A Call to UNITE, Invest, and Raise Awareness for Gender Equality – International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

• Global Theme for 2023: “UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls’ which emphasizes the need for funding prevention strategies to proactively stop gender-based violence”.
• Origin: Despite UN General Assembly adopted the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1979, violence against women was rampant.
  • Later, steps were taken in 2008 to increase public awareness and policymaking in ending violence against women.
  • Women rights activists have been celebrating November 25 as International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women since 1981.
  • The reason for selecting November 25 for celebrating the day was to honor the Mirabai sisters, who were three political activists from the Dominican Republic who were brutally murdered by order of the country’s ruler.
• Significance of the Day: Fostering Awareness, Driving Positive Change, and Empowering Survivors
  • Awareness on Problems of Violence: The day aims to spread awareness on the violence faced by women all over the world and explore measures of ending it and providing essential support to the survivors of violence.
  • Positive Impact on Societies: The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women could create a positive impact, both in the lives of individuals and families and society as a whole. 
  • Data Collection: The day also looks at collecting data on violence that can improve life-saving services for women and girls.

Status of Violence against Women: A Comprehensive Analysis of Prevalence, Types, and Regional Dynamics

• About: Violence against women and girls remains one of the most prevalent forms of human rights violations in the world.
• Statistical Data: About 736 million women across the world have faced physical and/or intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life.
  • About 137 women are killed each day by a member of their family. Less than 40% of the women who experience violence seek help. 
• Rise in violence: The forms of violence have intensified by post-pandemic effects, conflicts, and climate change.
• Vulnerable Groups: Women and girls who identify as lesbian, bisexual, transgender, migrants and refugees, indigenous women and ethnic minorities, or those living with HIV and disabilities, are the most vulnerable.
• Different Types of Violence against Women: Violence against women includes:
  • Intimate partner violence (battering, mental abuse, marital rape, femicide);
  • Sexual violence and harassment (rape, forced sexual activities, unhealthy sexual advances, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, stalking, cyber- harassment);
  • Human trafficking (slavery, sexual exploitation);
  • Domestic Violence (child abuse and elderly abuse);
  • Female child feticide;
  • Acid Attacks;
  • Female genital mutilation; and
  • Child marriage.

• An In-depth Analysis of the Surge in Violence against Women in India (2021)
• • Data: According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, there has been a 15.3% increase in crime against women in 2021.
  • Types of Violence: Majority of the cases of violence are “Cruelty by husband or his relatives’’ (31.8 percent) followed by “Assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty” (20.8 percent), kidnapping and abduction (17.6 percent), and rape (7.4 percent).
  • State-wise Performance: In terms of the rate of crime against women in 2021, Assam topped the list (168.3 percent) and is followed by Odisha, Haryana, Telangana, and Rajasthan.
    • In terms of actual numbers, the state of Uttar Pradesh reported 56,083 instances in 2021. Rajasthan, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Odisha are other states.

Ending Violence against Women: Impact on Health, Education, and Sustainable Development

• Health Consequences: The adverse effects of violence against women affects their psychological, sexual and reproductive health at all stages of their life. 
• Affects Education: Violence against women in their early life can lead to restricted access to higher education and even translate into limited opportunities for them later in their lives.
• Non-fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Violence against women is an obstacle for achieving equality, development, peace as well as to the fulfillment of women and girls’ human rights. All these lead to non-fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Strategies for Prevention, Legal Reform, Awareness, Rehabilitation, and Gender Equality Legislation

• Investments in Prevention: Investment in women’s organizations, law enforcers, vigilance infrastructure etc should be carried out.
• Stringent Laws: Legal systems across the countries need to be modified to prevent violence and also punish perpetrators of crime in a time-bound manner.
• Awareness Creation: There is an immediate need for generating awareness on the issue of violence against women. Families, especially male gender, have to be sensitized about the problems.
• Survivor Rehabilitation: The survivors of violence need to be rehabilitated into the society so that the wounds of trauma are healed.
• Training Law Enforcement Officials: There is a need to train law enforcement officials regarding handling of violence against women. This also includes raising women officials to handle such issues. 
• Gender-based Legislation: There is a need to enact and enforce legislation that promotes gender equality by ending discrimination against women in marriage, divorce and custody laws, inheritance laws and other criteria.

Steps taken in India to tackle Violence against Women

• Fundamental Rights: 
  • Article 14 gives every person equal rights and opportunities in the political, economic and social spheres.
  • Article 15: It stops discrimination against any citizen on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex etc.
• Directive Principles of State Policy:
  • Article 39(a): It secures to all citizens men and women, equally, the right to means of livelihood.
  • Article 42: This article ensures just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief.
• Legislative Actions:
  • Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005: This law was enacted with the intention of protecting the rights of women and saving them from becoming victims of abuse or violence of any kind.
  • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: The campaign is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Education for improving Child Sex Ratio.
  • Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018: This law was enacted to prescribe stringent penal provisions including death penalty for rape of a girl below the age of 12 years.  The law also mandates completion of investigation and trials within 2 months each.
  • Nirbhaya Fund: This fund was set up by the government of India for carrying out initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety and security for women in the country.
  • National Database on Sexual Offenders’ (NDSO): This was set up in 2018 to carry out investigation and tracking of sexual offenders across the country by law enforcement agencies. 
  • One Stop Centre (OSC) scheme: The scheme has been designed to provide integrated services such as medical aid, police assistance, legal counseling/ court case management, psycho-social counseling and temporary shelter to women affected by violence.