INTRODUCTION

‘Why have rape cases become so common?’ was the first question I pondered upon when I came across the ‘Kolkata case’ in India. It was deeply disheartening to read the events of this particular case. The girl who had been raped was a 2nd-year college student in a medical college. She was brutally tortured and ‘allegedly gang raped’. This is still an ongoing case in the Supreme Court of India hence, there are more truths to uncover.

The whole country is mourning the death of that girl and social media is full of people protesting and spreading awareness about the horrors that took place on the night that she was raped. When I went in-depth on this topic, I realised that rape have become a very common thing in India. Both boys and girls are victims of rape, sexual assault, eve-teasing etc. It is devastating to find that the number of victims is increasing day by day.

THE WIDESPREAD ISSUE

As an Instagram user, my feed is filled with everything about rape cases which happened in different timelines and even before when I was born. This implies that women have felt unsafe in this society for generations. From newborn babies to senior citizens almost all age groups are at the risk of being raped.

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), 2019-2021, “29.3 per cent of married Indian women between the ages of 18 and 49 have experienced domestic/sexual violence; 3.1 per cent of pregnant women aged 18 to 49 have suffered physical violence during their pregnancy.” One in 9 girls and 1 in 20 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault. 82% of all victims under 18 are female. Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.

SOCIETAL ATTITUDES

Almost all Indian households think that sexual assault isn’t a punishable offence and it is ‘normal’ for women to go through this. This is why the Indian society poses a problem. Sexual assaults, eve-teasing and other actions which make any individuals (both women or men) feel unsafe shouldn’t be normalised! Like, think about it, making a human being feel unsafe or causing harm to them in a place like a temple, workspace, school or home is totally not ‘normal’!

Moreover, the Indian society in fact blames the victim and reasons by saying that they felt unsafe due to inappropriate dressing or odd timings of coming out of the house. The community often says that it was the actions of the victim which led to sexual harassment.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

As a 15-year-old girl in India, I hear my fellow classmates talk about the ways in which they have felt unsafe under the male gaze. It is heart-wrenching to know that my friends have also been victims of sexual assaults even before they became teens. It is important for our society to understand that sexual assault is a punishable offence and not something to be taken lightly. There are official rules in India which grant jail time from 3 years to life imprisonment.

Recently, my class and my teacher had discussion about the increasing number of women feeling unsafe and my teacher revealed that about 17 out of 40 female students have been victims of sexual abuse and harassment in public. I also want to specify that these students are studying in 7th grade. This is a heavily punishable offence!

CHALLENGES IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM

In a country like India which is celebrating its 78th year of independence and is developing in several other fields like education, sports, research etc. Why is there no improvement in humanity? Why are some men still making women feel unsafe? Why are there still people who blame the victim for her dress? 

WHY IS RAPE STILL PREVELANT IN INDIA?

The major problem that the legal system has is that, each rape case can take a minimum of 7 to 10 years to conclude. That is the family members of the victim have to keep fighting for justice for several years. This requires time and money which most middle-class families can’t afford. Hence, most households in India try to avoid the financial burden and societal discrimination for being the victims. It has also been found that in most cases the accused gets acquitted for lack of evidence.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

It’s not just one country in which women feel unsafe. Women all around the globe go through untold horrors both at home and outside. Even in the so-called ‘developed countries’ women and men are victims of harassment.

CONCLUSION

I would like to conclude with a poem which shares the emotional feelings of a victim of sexual assault.

IS IT MY FAULT?

Is it really my fault?
That I’m a victim of sexual assault
Well, that’s what people say
About the incident that made my life grey
I have lost my dignity
And people just give me their sympathy
Isn’t it his fault?
That he was the perpetrator of my assault.

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