Sexual Violence Against Women Need to be Recognized as a crime

By Guest Editor Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai

The United Nations Organisation data states

that, 1 in 3 women experience violence or

is beaten or raped in her lifetime. The world shook

with the news of a brutal Delhi gang rape - the

murder of a young woman who was beaten, and

ghastly gang raped in a moving bus in the capital city

of New Delhi in India. She received massive multiple

internal and external injuries caused by iron rods, and

succumbed to her injuries. Nationwide and worldwide

protests were held to condemn the recent rape and

murder. The incident was condemned globally, and

the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and

the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) called

on the Government of India “to do everything in

their power to take up radical reforms, ensure justice

and reach out with robust public services to make

women’s lives more safe and secure”. The statement

further said, “a 2010 study by the Government of

New Delhi, JAGORI and UN Women showed that,

54 percent women, and 69 percent men who see

women getting harassed prefer to not get involved.

Public apathy needs to be converted into public

empathy”.

 Placard at a protest

Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh

assured that, all possible efforts would be made to

ensure the safety of women in India. Dr. Manmohan

Singh expressed empathy, saying: “As a father of

three daughters I feel as strongly about the incident

as each one of you”. Women, who have been either

abused or raped, hardly come forward to make a

complaint or go to courts due to the social stigma.

Very few courageous women make a complaint

against the men who abused or raped them.

 Women protested against Violence Against Women

“We want the world to know her real name. My

daughter didn’t do anything wrong, she died while

protecting herself. I am proud of her” said the

father of the Delhi gang rape victim. “My soul will

never know any rest if the men who tormented my

daughter are not hanged” said the mother of the

Delhi gang rape victim. Sri Lanka is not exceptional;

women have been hanged to death, abused and

raped in recent times. Justice is delayed to be

delivered to the survivors or the victims of abuse

and rape. Rapists often have political patronage, if

not always. Kahawatte has turned into a killing field

for women. It’s noted that, 15 women have been

brutally murdered in Kahawatte since July 2008 to

November 2012 including three double murders,

and seven murders in year 2012 itself.

 Placard at a protest against increasing rape in Sri Lanka

Citizens are disgusted and frustrated in the delay

in delivering justice, and the spate of violence against

women. Justice should be delivered on time without

further delay. Justice delayed is justice denied! As

the world renowned social activist, poet and writer

Subramaniya Bharathiyar said, “We will destroy

the idiocy of denigrating womanhood!” , we need

to continuously raise our voices against any form

of violence against women and girls, and work

collectively to support the survivors.

Courtesy: Editorial of Newsletter published by Women's Education and Research Centre (WERC)