Violence

Linkages of Organized Crime with Terrorism | UPSC – IAS

Linkages of Organized Crime with Terrorism UPSC - IAS essay india

Linkages of Organized Crime with Terrorism UPSC - IAS essay india

Linkages of Organized Crime with Terrorism | UPSC – IAS

Terrorism is, in the broadest sense, the use of intentionally indiscriminate violence as a means to create terror among masses of people; or fear to achieve a religious or political aim. It is used in this regard primarily to refer to violence during peacetime. The terms “terrorist” and “terrorism” originated during the French Revolution of the late 18th century.

  • Development, stability, good governance and the rule of law are inextricably linked and any threat to peace poses an obstacle to the objective of sustainable development of the country.
  • Terrorism not only subverts the political and social climate but also threatens the economic stability of the country, undermines democracy and even deprives ordinary citizens of their fundamental rights, including their right to life.

Terrorists do not belong to any religion or faith or community. Terrorism is an attack on democracy and the civilized society by a violent few who resort to targeted killing of innocent citizens in pursuit of their evil designs. In some respects, terrorism is more damaging than an act of war against the nation because terror acts often target innocent civilians – apart from the symbols of the State –

  • Terrorists have targeted women and children in public parks,
  • Commuters during rush hours on suburban trains,
  • Shoppers in a crowded market,
  • Community gatherings on religious occasions.

Furthermore, terrorism today has acquired newer and more dangerous dimensions threatening international peace and stability worldwide with the use by terrorist groups of modern communication systems, and state-of-the-art technology combined with:-

  • Global linkages with organized crime,
  • Drug trafficking,
  • Counterfeit currency and
  • Money laundering.

That is why international cooperation is essential in the fight against terror. India has been one of the worst victims of terrorism but our society has shown tremendous spirit and resilience in the wake of repeated and wanton terrorist attacks by maintaining communal harmony and social amity.

It is time however for the nation to gear itself to counter terror in a more coherent and proactive manner and not rely on the patience of its citizens to outlast and defeat terrorists and their supporters. The anti-terrorism strategy must recognise that terrorist acts not only ruin innocent lives, but also divide:-

  • Our society,
  • Create discord among people and
  • Cause lasting damage to the fabric of the society.

Unlike ‘chemotherapy’ in cancer treatment which destroys both good and bad cells, a strong anti-terrorism response has to be focussed and well directed against the anti national elements.

Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism | UPSC – IAS

Counter-terrorism, also known as antiterrorism, incorporates the practice, military tactics, techniques, and strategy that government, military, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or prevent terrorism. Counter-terrorism strategies include attempts to counter financing of terrorism.

A multi-pronged approach encompassing legal and administrative measures combined with:-

  • Good governance,
  • Inclusive development,
  • A vigilant media and,
  • An alert citizenry can defeat terrorism in any form.

There is need to define more clearly those criminal acts which can be construed as being terrorist in nature. The salient features of this definition should inter-alia include the following:

  • Use of firearms, explosives or any other lethal substance to cause or likely to cause damage to life and property and essential infrastructure including installations/establishments having military significance.
  • Assassination of (including attempt thereof) public functionaries. The intent should be to threaten the integrity, security and sovereignty of India or overawe public functionaries or to terrorise people or sections of people.
  • Detention of any person or threat to kill or injure any person to force the government to act or abstain from acting in a particular manner.
  • Providing/facilitating material support, including finances, for the aforesaid activities.
  • Commission of certain acts or possession of certain arms etc. by members or supporters of terrorist organizations which cause or are likely to cause loss of life, injury to a person or damage to any property.

Role of Citizens, Civil Society and Media in Combating Terrorism

Cooperation by the citizens and by the media is equally vital in the fight against terrorism. In addition to sustained and stringent action by the security agencies against terrorists and anti-national activities, civil society can also play a major role both in preventing terrorist activities and in countering the ideology of terrorism.

  • The potential of media in spreading education and awareness needs to be tapped to build the capacity of citizens in dealing with any public disorder, particularly terrorist violence.
  • Media should be encouraged to evolve a self regulating code of conduct to ensure that publicity arising out of terrorist attacks does not help the terrorist in their anti-national designs.

Organised Violence, Terrorism & Extremism: Role of the State and Reforms

For improving the capabilities of our intelligence and security agencies, enhancing coordination among the various security agencies, and creating a new legal framework for the prosecution of terrorist acts as well as to cut off the flow of funds to terrorist groups.

  • Provision for penalizing unauthorized possession of certain specified arms and ammunition in notified areas and unauthorized explosive substances, weapons of mass destruction and biological or chemical substances of warfare in notified as well as non-notified areas, may be incorporated in the law on terrorism
  • A national forum should be set up for formulation of policy and strategy for dealing with terrorism.
  • A stable, comprehensive, all India anti-terrorist legislation, having adequate safeguards against abuse, must be put in place.
  • While terrorist violence has to be effectively dealt with by the security forces, people’s grievances – genuine and perceived – which get exploited, have to be redressed by concerned agencies with a sense of urgency.
  • A stable, effective and responsive administration is an antidote to terrorism.
  • For effectively dealing with violence, outdated laws (eg., The Explosive Act), containing irrelevant provisions resulting in delay in investigation and prosecution of offenders, must be amended.
  • Developmental activities should be planned and executed with due regard to problems of displacement of people, resettlement etc., so that violent eruption of conflicts on such issues can be avoided.
  • For tackling the root causes of Left Wing Extremism, relevant socio-economic issues such as land reforms, alienation of tribals from forest land etc. should be addressed and relevant laws must be strictly enforced.
  • An all-India legislation should be enacted for tackling the growing menace of organised crime.
  • Terrorism has to be fought by the security forces with the cooperation of the people. Appropriate sensitisation training should be given to security forces for avoiding alienation of the people and for enlisting their cooperation.

Dealing with the menace of Terrorism | UPSC – IAS

Dealing with the menace of terrorism would require a comprehensive strategy in which different stakeholders – the Government, political parties, security agencies, civil society and media – would have an important role to play. The elements of such a strategy would be:

  • Political consensus: Political parties must arrive at a national consensus on the need for the broad contours of such a planned strategy.  Based on this national strategy, each of the States and Union Territories should draw up its respective regional strategies, along with the required tactical components for the implementation of the strategy.  Just as the Union Government should have intensive interactions with the States and Union Territories while drawing up the national strategy, the latter would be required to do their part in close consultation with the nodal ministry of the Government of India (possibly the Home Ministry).  While attempting such a national consensus on an issue of considerable criticality for the nation’s security, integrity an develop-mental thrusts  for the most backward regions, it deserves to be borne in mind that the people of our country have a right to expect that our national as well as regional parties will rise above their sectarian and petty electoral compulsions.
  • Good governance and socio-economic development: This would necessitate high priority being given to development work and its actual implementation on the ground for which a clean, corruption-free and accountable administration at all levels is an imperative necessity.
  • Respect for rule of law: Government agencies must not be allowed to transgress law even in dealing with critical situations caused by insurgency or terrorism.  If an extraordinary situation cannot be dealt with by the existing laws, new laws may be enacted so that law enforcement agencies are not provoked or tempted to resort to extra-legal or illegal methods.  Police and all other governmental forces must adhere to some basic codes of conduct.
  • Countering the subversive activities of terrorists: Government must give priority to defeating political subversions (e.g. by terrorists and Maoists).  The emphasis should be on civil as opposed to military measures to counter terrorism and insurgency.  Psychological ‘warfare’ or management of information services and the media, in conjunction with the intelligence wing of the police, can play an important role in achieving this objective.
  • Providing the appropriate legal framework: Terrorism is an extraordinary crime.  The ordinary laws of the land may not be adequate to book a terrorist.  This may require special laws and effective enforcement mechanisms, but with sufficient safeguards to prevent its misuse.
  • Building capacity: The capacity building exercise should extend to the intelligence gathering machinery, security agencies, civil administration and the society at large.  As was highlighted in the Report on Crisis Management, the strategy should encompass preventive, mitigation, relief and rehabilitative measures.

POCSO Act | Child Sextual Abuse in India | UPSC – IAS

POCSO Act Child Sextual Abuse UPSC - IAS

POCSO Act Child Sextual Abuse UPSC - IAS

POCSO Act | Child Sextual Abuse in India| UPSC – IAS

India has one of the largest population of children in the world – Census data from 2011 shows that India has a population of 472 million children below the age of eighteen, of which 225 million are girls.

In order to effectively address the heinous crimes of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children through less ambiguous and more stringent legal provisions, the Ministry of Women and Child Development championed the introduction of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Salient features of Pocso Act | UPSC – IAS

  • The Act defines a child as any person below eighteen years of age, and regards the best interests and well-being of the child as being of paramount importance at every stage, to ensure the healthy physical, emotional, intellectual and social development of the child.
  • It defines different forms of sexual abuse, including penetrative and non-penetrative assault, as well as sexual harassment and pornography, and deems a sexual assault to be “aggravated” under certain circumstances, such as when the abused child is mentally ill or when the abuse is committed by a person in a position of trust or authority vis-à-vis the child, like a family member, police officer, teacher, or doctor.
  • People who traffic children for sexual purposes are also punishable under the provisions relating to abetment in the Act. The Act prescribes stringent punishment graded as per the gravity of the offence, with a maximum term of rigorous imprisonment for life, and fine.

More about POCSO Act | UPSC – IAS

  • India being a party to the ‘UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’ is also under legal obligation to protect its children from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.
  • The act defines a child, (irrespective of gender) as a person under the age of 18 years, which prevents the “inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful sexual activity”.
  • It mandates the Central and State governments to take all measures to ensure publicity to the provisions of the Act and obliges government officials to be trained in how to implement the Act.
  • It also seeks to establish Special Courts for speedy trial of such offences. The Act stipulates that a case of Child Sexual Abuse must be disposed of within one year from the date the offence is reported.
  • It is gender neutral law, wherein the law takes cognizance of sexual crimes committed against both girls and boys under the age of 18 years.
  • The law protects children from both contact and non-contact sexual abuse.
  • It addresses a wide range of sexual offences which include anything from complete and partial penetration, non-penetrative sexual assault, stalking of a child, showing children pornography, using the child for pornography and exhibitionism.
  • It places the burden of proof on the accused and ensures punishment for all perpetrators irrespective of age and gender.
  • It does not recognize consensual sexual acts among children or between a child and an adult. Prosecutes any person (including a child) for engaging in a sexual act with a child irrespective of whether the latter consented to it.
  • It introduces child friendly measures and defines the role of the police as a child protector and pronounces the importance of mandatory reporting of sexual offences.

Definition of child under different acts in India

  • POCSO Act: Less than 18
  • Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986: Less than 14
  • The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015: Less than 16
  • Factories Act, 1948: Less than 15

Demand for reduction in the age under POCSO Act | UPSC – IAS

  • Considering the innovation in digital technology, the children are exposed to so much of information that they get matured much earlier and thus are in a position to give consent for any relationship even at the age of 16.
  • Many of the cases of sexual assault reported to the police (under the POCSO Act and other laws) dealing with the 16-18 years-old children are consensual in nature and are generally reported at the behest of girl’s parents who disapprove of the teenagers’ conduct.
  • It will also reduce significant number of criminal cases pending in various courts, where the provisions of the Act are grossly misused as even when a girl in the intermediate age of 16-18 gives consent, it is treated as invalid in view of the provisions of the POCSO Act.
  • Where two minors engage in a consensual sexual relationship, in a paradox, they stand both as victims and perpetrators vis-à-vis each other, although ground-level reality results in boys being overwhelmingly treated as perpetrators and girls as victims.
  • Read together with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which allows the trial of 16 and 17-year-old children as adults in respect of heinous offences, a child above 16 years can now be prosecuted and punished for engaging in consensual sex with a minor and be punished for a minimum 10 years in jail, which can extend to life imprisonment.
  • The act mandates doctors to reveal the identities of their patients who are under the age of 18. This deters the patients under 18 years with accidental pregnancies and infections to approach doctors.

Conclusion | UPSC – IAS

  • POCSO privileges age to define to a child, wherein consent of a child is not a defence to sexual assault. Though the court directive to lower the age has been lauded. Any such amendment should not be done in haste.
  • Given challenges of the age determination process, the age of consent should not be the only factor in determining sexual assault
  • Apart from suggesting that the age of consent for sex be lowered, the Madras High Court also said that there was a need to look at why violent and heinous sexual crimes against children and women were on the rise.
  • It called on government to set up a high level committee comprising people like a social auditor, psychologist, social scientist etc., to investigate the reasons behind these serious crimes.

Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) | UPSC – IAS

Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) UPSC - IAS

Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) UPSC - IAS

Armed forces Special Powers act AFSPA | UPSC – IAS

Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, enacted in the year 1958, grants extraordinary powers and immunity to the armed forces to bring back order in the “disturbed areas”. Areas are considered disturbed “by reason of differences or disputes between members of different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities”. AFSPA empowers the Governor of the State/Union territory to issue an official notification declaring the state or a region within as a “disturbed area”, after which the Centre can decide whether to send in armed forces.

  • Presently AFSPA is enforced in the 5 states of North East (parts of Arunachal, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram & Nagaland) and J&K. AFSPA was removed from Tripura in 2015 and from Meghalaya in 2018.

According to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), in an area that is proclaimed as “disturbed”, an officer of the armed forces has powers to:-

  • After giving such due warning, Fire upon or use other kinds of force even if it causes death, against the person who is acting against law or order in the disturbed area for the maintenance of public order,
  • Destroy any arms dump, hide-outs, prepared or fortified position or shelter or training camp from which armed attacks are made by the armed volunteers or armed gangs or absconders wanted for any offence.
  • To arrest without a warrant anyone who has committed cognizable offences or is reasonably suspected of having done so and may use force if needed for the arrest.
  • To enter and search any premise in order to make such arrests, or to recover any person wrongfully restrained or any arms, ammunition or explosive substances and seize it.
  • Stop and search any vehicle or vessel reasonably suspected to be carrying such person or weapons.
  • Any person arrested and taken into custody under this Act shall be made present over to the officer in charge of the nearest police station with least possible delay, together with a report of the circumstances occasioning the arrest.
  • Army officers have legal immunity for their actions. There can be no prosecution, suit or any other legal proceeding against anyone acting under that law. Nor is the government’s judgment on why an area is found to be disturbed subject to judicial review.
  • Protection of persons acting in good faith under this Act from prosecution, suit or other legal proceedings, except with the sanction of the Central Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by this Act.

Rationale behind imposition of AFSPA | UPSC – IAS

  • Effective functioning: It is essential for the armed forces to function effectively in insurgency and militancy affected areas.
  • Security of nation: Provisions of this act have played a crucial role in maintaining law and order in disturbed areas. Thus, protecting sovereignty and security of the nation.
  • Protection of member of armed forces: It is crucial to empower members of armed forces who constantly face threat to their lives at the hands of insurgents and militants. Its withdrawal would result in poor morale.

Extra-ordinary powers are also necessary as the armed forces face asymmetric warfare involving raids, ambushes, mines and explosive devices, sabotage etc.

Arguments against AFSPA | UPSC – IAS

  • It has been alleged that immunity granted by the act has led the armed forces to misuse the powers and commit offences like enforced disappearances, fake encounters and sexual assault.
  • It leads to suspension of fundamental rights and liberties guaranteed to the citizens by the constitution. Thus, it weakens democracy.
  • People’s disillusionment with democratic setup is exploited by secessionists and terror sympathizers, which leads to more violence & more counter violence creating a vicious cycle.
  • Critics argue that this act has failed in its objective of restoring normalcy in disturbed areas although being in existence for about 50 years.
  • Human rights violations in AFSPA areas are not inquired into and followed by adequate action. Thus, it is against the principle of natural justice.
  • Justice Verma committee (on offenses against women in conflict areas) said AFSPA legitimizes impunity for sexual violence E.g. Kunan Poshpora incident; Thangjam Manorama case in Manipur
  • Justice Santosh Hegde Committee to investigate fake encounters in Manipur described it as a “symbol of oppression”
  • Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee recommended removal of absolute immunity under AFSPA.

A Way Forward | UPSC – IAS

  • It needs to be emphasized that human rights compliance and operational effectiveness are not contrarian requirements. In fact, adherence to human rights norms and principles strengthens the counter insurgency capability of a force.
  • Protection for the armed forces must be accompanied by provisions that ensure responsibility and accountability, within the parameters of law. It is for this reason that robust safeguards need to be incorporated in the existing or any new law.
  • The terms like “disturbed”, “dangerous” and “land forces” need to be clearly defined to ensure greater clarity.
  • Greater transparency in communicating the status of existing cases to include its display on the army and government websites.
  • Proactive feedback to petitioners on action taken by the government in past human rights cases.

Role of Women and Women’s Organizations in India | UPSC – IAS

Women Empowerment in India | UPSC - IAS

Women Empowerment in India | UPSC - IAS

Role of Women and Women’s Organizations in India | UPSC – IAS

(An Introduction and Analysis)

Indian Society, which is largely male dominated, for the position of women in society. Not only men, even most women internalize their position in society as a fair description of their status through the ages. These generalizations apply to some degree to practically every known society in the world.

  • Women play various roles in their lifetime ranging from a mother to that of a breadwinner but are almost always subordinated to male authority; largely excluded from high status occupation and decision making both at work and at home.
  • Paradoxically, even in our Indian society where women goddesses are worshipped, women are denied an independent identity and status.

In recent years, particularly with the rise of Women’s Liberation Movement, this discrimination against women has been widely debated. Two main positions have emerged from this debate. One maintains that this inequality between the sexes is based upon the biologically or genetically based differences between men and women. This view is opposed by the argument that gender roles are culturally determined and inequality between the sexes is a result of a long drawn process of socialization.

Women’s Liberation Movement | UPSC – IAS

Social movement: It is defined as an organized effort by a group of people, either to bring or resist change, in the society.

Objective: Women’s movement is a variant of social movement & it aims to bring changes in the institutional arrangements, values, customs and beliefs in the society that have subjugated women over the years.

Origin: British rule led to spread of English education and western liberal ideology resulted in a number of movements for social change & religious reform in 19th C. Women’s movement is linked to both social reform movements & the nationalist movement.

Social reform movements | UPSC – IAS

Brahmo Samaj:It was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1825 & attempted to abolish restrictions and prejudices against women, which included child marriage, polygamy, limited rights to inherit property. Education was seen as the major factor to improve the position of women.

    • Civil Marriage Act, 1872 was passed, which permitted inter-caste marriage, legalized divorce and
      fixed 14 and 18 as the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys respectively
    • Raja Ram Mohan Roy played an important role in getting Sati abolished
  • Prarthana Samaj:It was founded by MG Ranade & RG Bhandarkar in 1867. Its objectives were more or less similar to that of Brahmo samaj but remained confined to western India. Justice Ranade criticized child marriage, polygamy, restriction on remarriage of widows and non access to education.
  • Arya Samaj: It was founded by Dayanand Saraswati in 1875. Unlike the above two it was a religious revivalist movement. It advocated reform in the caste system, compulsory education for men and women, prohibition of child marriage by law, remarriage of child widows. It was opposed to divorce & widow remarriage in general.
  • Social reformers mentioned above eulogized the position of women in ancient India. However radicals like Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Jyotiba Phule and Lokhitwadi Gopal Hari Deshmukh accused the caste system responsible for the subjugation of women in society.
  • Similar movements began in Islamic community as well. Begum of Bhopal, Syed Ahmad Khan & Sheikh
    Abdullah in Aligarh and Karmat Hussain in Lucknow spearheaded a movement to improve women’s education.
  • Movement Weakness: Gender equality was never an agenda for any of the movements mentioned above. They had a very limited perspective of changing the position of women within the family through education, as education would improve women’s efficiency as housewives and mothers !

Legislative Acts | UPSC – IAS

Parliament from time to time has passed several legislations to empower women & to provide them a legal basis in their fight for equality & justice. Some of them are:

  • Sati (Prevention) Act 1987 – The practice of Sati which was first abolished in 1829, was revised and made illegal in 1887. It provided for a more effective prevention of the commission of sati and its glorification and for matters connected therewith.
  • Amendment to criminal Act 1983– This Act talks about domestic violence as an offence, rape is also made a punishable offence.
  • Special Marriage Act 1954 – It has been amended to fix the minimum age of marriage at 21 yrs for males & 18 yrs for females.
  • Hindu Succession Act 1956– Equal share to daughter from property of father, while a widow has the right to inherit husband’s property. An amendment in this Act in 2005 enabled daughters to have equal share in ancestral properties.
  • Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (ITPA), 1986 – Suppression of Immoral Trafficking in women and girls Act (SITA) 1956 was amended in 1986 & renamed ITPA. SITA was enacted to prohibit or abolish traffic in women and girls for purposes of prostitution. It was amended to cover both the sexes & provided enhanced penalties for offenses involving minors. However the system has failed to crack the mafia working both at interstate and international levels.
  • Dowry Prohibition Act 1961 – Now court is empowered to act in his own knowledge or on a complaint by any recognized welfare organization on dowry murder. Indian Evidence Act is also amended to shift the burden of proof to husband & his family where bride dies within 7 yrs of marriage.
  • Maternity benefit Act 1961- An Act to regulate the employment of women for certain period before and after childbirth and to provide for maternity benefits like paid leaves for 6 months.
  • Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971- Legalize abortion in case if fetus is suffering from physical or mental abnormality, in case of rape & unwanted pregnancy within 12 weeks of gestation period & after 12th week, before 20th week if the pregnancy is harmful for the mother or the child born would be severely deformed.
  • Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986– This Act prohibits indecent representation of women through advertisements or in publications, writings, paintings, and figures or in any other manner and for matters connected therewith.
  • Domestic Violence Act 2005– It seeks to determine domestic violence in all forms against women & make it a punishable offence.
  • Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013– In the backdrop of Dec 16 gang rape, this Act was passed amending the CrPC. The new law has provisions for increased sentence for rape convicts, including lifeterm and death sentence, besides providing for stringent punishment for offences such as acid attacks, stalking and voyeurism. Through the revised Bill, the government has amended various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Indian Evidence Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Constitutional Provisions for women in Indian constitution | UPSC – IAS

  • Article 14 – Men and women to have equal rights and opportunities in the political, economic and social spheres.
  • Article 15(1) – Prohibits discrimination against any citizen on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex etc.
  • Article 15(3)- Special provision enabling the State to make affirmative discriminations in favor of women.
  • Article 16- Equality of opportunities in matter of public appointments for all citizens.
  • Article 23- Bans trafficking in human and forced labor
  • Article 39(a)– The State shall direct its policy towards securing all citizens men and women, equally,the right to means of livelihood.
  • Article 39(d)- Equal pay for equal work for both men and women.
  • Article 42– The State to make provision for ensuring just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief.
  • Article 51 (A)(e)- To renounce the practices derogatory to the dignity of women
  • Article 300 (A)– Right of property to women
  • 73rd & 74th Amendment Act 1992- Reservation of 1/3rd of seats in local bodies of panchayats and municipalities for women.

(The day on which 73rd amendment became operational i.e April 24th is also declared as Women’s Empowerment Day).

Conclusion:- Though at the time of our independence our constitution guaranteed social, economic & political equality, rights & protection to the Indian women however in reality we have still not been able to provide their due status in the society which has had led to the resurgence of issue based movements earlier in 1970s & has gained momentum again recently like anti dowry movement, anti rape movements etc.

Indicators of Women’s Status in India | UPSC – IAS

There are different forms of violence on women, which act as threats to women’s independent identity and dignity. Forms of violence are:

  • Female foeticide & infanticide – According to a survey by British medical journal, Lancet, nearly 10 million female abortions have taken place in India in the last 20 years, which is rampant amongst the educated Indian middle class as well.
    • There are organizations like Swanchetan, which are working towards educating & bringing awareness in people against the ghastly act.
  • Rape, sexual harassment & abuse – It acts as a deterrent to women’s freedom & perpetuates the notion that women are the weaker sex. Every 2 hours, a rape occurs somewhere in India! The recent Dec. 16 Delhi Gang rape case, shook the entire country and led to protests all across the country, setting up of Justice Verma panel & helped in the fast track judgment of the case. However rampant cases of rape of Dalit women, acid attacks, eve teasing go unnoticed.
  • Domestic violence and dowry deaths – Violence on women in the family were considered family problems and were never acknowledged as “crimes against women” until recently. It is prevalent in all classes of society.
  • Prostitution – A large number of women destitute or victims of rape who are disowned by family fall prey to prostitution forcibly. There are no governmental programs to alleviate the problem of prostitution.
  • Objectification of women – Indecent Representation of Women(Prohibition) Act, 1986 prohibits indecent representation of women through advertisements or in publications, writings, paintings etc. However a whole lot of indecent representation of women is done through literature, media, paintings etc upholding the “right to freedom of expression”.

Demographic Profile of Women in India | UPSC – IAS

  • Sex Ratio – Sex ratio is used to describe the number of females per 1000 of males. As per census 2011 sex ratio for India is 940 females per 1000 of males, i.e. females form a meager 47% of the total population. The State of Haryana has the lowest sex ratio in India and the figure shows a number of 877 of females to that of 1000 males while Kerala has the highest of 1084 females per 1000 males
  • Health –Studies on hospital admissions and records have shown that males get more medical care compared to girls. 2% of the female population is absolute anaemic. 12% of the female population of the country suffers from repeated pregnancy (80% of their productive life is spent in pregnancy) & lack of nutrition.
  • Literacy – The female literacy levels according to the Literacy Rate 2011 census are 65.46% where the male literacy rate is over 80%. While Kerala has the highest female literacy rate of 100% , Bihar is at the lowest with only 46.40%
  • Employment –Of the total female population 21.9% are a part of Indian workforce. Majority of women are employed in the rural areas and in agriculture. Amongst rural women workers 87% are employed in agriculture as laborers, cultivators, self employed like hawkers etc i.e in the unorganized sector which almost always remains invisible. Despite the equal remuneration Act 1976, women are paid lower wages, occupy lower skilled jobs, have less access to skill training and promotion.
  • Political status– Though India had a women Prime Minister Late Ms Indira Gandhi, women are not fairly represented in the Parliament & other State & Local bodies. With only around 9 per cent women in upper house and around 11 per cent in the lower house of parliament, India ranks 99th in the world in terms of female representation among MPs.

However 73rd & 74th amendments to the constitution have ensured the participation of women in PRIs with a reservation of 1/3rd for women. Today more than 30 million women are actively participating in the political decision making process at the grass root.

Factors affecting women’s work participation | UPSC – IAS

Women’s work participation rate in general has been declining over the decades. The decline has occurred due to several factors:

  • Absence of comprehensive and rational policy for women’s emancipation through education, training and access to resources such as land, credit and technology etc.
  • The perception of male as the breadwinner of the family despite the fact that in low income households women’s income is crucial for sustenance. This perception adversely affects women’s education & training. Employers also visualize women workers as supplementary workers & also cash in on this perception to achieve their capitalistic motives by keeping the wage low for women.
  • Structural changes in the economy e.g decline in traditional rural industries or industrialization.
  • Lack of assets (land, house) in their own name in order to have access to credit and self employment opportunities
  • Huge demand of time and energy of women for various tasks at home like child bearing and rearing etc
    in addition to participation in labour force leave them with little time for education, training and self development
  • Division of labour based on the gender between men and women & technological advancements work against women. They are the last to be hired and first to be sacked.
  • Govt. programs to increase employment and productivity are focused more on men & women are seen as beneficiaries rather than active participants

Indian Women’s Organizations  | UPSC – IAS

Due to women’s movement several legislations were passed like Equal Remuneration Act, Minimum Wage Act, Maternity Benefit Act etc. to ensure equal status to women in society & more importantly at work. However illiteracy amongst the major women workforce (87% of women are employed in unorganized sector), fear of losing employment & lack of awareness of the laws enacted to protect them, make it difficult for women to benefit from them.

A few organizations are working to give voice to the women workers for improvement in their working conditions:

  • Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)– SEWA is a trade union. It is an organization of poor, self employed women workers in the unorganized sector of the country. They are the unprotected labour force as they do not obtain benefits like the workers of organized sector. SEWA’s main goals are to organize women workers for full employment.
  • Working Women’s Forum (WWF)- The forum is committed to poverty reduction and strengthening of economic, social and cultural status of poor working women, through micro-credit, training, social mobilization and other interventions to poor women..
  • Annapurna Mahila Mandal (AMM)– It works for welfare of women and the girl child. It conducts various activities that include educating women on health, nutrition, mother and child care, family planning, literacy and environmental sanitation. It works for the empowerment of women and enables them to take their own decisions and fight for security and rights. The organization also promotes individual and group leadership.

Conclusion | UPSC – IAS

Education & Economic independence of women & awareness amongst the masses are the most important weapons to eradicate this inhumane behavior of the society towards the female sex. We are slowly but steadily heading towards an era of change & hope to see the light of change, shine on the weaker sex, as it is called one day.