Nobody can defeat a woman if she is bold and brave to fight through proper procedure and law. Ignorance and silence are the cause of their perpetual malaise and suffering.

Eve’s daughter has a vital position and role in society. The fountain of affection and sacrifice has been in the headlines because of social apathy by a section of society who indulge in callous and unmindful actions. Consequently, a chunk of women folk are pushed to the wall and are at the receiving end. No doubt, sane voices across the globe helped their emancipation from alienation and infliction yet the graph of crime rate against women is not receding up to the desirable mark. A woman has a vital potential for upbringing the generation and shaping the personalities, so her mental, social and physical well-being must be the priority at the family level to the frontline of the state. All believe that “the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world”. This great nurse nurtures the coming generations.

International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8 since 1911  in order to appraise the position, status and sufferings and devise the mechanism to bolster the dignity of women who are violated by vicious people in vicious circles. The need of the hour is to disseminate awareness among the masses so that the rot can be eliminated. The government has a well-established powerful women’s commission in place at the national level and at the state-levels. The awareness of women has been encouraging as oppressed women are coming forward and fighting various discriminations, and bias and seeking the attention of various forums and fronts and challenging gender stereotypes. Education has infused activism among women and men folk which has brought a radical change from the grassroots level to wide-scale momentum. This ushered equity in social and economic political spheres of life. A woman is now an inspiration for the future as she proved her mettle in most fields.

National Commission for Women (NCW) received nearly 31,000 complaints of crimes committed against women in 2022, which is the highest since 2014. On one hand, it reveals the increasing rate but at the same, it is inferred that the awareness regarding registering crimes is increasing and women and other stakeholders are coming forward. Violence against women should be denounced. UN General Assembly in 1993 defined violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”.

Violence against women is an impediment to development, equity, and peace as well as to the fulfillment of women‘s human rights. We have round-the-clock helplines for women in distress. like 1091 where they can register their concern and distress. Women’s helpline against domestic abuse comes into action when the 181 helpline number is dialed. Violence inside the home is constantly reported, which has far-reaching effects on her mental health and on the children. The right to life with dignity is violated in domestic abuse as it results in emotional abuse which leads to self-immolation or depression and sometimes extreme steps.

The UN theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Digit All: Innovation and Technology for gender equality”. This is aligned with the priority theme 67th session of the commission on the status of women (CSW-67). Women need to get equipped with digital technology which helps them to raise their genuine concerns and they can reach out to all those bodies which are the harbinger of women’s rights and their concerns.

Let our society make it a point to bolster the image and dignity of women which will be a great service to the women folk. Domestic violence and harassment at work have shacked the morale of women as there is a considerable chunk of women who don’t divulge their predicament due to fear of social taboo or stigma and the rot lies here as it has contributed to their depression, anxiety and desire to suicide. The government needs to prioritize the disposal of complaints lying with various bodies and disposed of the cases on a fast-track basis, as long procedures and trials discourage women to come forward and fight the cases. The trend of female feticide has affected the female sex ratio across the country The government has made stringent laws to contain this malpractice and has succeeded to a considerable extent. Women should not remain complacent when someone is making their life miserable and uncomfortable rather need to take a course of action under various rights ensured for them like the right to dignity and decency, right at the workplace, right against domestic violence, right to free legal aid, etc. We have constitutional provisions and privileges which facilitate exclusive rights to women for protection and development. They should take support from some special laws for effective implementation of the rights against abuse, harassment, violence and inequality etc. The most powerful one is the Domestic Violence Act, 2005.

For better and more dignified life, the education of women is a prerequisite. The participation of women in various spheres of life will set precedence for posterity, and society can be purged from the hawkish approach of abusers. Women need to use logic and wit in dealing with various challenges. Education fosters great values so women should develop valor, resilience, and show a tenacious approach in odd situations and become inspiring, enthusiastic and hopeful which can assure them an honorable life. the hallmark of civility and a high standard of life can be gauged when the woman is held in esteem. She should adorn her with good human values, patience, love, sober and the right approach to face society. Dignity and decency are their adornments; nobody can dare to disrobe their modesty provided they are bold and outspoken. If anybody tries to disrobe their modesty, stringent law shall entail punishment for the perpetrators. In order to get rid of domestic violence whether physical abuse, mental torture and intimidation, one should take refuge in Domestic Violence Act. If the husband of a woman perpetrates abuse or violence or any relative from in laws, they can get imprisonment for up to 3 years and in case the oppressor is a public servant under the law, they will face stringent trials and punishments. Nobody can defeat a woman if she is bold and brave to fight genuine concern through proper procedure and law. Ignorance and silence are the cause of their perpetual malaise and suffering.

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Dr Imtiyaz Rasool Ganai