Picture from “Four men have been executed over rape and murder. It’s no victory for women.” by Sud (2020), showing a recent gunning down of four sexual violence offenders in Delhi, India.
KHALID ALGHUNAIM WRITES – The current state of sexual abuse in India is not just shameful but deeply worrisome. There has been an uptick in sexual violence against women that peaked at exceedingly shocking heights in 2020. What makes this worse: India is one of the few countries in the world with extremely ‘tough on sexual abuse’ laws. Most first time offenders receive life sentences, while repeat sexual offenders face capital punishment.
In Indian culture today, females seem to have no voice. Society expects them to be ‘humble’ and submissive to their male counterparts. Perhaps one reason they remain so at risk is this over-glorification of masculinity and s inferior status of women.
Even the recent gunning down of four sexual offenders, alongside the implementation of strict anti-abuse laws, has not solved the problem. The current increase in the number of sex abuse cases- to one per quarter an hour -underscores this viewpoint. Experts have lately been giving deep consideration to the idea that the Indian government’s use of force to end sexual violence may bein vain.
Maybe the solution for sexual violence in India lies in female empowerment and male re-education. Although strict rules like the shooting of suspects might offer short-term and immediate justice, a long-term solution would mean changing Indian people’s thinking. Sexual abuse begins in the perpetrator’s mind. We need, then, to change Indian people’s thinking. No law or strict sentence alone can accomplish that.