The seminar on the role of police in preventing domestic violence has brought forth the harsh truth that such violence accounts for a huge number of deaths of women — far greater than what is generally believed. Equally mind-boggling is the fact that 60 percent of our women are tortured in some way or the other, which indeed presents a grim picture of domestic violence.
Yet, the victims seldom seek help from the police. This is obviously a reflection, in part, on the law enforcers’ negative image and in part, on the tortured womens’ diffidence in lodging complaints with the police.
Women-bashing in different forms has become a problem of great magnitude. Reports of dowry-related deaths are being published regularly in the newspapers, acid attacks are on the rise, and gang-raping of women no longer evokes the kind of social revulsion that it ought to have. Various women rights groups and NGOs are working for rehabilitating the victims. But that cannot alter the shameful truth that we as a nation have failed miserably to protect the rights of women, which include their physical safety. While the decision makers vow to establish the rights of vulnerable women, incidents in which the latter fall victim to beastly crimes take place on a regular basis.
The predicament of women and girls exacerbates once they step out of their homes. There are the eve teasers harassing girls, with the law enforcers appearing to be quite reluctant to do anything about it. It is difficult to believe that they cannot rein in the unruly teenagers whose activities have led to quite a few girls’ committing suicide!
So, the law enforcers have to play an assertive role in curbing domestic or any type of violence against women. The community should also play its part it dissuading thugs from harassing girls while the latter report their plight to receptive ears in good time for preventive action. The police should receive the complaints with seriousness. The police have to prove that they are here to punish the culprits, and not to harass the innocent victims. This has to be ensured to protect all vulnerable people in society, including the women in distress.
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- Third Gender Assert Rights in Nepal
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- To Help Women, Leaders Should Dig Deeper than Religious Clothing
- Gender Wire
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- Q&A: Teens Wrongly Excluded From Family Planning
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- LAOS: The New Silk Road
- POPULATION: Poorest Countries to Bear Brunt of Growth
- G8: 'Just Invest in Women'
- EAST TIMOR: Politics - Women Take the Plunge
- HEALTH: Gender Finally Moving to Forefront of AIDS Fight
- new on womensgrid
- Briefing Welsh Assembly Government Consultation On A Violence Against Women Action Plan For Wales
- Reclaim the Night March Leeds – organising meeting – 14th July 2009
- Lend Your Voice – The Testimony Project
- Photographic exhibition: LOCK & KEY until 31st July 2009
- Vacancy at KMEWO – 21st July 2009
- Information added to Women in London up to 6th July 2009
- Reclaim the Night – London E17 – 10th July 2009 at 9pm
- 1960s ideal of equality is now redundant, says senior minister
- Condemnation for bishop who called for gay people to ‘repent’
- Foreign Office to back gay communities around the world
- new on women in london
- Temporary Female Independent Domestic Violence Adviser - Advance - 10th August 2009
- Female Specialist data tracker and analyst - Advance - 24th July 2009
- Female Domestic Violence Housing Advocate - Advance - 24th July 2009
- Bright Ideas Conference - GLDVP - 15th September - early bird bookings until 31st July
- Poverty pathways – ethnic minority women’s livelihoods – new Fawcett report
- New Film Exposes Lap Dancing Industry - Object
- New Advice and Support Centre for Women - Eaves
- 2 vacancies - Greenwich Women’s Aid - 13th July 2009
- Internship opportunities - Refuge - 17th July 2009
- 2 vacancies - Refuge - 14th July 2009
