India’s Rape Crisis
TW: This article discusses rape, sexual assault, and violence.
In 2021, India’s National Crime Records Bureau documented 31,677 cases of rape– an average of 86 cases daily– and almost 49 cases of crimes against women were registered every hour. New Delhi, the capital of India, reported a 19% rise in sexual violence against women. Incidents of rape in New Delhi have risen to 7,887 cases from January to the end of July 2022, compared to the previous count of 6,747 in 2021. As the metropolitan city with the most rape cases, the national capital has been referred to as the “Rape Capital” of India. Considering the social stigma around registering rape cases and being labeled a “victim”, it can be understood that these alarming figures may underestimate India’s sexual violence epidemic.
Despite increasing efforts against rape cases from activists and advocates, combined with international attention, why is it that explicit rapes are still so prevalent in India?
Perhaps an answer can be found in India’s deep-rooted patriarchy, one that prioritizes men and emphasizes that “Women are usually considered second-class citizens," as Dr. Shruti Kapoor, a feminist activist and founder of the Sayfty Trust organization, highlights. Sayfty Trust organization works towards empowering women to speak against violence and educates them in effective self-defense methods. The establishment of such organizations helps overcome the negative effects of a persisting issue in Indian society: the perception of women as property required to meet ill-defined norms rather than capable individuals. It highlights that women in India face social expectations and barriers to their independence that make them much more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
Deep-rooted cultural and societal perceptions of women contribute and more importantly, sustain India’s rape culture. While one may argue that this viewpoint is outdated and no longer prevalent in urban centers, an interview conducted by ThePrint’s Shahbaz Ansar in 2019 with men on the streets of Delhi alarmingly highlights just how normalized this rape culture is.
When asked the question if rape is consensual, some of answers were as follows:
“Women are inviting rape. No one rapes without consent.”
“How can they be forced? If I am standing next to you, will you force yourself on me? Rapes can’t happen by force, a woman’s consent is there.”
“Such things are never one-sided.”
“It is common knowledge.”
It seems that anything being said to blame women for contributing to rape cases is being said in the name of supposedly preserving Indian culture. Women are respected and deemed as “goddesses” but are restricted to their homes. Simply just by their hairstyle or clothes, their morality and purity is judged. Thus, in order to achieve effective traction, one must first question the validity and fairness of society’s norms and expectations of women.
One such impactful time when the Indian government passed stricter legislation to further protect women against sexual crimes was in the aftermath of the heinous tragedy of the Nirbhaya case. In 2012, a 23 year old paramedical student in Delhi, was gang raped by 6 men on a moving bus. The excruciating details of the rape, which included (trigger warning) repeatedly using an iron rod and pulling out her intestines, are nothing but horrifying. The victim was given the name “Nirbhaya” (meaning fearless in Hindi), and as this case shook the nation and even international audiences, the horrors of the Nirbhaya case sparked nationwide protests which eventually helped pass the legislation. The victim’s mother, Asha Devi, set up a trust, Nirbhaya Jyoti Trust, to support victims and their families of sexual assault. One out of the 6 men unalived himself in police custody in 2013, 4 men accused were hanged on March 20, 2020, and the juvenile offender was released after the maximum 3-year sentence on December 20, 2015.
Even with the brutality of the Nirbhaya case, it took nearly seven years to gain legal closure, showing just how much time and support is required to try to seek justice through the judicial system. Unfortunately, brutal rapes as such are much more common than they are seen in national news, and the Nirbhaya case happened to be the one that made headlines. Brutal rapes continue to persist, as 8 month old children to 90 year old women remain victims of rape.
With that being said, is the decline of India’s sexual violence epidemic within reach?
From the efforts of organizations ranging from Delhi Women's Commission to NGOs and student-led organizations, it is clear that individuals have taken up the responsibility to make India a safer place for women.
But to escape this common circle of a rape case making national headlines, spurring nationwide protests, and victims hoping for some kind of effective legislative change, there must be widespread, collective effort to change the perception of women in India. Thus, in order to pursue permanent progress, we must overcome the root issue.
Rape will continue to exist when rape culture is sustained and perpetuated.
Sources:
https://www.dw.com/en/what-is-behind-indias-rape-problem/a-51739350
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APIAPD67Jds&t=142s&ab_channel=ThePrint