Being a Woman in India: The Forever Lacking State of Women’s Safety
Traveling in a nearly empty bus because you need to reach home before dark…. sleeping in your room where you should feel safe…. hanging out with friends at a club…. maybe you are alone at a club….. you mind your own business while walking down the street….. you are with your spouse in your house….. you are working late at night and have to travel back through a nearly empty road….. you are a kid who is sitting in a room with a family member….. or you are studying in the conference hall…
When you think of all these instances.. what is the one common assumption that comes to your mind? It is difficult to pinpoint one common thing in all, right? Well, these are all situations where women and girls have been harassed and assaulted. Women’s safety has been and still, unfortunately, continues to be a major concern around the world, and especially so, in our country.
The National Crime Records Bureau has recorded an alarmingly persistent increase in the incidences of crimes against women from 2020 to 2023. In 2022 alone, 4,45,256 cases of Crimes Against Women were reported- this means approximately 51 cases are reported per hour. This is the bleak reality for many women in India and may pose many restrictions on women socially, financially, psychologically, and more.
As a psychologist and a woman, I always look at these statistics and wonder about psychological, social, and physical health consequences. Women shoulder the burden of these crimes committed on them and then they carry the visible and invisible scars they didn’t ask for (if they survived). India seems to be one of the countries where you can worship goddesses and pass down stories of their strength but then tear women down in inhumane ways.
According to the United Nations General Assembly, Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, 1993, violence against women and girls is understood 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.”
This can take physical, sexual, and psychological forms that encompass different manifestations of intimate partner violence like psychological abuse, battering, femicide, and marital rape. An important thing to note is that in India, marital rape isn’t even considered a crime despite its deleterious effect on the victim.
Violence against women can also manifest as different forms of sexual violence and harassment like rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual advances, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment, stalking, and cyber-harassment). Human trafficking (including slavery, and sexual exploitation), female genital mutilation, and child marriage are also other variations of violence against women and girls. These transgressions remain mostly unreported due to stigma, shame, and social pressure to be silent. Many times, this violence is normalized or trivialized, thus, making perpetrators immune to punishments.
We can acknowledge that everyone can be exposed to violence and abuse irrespective of their gender, sexuality, socio-economic status, religion, or other variables. However, certain groups of people can become disproportionately more vulnerable to different forms of violence and discrimination than other groups. Acknowledging this reality is equally important for systemic changes to be implemented.
India and Violence Against Women
The recent incident where a junior doctor in West Bengal’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital was raped, brutalized, and killed has shaken the country yet again. But not only that, but very recently a 33-year-old nurse from Uttarakhand was raped and murdered as well- she was returning from work when this happened.
Back in July, there was another report of a 24-year-old woman from Hyderabad who was raped by her childhood friend and another associate when she threw a party to celebrate her new job.
Yesterday, there was another report of a 13-year-old girl being raped by a 21-year-old man. He allegedly contacted the video on social media and then kidnapped and assaulted her in Andheri and then in Gujarat. The accused has been taken in under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act under sections 4, 8, and 12 (for kidnapping and rape).
There was a report on 23rd August about a 14-year-old girl in Assam who was raped by three men and then thrown by the roadside and near a pond. She was rescued by the locals and is currently recovering
But these are not the only incidents where women and girls are assaulted — many go unreported or forgotten (even if they are reported). The alarming thing is that the reports mentioned here aren’t even the tip of the iceberg. We have become so desensitized to seeing news reports of assaults and rapes that it takes crimes on the scale of violent murders to shake the country.
Many newspaper reports written between 2018- 2023 have mentioned the NCRB report further, sharing that, one incident of rape is reported every 16 minutes. A very high 96% of the rapes are committed by people known to them.
But the issue with reports of sexual violence against women is more than just about the statistics. Many victims of sexual assault feel ashamed, scared, threatened, or discouraged (by family or other loved ones) to report or talk about their assault. This leads to underreporting and perpetuates a stigma against victims (while protecting the men who commit those crimes). Victims feel more isolated by the social repercussions that they don’t deserve which makes the wounds deeper.
Psychosocial Impact on Victims
Gender-based violence is very complex since it not only threatens women’s mental health and well-being in general, but it can also change how they view themselves and interact with others. Violence against women has long-term consequences on women’s self-identity, and sexuality and perpetuates gender-based power relations.
It doesn’t need research to attest to the trauma that assault, harassment, and violent attacks can cause to the victims. However, research has shown that women who experienced sexual violence were facing mental disorders like anxiety, sleeping disorder, acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and self-blame.
Many victims of sexual assault are at risk of being re-victimized and are fearful of that possibility (which is completely understandable), they may also develop substance use disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, somatic disorders, schizophrenic spectrum disorders, or sexual dysfunctions because of the abuse.
Violence against women, specifically sexual assault/violence can have pervasive effects on their self-worth, and self-image. Survivors also start experiencing low self-confidence and self-respect.
While post-traumatic growth is a positive change that survivors may experience, this might be more difficult to achieve for survivors of sexual assaults/violence than for other forms of trauma (as per some studies).
What do perpetrators think about their victims?
Perpetrators usually start finding excuses and justifications after committing the crime, which makes it even more painful for victims, especially since the majority of violent crimes, especially sexual assault, are committed towards victims they know (in some capacity). The opinions and values surrounding consent, and their transgressions start forming from a very young age. This also means that there has to be a particular focus on educating children and adolescents about boundaries, mutual respect, and taking responsibility for their actions; that’s not all, it is equally necessary to be better role models at family, social, and administrative levels. But even these measures aren’t foolproof because most perpetrators feel entitled to sexual gratification from victims and shift the blame on them for the assault. Not only that, but many perpetrators do also not view their victims with sensitivity and equal respect (which isn’t surprising because shaming women, questioning their part — whether it be the clothes they were wearing, the people they were socializing with, etc.- are part of deflecting the blame).
Conclusion
The sexual assault and murder of Dr. Moumita Debnath at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital wasn’t a one-off incident, what happened to Nirbhaya back in 2012 wasn’t one either. As you will read this article, there may be more sexual assaults occurring in this country. Strict laws with specific regard to imparting thorough and quick justice are essential. We must be more mindful about not shaming victims or shifting blame on them because that may discourage them from reporting the crime.
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