Stopping Gender-Based Violence in India

Ford Williams

2/8/13

SOC 202-02

Stopping Violence Aimed at Women in India

            On just Tuesday, a trial began for five Indian males who were there to answer for their involvement in a violent gang rape case in New Delhi. This trial wouldn’t normally be a regular occurrence in a male-centric county like India, but recently the government has been reacting to public outrage over the rampant physical and sexual violence against women. In response to protesting citizens, the government has attempted to strengthen anti-sexual assault laws and to create reform that would discourage citizens from committing such crimes and encourage law enforcement to intervene in cases of assault against women.

One of the major stumbling blocks for this reform has been the age-old culture of India itself. “There exists a culture of inferiority of women that cannot and will not change unless the government and the people are on the same page and equally committed to bringing about change,” says Dr. Shireen Hyrapiet, a professor at Oregon State University. Shortly after running an article about the gang rape case, The New York Times conducted a survey asking its readers how they think India should go about reforming its system in efforts to reduce violence and discrimination against women. Many readers mentioned something about a specialized police force specifically designated for cases of violence against women. A few other readers suggested that celebrities and athletes do public service announcements promoting the message “Real Men Don’t Rape.” One reader, David Raney, thought that since the problem of discrimination was a cultural issue, the solution should directly influence culture.  He suggested making a small ritual based around respecting and honoring women that could be held on one day out of every week, in which men do small niceties for the women in their lives and present them with flowers that could be work around the neck. “This would at least be a physical ritual. In India, rituals create change.”

Link to NY Times article:

http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/your-suggestions-on-curbing-violence-against-women-in-india/?ref=world