Violence Against Women

 

 Know violence, educate self and others

According to data by the World Health Organization, one-third of women globally experience violence at least once in their lifetime. Physical violence, rape, sexual assault, acid attacks and forced prostitution are the kind of violence we usually consider. But violence goes far beyond that. Isolation from family and friends, continual humiliation, threats against children or being threatened with injury or death, being forced to watch or engage in pornography, stalking, inappropriate advances on social networking sites, offensive sexually explicit messages and many other such acts, that are mostly ignored, also constitute violence. 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 private life, constitutes violence against women.

Prevalence of VAW

In India, as per the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16, 29.5% of women have experienced physical violence since age 15, and 21.2% have experienced physical violence in the 12 months preceding the survey.

Moreover, as per the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, released on 29th September 2020 (The WIRE), an average of 87 rape cases were registered daily in India in 2019 (NCRB, 2020). Cases registered under crime against women rose by 7% relative to 2018. 

Some Shocking Facts

•1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.

•Globally, as many as 38% of murders of women are committed by a male partner.

•200 million women and girls have experienced female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

•Each year, 15 million girls are married before the age of 18. That is 28 girls every minute.

•It is estimated that up to 10 million children are victims of child sexual exploitation.

•School-related gender-based violence means that 1 in 4 girls say that they never feel comfortable using a school latrine.

•Between 80 and 100 million girls are ‘missing’ from the world’s population – victims of gender-based infanticide, femicide, malnutrition and neglect.

•As many as 1 in 4 women experience physical and/or sexual violence during pregnancy.

•As many as 150 million girls worldwide are raped or subject to sexual violence each year, usually by someone in their family circle.

•Over 700 million women alive today were married as children (under the age of 18).

•There are 5,000 so-called honour killings reported every year around the world. Experts estimate that the actual number of “honour” killings is much higher.

•30% of females globally have reported that their first sexual experience was forced.

•58 % of new HIV infections among young persons in 2015 occurred among adolescent girls and young women. Violence or the threat of violence affect the ability of girls and young women to protect themselves from HIV.

•Domestic violence is a global problem that affects 35% of women worldwide.

•Globally, around 137 women are killed by their partner or a family member every day.

•Women between the ages of 15 and 44 are at a higher risk of rape and domestic violence than cancer, car accidents, malaria or being injured in war.

Law empowers

Apart from general legislation such as Indian Penal Code, 1860, there are several special laws to address and punish assault and criminal force, sexual harassment, voyeurism, stalking, human trafficking, dowry death, domestic violence and rape. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, protects women from physical, emotional, verbal, sexual and economic abuse within the family and the home. The POSH Act, 2013, addresses cases of sexual harassment at the workplace. The indecent representation of women through advertisements, paintings, figures, writings and other similar displays is prohibited under Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. Acts such as sending offensive messages, false information, hatred, criminal intimidation through communication services, violation of privacy, spreading obscene and sexually explicit materials electronically are made punishable under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The POCSO Act aims to protect children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and pornography.

-Dev Seth