IS INDIA NOT A COUNTRY FOR WOMEN'S SAFETY?

TNN Bureau. Updated: 7/3/2018 5:09:10 PM Features

India has responded with pricklishness to the findings of a Thomson Reuters survey, which described India to be “the most dangerous place for women.” Both Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi and the chairperson of the National Commission for Women swiftly rejected the survey’s findings and have picked holes in its methodology and subjectivity.



Indeed, the survey was not based on a systematic collection and interpretation of data but drew conclusions from the subjective opinions of 548 people from countries evenly spread across all continents. Respondents included aid workers, academics, NGO staff, policy-makers and development specialists. Undoubtedly, this was a small sample survey.



How can 548 persons be seen to be representative of the world’s population? How clued in were the respondents on the situation on the ground in India or Myanmar or Sierra Leone. Surely their views would have been shaped by media representation of these countries; often this is the western media’s understanding of issues, which is replete with negative stereotypes and prejudices. While the survey’s limited scope and flawed methodology has raised questions regarding its conclusions about India, Delhi’s defensive responses does us little credit.



Even if factually correct, arguing that Indian women are better off than their compatriots in countries like Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan are unhelpful as they do not contribute to addressing the many challenges that women face in India. Besides, can we honestly claim that India is kind or fair to its women? It is annoying when ‘outsiders’ point a critical finger at the state of affairs in India. However, even Indian census, socio-economic and crime data have repeatedly underscored the fact that Indian women, despite their growing education and mobility, continue to suffer grievous violence and discrimination in society. Indeed, India’s patriarchal social system and cultural traditions are among the worst in the world. India needs to act robustly to dismantle patriarchal structures and institutions, and sensitise its law and order and justice mechanisms to make the country safe for its women and girls.



For decades, Indian women and girls have been saying that they are unsafe from the womb to the tomb. Official data confirms that their insecurity is not without basis. What have successive governments done to change that? Indian women want to feel secure in their culture, society, polity and economy. Even if the government wants to ignore the Thomson Reuters survey, it cannot ignore the daily lived reality of millions of Indian women. It is time society and government addressed the issue of women’s safety and security.





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