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An all-women security squadron in India to combat violence against women
16-8-2017
In its Monday’s issue, An Nahar newspaper published news of an all-women battalion in the Indian Security Forces deployed in the streets of Jaipur, especially at bus stops, parks and universities where cases of violence against women are rampant. The job of the women-only regiment is to enforce security and law in the city located in the North of a country where 40,000 cases of rape are reported each year. In a nation that has developed a repute of a laid back attitude towards sexual harassment and violence against women, a women squadron struggles to reinforce security, according to its commander Kamal Shawkat who promised to be extremely firm in this respect. An Nahar cited figures by experts which show that reported sexual assaults are only a tip of the iceberg of countless incidents whose survivors prefer not to disclose the assault. Human rights activists note that male dominance is widely noticeable in the Indian Police with women barely representing 7%, which prevents sexual violence victims from speaking up. Additionally, police stations often harbour prejudices against the victims based on their appearances or behaviour, and in some instances, hold them responsible for bringing violence on themselves. Another reason why women rape survivors stay silent is stigma and the intense feeling of shame and sometimes, fear of revenge, from the conservative Indian society. An Nahar concluded by saying that the Jaipur Police hopes the women’s security squad will encourage rape victims to break their silence. (An Nahar, August 14, 2017)
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