In the past, the idea of women’s safety was littered with synonyms like ‘mafia raj’ or ‘goonda raj’, especially in states like Uttar Pradesh. PM Narendra Modi had noted earlier that before the BJP government came into power, there was mafia raj on the streets of UP and goons wielded considerable influence over the government, resulting in a challenging environment for women. In his words, “It was difficult for women to step out on the streets and go to school or college. You (women) could not say anything because if you went to the thana (police station), a phone call would be made advocating for the criminal or rapist.”
Today while women move about with a newfound sense of confidence in Modi’s India, it is the wrongdoers who find themselves uneasy and apprehensive. This change is palpable in the nation’s psyche today. The safety of women, whether within the confines of their homes, on the streets, or in the workplace, has been recognized as not merely an election trope but an essential and irrevocable condition of life. The efforts of the Narendra Modi government have been key in this evolution.
From legislative and policy changes to law enforcement and implementation, there have been a gamut of initiatives post 2014 that have brought in a societal shift in the way people think about and approach issues linked to women’s safety.
After the horrific Nirbhaya case of 2012, there were consistent demands for stringent laws. The Modi government took it upon itself to further the goal by strengthening the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013. The amended law not only enhanced the quantum of punishment for heinous crimes but also introduced capital punishment for those guilty of raping a child under the age of 12. The government has ensured effective implementation of the Act on the ground via initiatives like Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO), National Database of Sexual Offenders (NDSO), Cri-MAC (Crime Multi-Agency Center), and New Citizen Services. From sharing information on heinous crimes, coordination in cases of inter-state crime to analytically tracking completion of police investigations, these initiatives have empowered our law enforcement agencies to effectively deal with crimes against women. To its credit, the Home Ministry had established a separate Women Safety Division back in 2018 to aid and sensitize states/UTs around issues of women’s safety.
Another prominent addition to the safety net is the Nirbhaya Fund, which supports a number of projects such as the ongoing Safe City Projects, forensic science laboratories, and the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), among others. The Safe City Projects are being carried out in eight cities as of now and involve use of technology, including drones, CCTV cameras, and smart lighting systems, to augment safety of women. ERSS is a pan-India, internationally recognized, single number (112) for various emergencies, and has handled crores of calls with a quick response time of less than 16 minutes. To further improve criminal investigation, a state-of-the-art DNA analysis facility was set up at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh under the Fund.
To further serve women on the ground, a total of 733 One-Stop Centers has been made functional, having assisted over 7.5 lakh women so far. These centers provide temporary shelter, legal and medical aid to women along with psycho-social counseling.
For working women in particular, the government has in place Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 (which mandates the creation of Internal Complaints Committees in workplaces), SHe-Box (an online complaint management system against sexual harassment at workplace) along with nearly 494 Sakhi Niwas—working women hostels with day care facility for children.
The government has upped the ante by taking an exhaustive approach towards women safety. Adding to the list are the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (with a special focus on cyber crimes against women and children) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre which provides an ecosystem for law enforcement in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. The government also provides financial assistance to states/UTs for capacity building in terms of cyber forensic-cum-training laboratories, hiring of cyber consultants, public prosecutors etc., under its Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children scheme.
The Modi government achieved another significant milestone by criminalizing the practice of Triple Talaq, liberating Muslim women from the age-old shackles of patriarchy. Furthermore, the amended Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2015 lowers the trial age from 18 years to 16 years in case of heinous crimes like rape and murder. Also notable is the government’s clear intent to increase the legal age of marriage for women to expand their access to educational and professional opportunities.
The efficient law-making has been backed by establishment of fast-track special courts, currently 758 in number out of which 411 are POCSO (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) courts exclusively.
Significant strides have also been made through initiatives like Swachh Bharat, PM Ujjwala Yojana, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, with their profound social impacts extending beyond the restoration of women's dignity. These endeavors have not only elevated the safety and security of women but have done so through a myriad of transformative measures.
Hence in the last decade, we have evolved from an era where the upliftment of women was seen to occur in isolation, rather than being integrated into the broader framework of national development. It was only after the Modi government rose to power that the concept of development led by women gathered ground. In line with this perspective, initiatives aimed at ensuring women’s safety also underwent a comprehensive and inclusive transformation.
Yet back in 2014 itself, in his first Independence Day address to the nation, the Prime Minister had stressed that safety of women is not only a social responsibility but also a familial one. “Parents ask their daughters where they were if they return home late. But, do they do the same with their sons? After all, a person perpetrating a heinous crime such as rape is also someone’s son. As parents, have we asked our sons where they are going? While we keep questioning our daughters, why not use same yardstick for sons too?”
Would you?
