Make World Safer for Women

 

LEGAL REFORMS FOR PREVENTION OF CRIME AGAINST WOMEN

        Quality of life in any society can be gauged by how fair gender is treated by others and how a support system is provided to any victim of gender/sex crime. There is a spurt in crime against women and inadequacy of laws or will to implement laws to safeguards life of women. Its very important to provide them a safe environment at home, work place or on street and this is the need of hour. This issue need to be deliberated, discussed and acted upon if we wish to call ourselves a civilized society. Govt needs to be more sensitive towards rising crime against women. This article aims to suggest measures to address the issue of crime against women.

·       Under mentioned aspects are required to be considered to act as deterrent and to control gender based crimes. Same are summarized under following heads :-

       ·       Gender Sensitization

·       Awareness

·       Preventive Policing

·       Legal Reforms

·       Mechanism for Implementation

Gender Sensitization

·       Background       Indian society specially in north has been very orthodox  due to various historical, cultural and religious reasons, as a result position of women in society became inferior with respect to men since all financial, administrative powers remain confined to men. This also led to unhealthy growth of children specially when they go to school without co educational system. This affects inter gender behavior pattern of children when they attains puberty since they do not know how to deal with opposite sex and their behavior is governed by basic male instincts. Suggestions in this category are as u/m :-

 ·       A compulsory opening address by all heads of Educational institutions from Class X onwards to cover this aspects of gender sensitivity among all students  and failure to comply with this must lead to rustication for one year after two warnings are administered to an erring student.

·       Periodical counselling (Qtrly) of all students by experts, Govt should seek volunteers from people of eminence in social and cultural field  to give interactive talk on gender sensitivity to students. Large no of people will come forward for this social cause and it will not entail any expenditure on account of fee for such people.

·       Introduction of min 12 lecture cum interactive talk  in an academic session from class X onwards on Moral Education covering gender sensitization, respect towards women, old and aged people, traffic rules, duties of young generation towards other member of society at public places; station, train , bus, park, malls etc, and their duties to assist law and administration.

·       Introduction of compulsory social service and make mandatory QR for obtaining degree/certificate.

·       Visit for all students to local police stations as part of know your police pgme.

·       Penalty for minor offences must include social service.

·       Character certificate issued by School/college auth must include remarks on gender sensitivity of person.

·       Annual confidential report of all Govt servants and corporate employees must include remark on gender sensitivity.

·       Auth for issue of character certificate after one year of passing out from school/college should be given to Concerned Station House Officer, Circle Officer or SDM and should be valid for one year.

·       Any gender insensitive recoded acts and penalties should debar all govt servants from all further promotions for a period of three years.

Awareness

·       Knowledge is power, women must be made aware of their legal rights, position of law and policing system in India. Suggestions are:-

 ·       An easily identification of Area of Responsibility of respective Police Station to enable the people in area to know their police station and officer in charge and their contact no. A suggested format is att as Appx. 

·       Appointment of women volunteers in all police station on rotation basis to assist a victim of harassment to file compliant and understand her legal rights. This can be a part of MANREGA scheme reserve for women category. One week training capsule can be run at all district headquarters for such volunteers.

·       All govt aid/subsidy should be linked with girl child education, parents who do not send their girl child to school up to Cl XII should be denied any govt aid/subsidy. Similarly, promotion to govt servants should also be linked with girl child education.

·       Compulsory display of message for awareness of women in all public places and public transport system as under mentioned:-

    “Warning: Harassment of women is a serious offence and could lend the offender         in prison for  life or may invite death penalty. Women, In case of any assistance         please call National help line for women 181 or mail at *****@nic.in. Your identity         will be kept confidential”.

Preventive Policing

·       Suggestions are:-

·    All local area police stations should identify area which are prone to crimes against women and write to municipal authorities to lit this area and allocate this areas to beat officers on duty for special cover. This should become standard drill.

·     People Participation In Policing: Special Police Officers selected from people of repute recommended by civil society of area to check and curb any kind of sexual harassment.

·    One day visit of Cl XII students to respective police station to understand the police functioning and to work as volunteers from 0900 hr to 1400 hr under the escort of their teacher. This will eliminate fear of police from their mind, educate them and also sensitize police towards society.

·  Profiling of offenders under sex crime category for keeping an eye on them and compulsory attendance at police stations on quarterly basis.

Amendment To Laws And Legal Reforms

·       Suggestions are:- 

·       Punishment for offences under Sec, 366, 375, 453 and 509 of IPC should be enhanced to include death penalty for rape. Under mentioned category of punishment may be introduced to include:-

·                  Chemical castration of offender.

·                Compulsory exhibition of offenders in nearest Zoo for one week/ or parade in a cage mounted on a vehicle throughout the city to make society aware of such offenders and punishment to act as deterrent for other people. Special cages can be made for them. United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) should be approached to amend their charter to exclude convicts of sex crime for claim of any human rights. Society must understand the difference between being human and being a beast.

·                  Promulgation of punishment for sex crime at district court once a month

·              Stoppage of all govt aid for such offenders; in case of juvenile delinquent, their parents should be warned and all govt aid should be withdrawn from them for a period of three years. Juvenile must perform social service.

·             A juvenile accused of rape must be treated at par with other accused as act of rape brings him at par with an adult.

·             Compulsory social service for sex offenders for a period of three months in a year if the punishment is less than death penalty or life term. This can be done after punishment is over.

·       Provision of summary trial for minor sex crimes to expedite the justice delivery system.

·       Provision of monetary help to victim or his family to be recovered from accused or his parents. This will make parents also accountable for action of their delinquent children.

·   Provision of all medical assistance, psychological counselling and rehabilitation by Govt to victim. This will make Govt accountable to wards victim of sex crime.

·       Other suggestions are:- 

        ·       Establishment of forensic science lab at all state capital and all zones headquarters         in state.

        ·       Provision of Air forensic lab at State HQ and Mobile forensic lab at zone HQ to cover         the scene of crime. Standing provision to hire ac for air lab to be made.

    ·       Introduction of courses in forensic science for selected police officers and such police     officers should be given investigation of cases where evidence of such nature are         involved.

    ·       Police training to include chapters on gender sensitivity.

    ·       Home Shelters for women in distress to be constructed at every district HQ to allow       any women in distress to stay for min 30 days to enable her to get requisite support      from family, Women Commission, NGSs, Govt Agencies etc.

Implementation

·       Laws without effective mechanism for implementation are useless. A time bound implementation to book the offenders will act as deterrent to delinquents. A suggested time plan is as under mentioned: -

·       Investigation from the date of reporting        -         25 Days

·       Filing of charge sheet                                   -         32 Days

·       Hearing of charge                                        -         35 Days

·       Examination of witnesses                             -         45 Days

·       Arguments                                                    -         47 Days

·       Judgment                                                     -         57 Days

·       Announcement of verdict                              -         59 Days

·       Promulgation                                                 -         60 Days

·       Avoidance of arrest by accused should result in trial conducted ex parte and during/after trial all-out effort should be made by Police to nab such culprits. Avoidance of arrest and failure to surrender before court should be treated as acceptance of guilt. National roster of all absconding accused should be maintained and circulated to all state.

·       Law should be amended to forfeit right of appeal/bail in case of an absconding accused.

Appx

KNOW YOUR POLICE

CITIZENS

It is your right to approach Police for any crime against you or seeking any assistance in distress. Please contact  us at any phone No :-

Officer/Police Station      -         Landline No           Mobile No

Police Control Room          -

Police Station                    -

Duty Officer                      -

Station House Officer        -

Circle Officer                     -

Supdt of Police (City)         -

Sr Supdt of Police*            -

 

At your Service 24X7

PS ___________________________(Name of Police Station)

Remarks *or commissioner of police as the case may be. These boards must be placed in front of every police stations and at all vantage points (School, Colleges, Crossings, Shopping Malls, Religious Places  etc) in AOR of concerned police station. May be sponsored by corporate, business houses etc.