Three years ago, when a 23-year-old woman was raped and murdered in an unimaginable act of violence in Delhi, Indians, it seemed, had had enough. The incident sparked an unprecedented wave of activism and outpouring of public anger that led to the strengthening of laws to better protect women. Unfortunately, little appears to have changed since then and countless cases have been recorded.
In yet another shocking incident on Friday, two girls – aged 2 and 5 – were raped in the capital. These hideous incidents are part of a continuum of violence that millions of women and girls face every day. It stretches from sexual harassment in public spaces and the workplace to physical abuse that plays itself out in the privacy of homes far more often than on the street. The country recorded 36,735 rape cases in 2014, of which 2,096 took place in Delhi.
It's true that these incidents cannot and must not be considered emblematic of India as a whole. Many women, after all, enjoy prominent roles in the world's largest democracy that has also produced one of the first female prime ministers in Indira Gandhi. Yet there is something profoundly wrong in the values that young Indian men imbibe. These values bind the parental preference for a male child, and the subsequent high incidence of female foeticide, to the hundreds of thousands of men who batter their wives or burn them over dowry matters.
This is not a question that can be resolved by education alone. Often the corruption and brutality of the police are seen as part of the problem in a justice system that has systematically failed the victims of rape. In many cases, the police refuse to register cases of those without money or political connections. This is an issue that has to be addressed at state level, from the top down.
It’s time for Indians to realise how these terrible incidents blight their country’s international identity and act together for change. It’s important to remember that women and girls continue to die not just because of the actions of some dreadfully misguided individuals, but because of a culture in which women are afforded little respect. By bringing about a change in that culture, India can set a positive example for the rest of the world.
