Most common types of violent acts committed against women in India are – sexual assault, domestic abuse and murder. To be tagged as Violences Against Women in India an act must be committed purely because the victim is a female. Most often these acts are committed by males, reflecting the state of gender inequality in the country.
Many acts of domestic violence against women in India and other severe offences go unreported due to orthodox mindset of the society and lack of support to the victim.
The types of offences carried out against women in India can be further classified into the following as listed below. Contact numbers for Women HELPLINE Pan India (181), for someone caught in these situations is also given in the end.
Table of Contents
Dowry Death Offences Against Women in India
Majority of dowry deaths involve suicide, poisoning, hanging or self immolation. As on 2018 data collected by the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau), still 5000 dowry deaths are recorded annually.
Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 27.3% of all the reported cases, followed by Bihar at 15.5%.
Honour Killing Against Women in India
As the name suggests honour killing is the murder of a family member who has brought dishonor to the family.
There could be several reasons leading to the incident of honour killing, for example – committing adultery, inter-caste marriage, marrying against the wishes of family, rape etc.
The states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan have the maximum numbers of honour killing incidents reported.
The diktat of Khap panchayats that runs in the villages of Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh also aggravate the situation. Sometimes these khap panchayats have been reported to pass the order for honour killing.
Incidents have been reported when a girl was reportedly killed by her father for merely dating someone he wouldn’t approve of.
Witchcraft Related Murders
Murder of women accused of witchcraft still occur in India despite the claims of unprecedented growth rates and development. Incidents of withcraft related murders are reported frequently throughout India.
Lonely women, women beggars, widows and women belonging to lower caste are the most vulnerable to this type of crime.
Sex Selective Abortion
Another term for sex selective abortion is female infanticide, which refers to the illegal abortion of female fetus.
In India a boy child is considered a reward while a girl is looked upon as a liability. People in villages still consider nurturing a girl child as an unwanted responsibility, because one day ultimately she has to be married away paying huge dowry to her in laws.
Therefore, such people convene with medical practitioners to determine the sex of fetus before birth and terminate the pregnancy if the fetus is a female.
Though, strict laws have been enacted, prohibiting sex determination of fetus, which is punishable by imprisonment and fine; still incidents of sex selective abortion are reported from time to time.
Rape
Rape is the most common act of violence committed against women in India. In the eyes of law a sexual intercourse with a woman against her will, constitutes rape.
Data of the National Crime Record Bureau reveals that at least one woman is raped every half an hour in India.
With woman getting educated and independent more and more cases are being reported to the authorities.
Marital Rape
India is one among the 50 nations that enlists marital rape as a crime. It is defined under law as a forced and non consensual intercourse with one’s spouse.
Around 20% of married men accept that they force their partners for sex.
Outraging Modesty
Modesty related violences include attempts to outrage the modesty of a woman and insult to her modesty. In the gone decade Andhra Pradesh accounted for nearly 40 % of such incidents.
Forced Prostitution
Girls usually belonging to poor family background are lured on pretext of securing a job and then allegedly kept confined and forced into prostitution. Such incidents are highly reported in Karnataka and West Bengal.
Also, girls from neighboring Nepal are illegally smuggled in to India for prostitution.
Domestic Violence Against Women in India
Domestic violence is an act of abuse by a partner on a woman. It could be a husband, a dating partner or a relative.
It could either be physical violence or an act to inflict mental trauma through abuse and emotional torture.
Statistics present a very troubling state with almost 70% women in India being a victim of domestic violence.
Child Marriage
Girls are more vulnerable to fall a victim of child marriage and complications arising from it, because the parents consider them a liability which must be dispensed off – the earlier the better.
Acid Attack
Acid Attack is another heinous crime committed against women in India, with almost 72% of acid attack cases in India involving them.
34% of acid attacks are reported to arise from refusal to marriage or sexual advances and 20% from land disputes and other issues.
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The Nirbhaya app tracks your GPS location and notifies your friends/relatives whenever you leave the predetermined area, also sending the distress call on press of a button.
Whom to Contact
National Commission For Women
Toll Free Numbers – 011-26942369, 26944740
Website – http://ncw.nic.in/
Legal Assistance
Human Rights Law Network runs Madhyam Helpline and provides Legal services – 011-24316922, 24324503
Counseling Services for women in distress (by Delhi police) – 3317004
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