KOCHI: Increasingly more women in Kerala are speaking out as well as waging a battle against the crimes committed against them at home, workplace or in public by those known to them or by complete strangers.
The world’s biggest crime mapping survey being conducted by the Kudumbashree’s Gender Development Department in the state to identify crimes being committed against women and provide proper help to those affected has revealed the fact.
In Ernakulam, the mapping for the financial year 2024-25 was conducted in six panchayats namely Alangad, Kanjoor, Kuzhuppilly, Chendamangalam, Mudakuzha and Varappetty and covered 5,600 women aged between 18 and 48 years. It collected details about the various types of crimes committed against them, including economic, physical, sexual, verbal, mental, emotional and social, and found the number of women reacting against the crimes and reporting them had risen greatly.
When it came to financial crimes by life partners, relatives, friends, officials, co-workers and strangers, 1,174 women took action by seeking help from the police while 1,033 didn’t. “In cases of physical assault by partners, relatives, friends, officials, co-workers and strangers, 912 women sought legal action while 780 didn’t,” a Kudumbashree official told TNIE. In sexual assaults by partners, relatives, friends, officials, co-workers and strangers, 1,165 women approached the police while 774 didn’t.
The mapping also showed that besides taking legal action many respondents also tried methods like keeping their distance from the assailants, reporting them to their immediate family members, approaching organisations or resigning from their jobs. However, it was found that the number of women who decided to fight against those who wronged them by themselves was very large.
The official said 50 women from each ward of the grama panchayats were selected and their responses collected via Google Forms. Spot mapping was also carried out by volunteers, said the official.
The educational qualifications of the respondents ranged from Class X to Post-graduation. Professionally, 2,962 were without jobs, 44 were students, 575 and 1,150 were employed in the private and public sectors, respectively, while 930 were self-employed.
The official said the report prepared on the study was presented before the Kudumbashree CDS chairpersons at a conclave held recently.
“A discussion was held on the findings and suggestions of the report. It was attended by representatives of the grama panchayat, CDS and officials. The opinions were collated and a report submitted at the panchayat level. After that, further actions were formulated, which would be implemented soon,” said the official.