India has come a long way in the area of women’s rights, as legislation protecting women against domestic violence, sexual harassment in the workplace, and much more has been enacted in the last twenty years. Despite the rise of this progressive legislation, the safety of women in India remains a major issue. 

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A recent article outlining the murder of a teen girl in Delhi is an example of how the safety of women in India is still in question. The article described how a 16-year-old girl was fatally stabbed in a public alleyway in Rohini, a neighborhood in northern Delhi. More disturbingly, the area the teen girl was killed in was known to be busy, and there were multiple bystanders who were seen taking videos of the crime. Multiple groups of women have taken to the streets to protest the killing of the teen girl and called for more protections for women in Delhi. This is not the first time in India that women have taken to the streets to protest for their own safety. The article further explains how the rates of violence against women in India only seem to increase: “crimes against women were 20% higher in 2020 compared to 2013”, as reported by the country’s own National Crime Records Bureau.

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In the article, CNN writer Tara Subramaniam provides a few courses of action to prevent gender-based violence, such as the increase in police patrolling or new legislation. Although these are valuable contributions, they also serve as “band-aid” solutions. To prevent gender-based violence in India, the root of the problem has to be addressed. Yogita Bhayana, who is the founder of People Against Rapes In India, summarizes this core issue: “The work has to be done on the mindset of the men and the boys.”

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What is it that young boys and men are being taught in India? What is it that leads many to not intervene, or to commit these crimes themselves? Ultimately, the answer lies in the societal norms that many have come to accept as reality. Certain beliefs, such as the belief that women are inferior to men, can become generational. In India, these patriarchal beliefs are deeply ingrained into the society. In the majority of patriarchal societies, boys are taught that "boys will be boys" while girls are often sheltered. This creates a problem of accountability; men's behavior is more likely to be excused while a woman's mistake is not. While women are expected to be submissive, men are expected to be dominant, and this forced "masculinity" is what leads to many of India's problems with gender-based violence today. 

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This belief that men should exhibit masculinity through stoicism, aggression, and dominance leaves many men struggling to find their place in society. In particular, the belief that men should be stoic and suppress their emotions is one of the most harmful. In India, men account for 71% of suicides (Vijayakumar, 2010). A large part of this is related to the inability for men to seek help for mental issues due to the stigma around it. Women in India are more like to receive counseling services for mental health issues, and even those rates are relatively low when compared to those of other countries. 

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The Delhi article provides multiple quotes from women who fear for their safety or feel outrage towards the crime, but there is a loud silence from men. How do men feel in regard to this news, and would they fail to step in like the multiple bystanders that passed by the victim?

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References

 

National Crime Records Bureau India. (2023). https://ncrb.gov.in/en 

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Subramaniam, T., & Suri, M. (2023, May 31). Teen girl in India stabbed to death in public, reigniting outrage over violence against women. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/30/india/india-delhi-girl-murder-video-outrage-intl-hnk/index.html

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Vijayakumar, L. (2010, January). Indian research on suicide. Indian journal of psychiatry. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3146189/