NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has recommended a review of existing cyber laws and has sought stricter laws to protect women from cyber bullying and harassment.
The Commission has proposed harsher penalties for cybercrimes against women and children, penal action for threats to share private and obscene content, a mandatory victim compensation fund and the appointment of district-level psychologists and forensic experts.
In this regard, NCW has submitted its comprehensive report, which includes changes in IT Rules, 2021, Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Indecent Representation of Women Act, 1986, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and others, to the Union Ministries of Law and Justice, Electronics and Information Technology, Women and Child Development, and Home Affairs.
The Commission also recommended protecting the complainant’s identity in cyber offences, including cyberbullying, trolling, deepfakes, and privacy violations, and requiring intermediaries to remove harmful content within 36 hours. These recommendations have been suggested to be brought under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The recommendations, which were the outcome of its year-long national consultation aimed at reviewing and reforming India’s cyber legal framework through a gender-sensitive lens, have also suggested longer user data retention (360 days) and stronger protections for victims’ anonymity.
The NCW said that the recommendatory report for law review 2024–25 represents one of the most comprehensive national reviews undertaken by the Commission to modernise legal protections for women in cyberspace.
“The report combines statutory review, stakeholder insights, and comparative global analysis to propose reforms that strengthen digital rights and privacy protections for women, promote platform accountability and transparency, enhance forensic and law enforcement capacities, and foster digital literacy and preventive awareness through education and community engagement,” the NCW said.
Vijaya Rahatkar, Chairperson, NCW, said, “The digital world has opened infinite doors for women of learning, enterprise, and expression, but it has also given rise to new frontiers of threat and intimidation.”
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that technology becomes an instrument of empowerment, not exploitation. Through this report, NCW envisions a cyber-ecosystem where laws do not merely punish offenders, but protect dignity; where awareness replaces fear; and where every woman can step into the digital world without hesitation - confident, informed, and secure.”
The Commission’s recommendations span several major legislations and digital governance frameworks, including making it mandatory to account for the verification and inclusion of AI-manipulated imagery in rules, and introducing new provisions on gender-based harassment, platform transparency, AI audits, victim support, and cross-border content regulation.
The organisation has also suggested defining “sensitive personal data” and “gender-specific damage,” to adopt stricter consent norms.
LAWS TARGETED FOR CHANGE
Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
Indecent Representation of Women Act, 1986
POCSO Act, 2012
ALSO SUGGESTED
Longer user data retention
Stronger protections for victims’ anonymity
