Alarming Rise Of Violence Against Women In JK

The United Nations defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is observed every year on 25th November. This day was first commemorated in the year 1999 following a proclamation from the United Nations General Assembly. According to the World Health Organization, one in every three women across the globe experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. The women of Jammu and Kashmir accounts half of the total population of the state and are significantly contributing to the society in general and their families in particular by working shoulder to shoulder with the the men. Their contributions to all sectors are visible to everyone and everywhere whether in agriculture, horticulture, small scale industries, factories, household chores etc but in majority of cases, their immense contributions are still ignored and are facing the violence in one or another form by the hands of so called modern materialistic men. As per the various reports and data, There has been stark increase in violence against women in the Jammu and Kashmir in the form of dowry deaths, acts of sexual harassment, torture, rapes, intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution and domestic violence. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted by the Union Ministry of Health has exposed shocking facts about domestic violence against women in Jammu and Kashmir. The survey report, released in 2020, claims that 9.6% of women in the age group 18-49 experienced domestic violence in 2019-20.The survey further reveals that domestic abuse and sexual harassment is more widespread in rural areas of J&K as compared to urban areas. The tall claiming modern men of Jammu and Kashmir are committing immense atrocities against women from prebirth to the old age due to misconceptions and such misconceptions are purely baseless and illogical and manufacture typical stereotypes. It starts at the gestation period in the form of illegal sex determination and sex-selective abortion by medical professionals on consent of males. Due to ignorance of males, innocent women are being tortured psychologically and blamed for giving birth to a girl child. After birth of a girl child, a girl child is considered to be a social and economic burden and a boy is considered as an incentive to the family. The patriachal mindset of materialistic males deprive female child of nutritious food, educational opportunities, health care facilitates and neglect her almost in all aspects of life.
As a girl child grows, she faces child marriage, incidents of kidnapping, abduction, molestation, rape, sexual abuse, forced marriage, prostitution, and sexual harassment violence in the so called modern societies. The Child marriage undermines the health and autonomy of millions of girls. There are multitude of factors that are responsible for increasing violence and crime against the women in the Jammu and Kashmir, the first and foremost factor that sows the seeds of domestic violence is the Dowry. Women are being mistreated forced, harrassed, intimidated by males for bringing the Dowry in the form money, gifts, land etc and in majority of cases, the poor women who fail to pay the Dowry, end their lives in extreme violent forms either by themselves by taking poisonous substances, burning, strangulation, Jumping into water bodies, or face the same fate by the hands of their husbans or in-laws. Massive unemployment and deteriorated state of economy have become inevitable factors leading to a rise in violence and crime against women in Jammu and Kashmir. Economic loss and loss of jobs post aborogation of article 370 and covid 19 lockdowns are another factors contributing to the rising violence against women.Due to covid 19 lockdowns, almost all sectors of economy have been paralyzed leading to loss of jobs that created anxiety, depressions among the people that enhanced violence and crime against women which has affected their physical, mental, and social well-being during these unprecedented times. Increasing drug addiction among the youth of Jammu and Kashmir for the past many years has increased the crime and violence against women and violence like eveteasing, molestation, harassments of girls at public places have shown sharp surge due to increasing drug addiction in the state. Impact of westernization and lack of moral education also increase sexual abuse, molestation, sexual harassments against women as in an adolescence period, (the period of stress and strain) opposite sex are attracted to each other. Besides, lack of gender sensitization, misogyny, patriachal attitudes, lack of healthy relationship models are also responsible for violence against women in Jammu and Kashmir.
The consequences of violence against women are far and wide affecting overall development of the women and in many cases leads to permanent psychological and physical damage. Atrocities against the women Jammu and kashmir is very high and due to their unawareness about rights and laws, about 86% women who experience violence never seek help and 77% of the victims do not even mention the incidents to anyone and among the 14.3% of victims who seek help, only 7% reach out to relevant authorities like the police, doctors, lawyers or social service organisations. Constructive and progressive society needs equal opportunities and rights of men and women to achieve all round development, A society, where violence against women continues, that society has been heading towards destruction and its all round developmental goals can never be achieved.
The violence against women can be curbed by various ways. Education and awareness of women about their rights, social, economic and political empowerment of women. Civil society, NGO’S, religious scholars can play important role in creating awareness among the people against violence. The strict implementation of laws, more enactment of stringent laws and stringent punishment to the culprits like PSA, life imprisonment, death sentence can also play crucial role in curbing the violence against women. Besides, Administration or government also must come forward to deal with the issue effectively. Let’s introspect, pledge, and address this burning issue collectively so that women can feel safe and secure environment to live a normal life otherwise, the same burning issue will engulf all of us with disastrous effects.
(The author is a Teacher at Government Boys Higher Secondary School Beerwah .Views are his own)
Mushtaqa07@gmail