What is it like to live in India for women? How has it been for the last ten years of Modi rule for them? What is the essense of the Congress promise of Nari Nyay (Justice for women)?
Running a house has become increasingly difficult: Prices have skyrocketed, making it difficult to run a house. Cooking gas was 414 per cylinder in 2014, it became 1103 in 2023 (later the govt reduced Rs. 100 claiming it as a womens’ day gift, on 8 March 2024).
Violence on women on the rise: significant increase in reported rape from the period before 2014 (see figure, source: Statista 2024). There was a small dip in number of cases only in 2020.
Below are a couple of most gruesome cases of attacks on women that made it to the headlines during this time.
Kathua, Kashmir, 2018: An 8-year-old girl Asifa Bano was raped and killed in a temple in the Rasana village near Kathua, Kashmir in January 2018, by six men and a juvenile male (boy). Chargesheet said the girl was raped for days, tortured and finally murdered.
If something was worse than the act of this crime itself, it was how the perpretators of this crime enjoyed the support of those who were in power. Seven BJP leaders including state ministers Chaudhary Lal Singh (Minister of Forest) and Chander Prakash Ganga (Minister of Commerce and Industries) took out a procession in support of the rape victims, protesting arrests in connection with this case. Six of the seven accused were convicted by the court. Three got life sentence. Court observed that the motive was to drive the nomadic Muslim community out of their village. (To read more: THE KATHUA RAPE CASE: A STORY OF MILITARIZATION, VIOLENCE AND JUSTICE)
Hathras, UP, 2020: A 19-year-old dalit girl was gangraped by upper-caste men in the village of Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, on 14 September 2020. The victim was raped by four men and left to die in the fields. Her mother heard her scream, she was taken to the police station but the police refused to report the case. There was a delay in getting her admitted to a hospital. The victim’s statement was recorded on 19 September, supplementary statements on 21st. The first swab test was performed on 22nd September, after more than a week. The victim died on 29 September and the police burnt her body in a hurry the next morning at 2:30 am. (Reference: All about the Hathras case, IPleaders)
After around two and a half years of battling it in the court, the final judgment came on 2 March 2023, convicting one person and acquitting three. The one person convicted was not charged with rape or murder, he was charged with Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).
Apart from these, (i) there is still stark dispartities in employment opportunities for women, (ii) ASHA, Anganwadi and Mid-Day meal workers are paid meagre salaries, (ii) women especially from marginalized communities do not get their legal rights most of the time since locally power is confined to a few important men from certain powerful communities. The third point works against women in cases of violences against women also, like how it happened in Hathras case.
How Nari Nyay propses to change womens’ lives
Considering the support and justice women rightfully deserve, Nari Nyay is a guarantee from Congress that includes five promises –
(i) Mahalakshmi scheme: Rs. 1 Lakh per year to one woman in a family, for every family whose income is low. Acknowledging and appreciating the pivotal role women play in running a house,
(ii) Aadhi aabadi, Poora Haq (Half the share of jobs, full power): 50% reservation in new central government jobs – ensuring equal participation of women in building of the nation, promoting diversity and inclusivity.
(iii) Shakti ka Samman (rewarding her): Double the salary for ASHA, Anganwadi and Mid-day meal workers.
(iv) Adhikar Maitris (Friendly Empowerment): Dedicated facilitators who will ensure women have access to legal recourse and assistance, empowering women to assert their rights and make sure they get justice.
(v) Savitribai Phule Hostels: For safer accommodation of working women, this scheme seeks to double the hostel accommodation available for women in the country, especially for women who seek employment opportunities in towns and cities away from home.
By addressing systemic barriers and providing targeted support, Nari Nyay initiative aims to create a more inclusive and equitable society where every woman can live upto her potential.