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NEW DELHI: The recent, horrifying incident in Kolkata, where a young doctor was brutally raped and murdered, has once again thrust the issue of women’s safety into the national spotlight. This heinous crime is not just another statistic; it’s a piercing reminder of the everyday dangers that women in India face. The young doctor, devoted to her profession and her community, had her life viciously stolen in a place that should have been her sanctuary—her workplace.
This act of unimaginable cruelty is a tragic echo of the Nirbhaya case that shook the nation over a decade ago. Back then, the brutality of the crime spurred nationwide protests, demanding justice and stricter laws. We said, “Never again.” And yet, here we are—once more grappling with the horror of a crime that lays bare the vulnerabilities women still face daily.
The details of the Kolkata case are chilling, sparking a wave of outrage across the country. People have taken to the streets, demanding immediate. Resident doctors across India launched an indefinite strike to demand justice for the victim and to call for stronger safety measures in hospitals. The doctors demanded workplace safety including the implementation of stringent security measures in all hospitals, particularly government-run facilities, to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. This includes increased security personnel, CCTV surveillance, and protocols to ensure the safety of healthcare workers, especially female staff.
Another significant demand was the introduction of a central legislation that would provide exemplary punishment for crimes against healthcare workers. This would serve as both a deterrent and a means of ensuring a safer working environment. Although the strike has largely been called off following an appeal from the Supreme Court and assurances from various authorities, some doctors, especially in West Bengal, continued their agitation, insisting that their prime goal is to ensure justice for their colleague.While this particular case has garnered widespread attention, it is not an isolated incident. Reports of harassment, assault, and discrimination against women in the workplace are all too common in India. Whether in urban centers or rural areas, women are often subjected to various forms of violence and intimidation, which not only endangers their physical safety but also severely impacts their mental well-being and professional growth.
The fear of harassment or violence is a constant companion for many women as they navigate their careers. This fear can deter women from pursuing certain professions, working late hours, or taking up assignments in remote areas, ultimately limiting their opportunities and contributing to gender inequality in the workplace.
Sexual harassment at workplaces
Whenever the crime against women is reported in the media, the term ‘sexual harassment of women at workplaces’ gets neglected due to the non-heinous nature of the crime.
Sexual harassment constitutes a gross violation of women’s right to equality and dignity. It has its roots in patriarchy and its attendant perception that men are superior to women and that some forms of violence against women are acceptable.
One of these is workplace sexual harassment, which views various forms of such harassment, as harmless and trivial. Often, it is excused as ‘natural’ male behaviour or ‘harmless flirtation’ that women enjoy. Contrary to these perceptions, it causes serious harm and is also a strong manifestation of sex discrimination in the workplace.
Not only is it an infringement of the fundamental rights of a woman, under Article 19 of the Constitution, but it also erodes equality and puts the dignity and the physical and psychological well-being of workers at risk.Delhi not only recorded the most cases of sexual harassment among all metropolitan cities but also topped the charts under the category of sexual harassment of women at workplaces. In 2022, the city recorded 19 cases of sexual harassment at workplaces, followed by 15 in Mumbai, 9 in Hyderabad and 8 in Bengaluru.
Though sexual harassment in the workplace has assumed serious proportions, it has been often seen that women do not report the matter to the concerned authorities in most cases due to fear of reprisal from the harasser, losing one’s livelihood, being stigmatized, or losing professional standing and personal reputation.
Grim figures
Violence and abuse against women and girls is frequent on streets, in public transportation and in other public places.
Such occurrences restrict women’s right to mobility, discouraging their freedom to walk freely and move in public spaces of their choice. Such violence also limits their access to essential services and adversely impact their health and wellbeing.
In 2022, the Delhi Police registered a total of 1212 cases of sexual assault which says that on an average three women were raped daily in the city. If compared to the previous year’s data, it was comparatively less as 2021 saw 2076 cases of sexual assault.
Yet, the figures were grim as Delhi stood at the first spot among 19 metropolitan cities in terms of rape cases.
According to the data shared by the National Crime Records Bureau, the total crime against women in 2022 saw a marginal decline in Delhi compared to the previous year’s data. In 2022, the city recorded a total of 14,247 cases of crimes against women while 14,277 were logged in 2021.
The city almost regularly makes national headlines for crime against women.
Though several steps have been taken by the authorities and law enforcement agencies, there is still a long way to go to make women feel safe and secure in the city.
A senior police officer while speaking to TNIE only a multi-dimensional approach like education, child safety institutions, and awareness can help curb the heinous crime. “Clubbing multiple heads of crimes as a major crime category cannot give correct pictures of law and order in the city. This year alone lot of international drug cases, sensational cases like Sidhu Moosewala, and other gang-related arrests have been made by Special Cell and Crime Branch as well as other districts. These are good detections that have brought accolades to Delhi Police,” the officer said.
Notably, the proactive initiatives and fair registration have contributed to more robust reporting of crime against women. Moreover, it is pertinent to mention here that the percentage of worked-out cases increases with time, as absconding accused are also arrested. To prevent heinous crimes from taking place, the measures adopted by Delhi Police include night patrolling, mobile women police team, presence of women in PCR vans, and deployment of women cops around girls’ colleges and schools, etc.But even as stringent laws are in place coupled with the proactive approach of Delhi Police and a high solving rate of rape cases (95.48 percent), molestation of women cases (90.98 percent), and insult to modesty of women (85.75 percent), the crime against women is not declining.
One of the surprising reasons is that most of the time, the person committing a heinous crime is known to the victim woman.
Three years back, in about 98.78 percent of rape cases, the accused were known to the victim while strangers were involved in only about 1.22 percent of cases. “This marginal percentage, where the police can help prevent the crime, has further declined to 0.03 % which means in 99.70 percent of cases of sexual assault, the accused is known to the victim,” the officer said. Delhi Police, had in its annual report in 2021, said that of all the rape cases reported throughout the year, 13 percent times the accused was a relative of the victim, 11 percent times a neighbour, 46 percent times a family or a friend, and 1 percent time an employee or a co-worker.
With even after more than 10 years of the brutal gangrape of Nirbhaya and no decline in rape cases, the time has come that the concept of ‘gender sensittization’ is taken seriously!
Delhi remains biggest beneficiary of Nirbhaya funds
Following the December 2012 gangrape and murder of Nirbhaya, the Government set up a dedicated fund – Nirbhaya Fund – which can be utilized for projects specifically designed to improve the safety and security of women.
It is a non-lapsable corpus fund, being administered by Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.
Howeverm off-late, an underutilization of the Nirbhaya funds was observed by a parliamentary panel which said that out of the allocated funds of Rs 9549 crore, of which Rs 4241 crores were released till now, the funds utilised under the Nirbhaya Fund so far stands at around Rs 2989 crores.
In February, this year, former Union Minister Smriti Irani also gave detailed reply in Parliament to a similar question. The minister informed the House that the projects and schemes under Nirbhaya Fund are demand driven.
“The projects and schemes appraised by the empowered committee (EC) under the framework for Nirbhaya Fund has a staggered implementation schedule. Further, some of the appraised projects are directly implemented by central ministries and departments, however, the majority of the projects are implemented through state governments and Union Territory (UT) administrations, in which the central government releases the funds to States and UTs,” she had said.
Irani had further informed the house that the total amount released by the Ministries or Departments and utilized out of the Nirbhaya fund since inception is Rs 5448.0945 Crore which is nearly 75% of the total allocation.
Notably, as per figures shared by the government in 2021, Delhi has remained the biggest beneficiary of the fund, with a total of Rs 413 crore allocated and Rs 404.38 Cr utilised followed by Uttar Pradesh at Rs 305 crore and Tamil Nadu at Rs 304 crore.
Daily commute: A significant hurdle for working women
Travelling to and from work brings its own set of challenges for women. Sapna Khandelwal, a schoolteacher openly declares that Delhi NCR is not safe for working women. “I used to travel nearly 40 kilometres daily to reach my school and every day I faced problems. If you are on public transport, you will not find any policemen around. Suppose it’s a little late in the evening and there is a transport issue, insecurity comes to mind. My family members used to call me regularly to check whether I was safe or not.”
The situation is not much better for those who can afford cabs on a daily basis. Surbhi Gupta, a physiotherapist by profession who regularly uses cabs to reach patients’ homes says “Most of the time I find cabs unsafe and uncomfortable. Sometimes the cab drivers choose a different route and sometimes they start arguing. During such instances, I feel completely helpless.”
While travelling in cabs or any means of public and private transport, there is no guarantee of safety and security. And if you are travelling after 8 pm, you are at god’s mercy as you will hardly find policemen in the city. Sometimes helpline numbers do not work, sometimes they respond very late,” says Tanya Sharma an MNC employee from Noida.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had promised to deploy “Mohalla Marshals” for 24/7 safety in every colony, identifying around 6,000 areas. This initiative, aimed at enhancing women’s safety, was a key element in their 2020 manifesto. A pilot project launched by the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) in Burari received positive feedback, especially from women. Initially, the Women and Child Development (WCD) department was responsible for the scheme, but the task was later handed to the Revenue Department. However, four years later, the plan remains unimplemented, with a senior Civil Defence officer confirming that the project never moved forward.
Similarly, the AAP had earlier deployed bus marshals inDTC buses to protect passengers, a move that was well-received. However, this scheme faced a setback when the Lieutenant Governor terminated the services of all civil defence volunteers working as bus marshals.
