack, the subsequent investigation, and
the trials were widely reported by news outlets, sparking public outrage and
protests across India. The victim's family also spoke out, advocating for justice
and reforms to improve women's safety. The case became a focal point for
discussions about gender violence, law enforcement, and societal attitudes towards
women. Despite appeals and petitions, the four adult convicts were executed by
hanging in March 2020, more than seven years after the crime. The execution
brought some closure to the victim's family and served as a deterrent for future
perpetrators .
What has changed?
Since 2013, there have been several rallies and
marches, Several awareness campaigns have
also been launched to educate the public about
issues related to gender violence, women's
rights, and legal recourse available to survivors.
These campaigns aim to challenge societal
attitudes that perpetuate violence against women
and promote gender equality and respect. here
has been a greater emphasis on community
involvement and collaboration in addressing
issues of sexual violence.
But, when we look at the comparative graph of
the past 10 years, the number of reported cases
hasn’t fallen much, such heinous crimes are still
happening
 ARE WE DOING ENOUGH?
These changes represent ongoing efforts to address the systemic issues underlying sexual violence
and create a safer environment for women in India. While progress has been made, challenges
remain in implementing and sustaining these reforms effectively. Continued commitment from
policymakers, law enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, and the public is essential to
ensure lasting change. Promoting gender equality and educating individuals about consent, respect,
and healthy relationships from an early age is crucial. Strengthening laws and ensuring swift and
effective prosecution of perpetrators is essential. This includes implementing harsh penalties for
rape and sexual assault, closing legal loopholes, and establishing specialized courts to handle such
cases promptly. Empowering women and marginalized communities through education, economic
opportunities, and leadership programs can help reduce their vulnerability to sexual violence.
Economic independence and social empowerment can enhance individuals' ability to assert their
rights and resist exploitation.
These are just some out of many necessary and imperative reforms that need to be taken.
 CONCLUSION
 In order to reduce violence against women we need to address the culture of gender inequality
and discrimination that is widespread in Indi.
 We need to educate men and women on women's rights under the law and work with
communities to develop a gender sensitive society that is underpinned by respect and equality
 2012 Global Gender Gap Report: - India rank 105 out of 135 countries
 Death sentence kills the criminal but never the crime
 Women must be educated, Youth must understand the dignity and value of women and Society
mindset needs to be reformed