Violence Against Women: A State Level Analysis in India

MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Submitted By:

Tanisha Khandelwal.

M.Sc.(Applied Statistics).

Symbiosis Statistical Institute,

(Symbiosis International University, Pune)

Submitted To:

Mr. Rohit Parashar

Consultant, MWCD.

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.no. Content Page No.

1 Introduction 3

2 A Review of Literature 4-5

3 Data and Methodology 5-6

4 Discussion 6-19

(i) Index for Domestic Violence against Women in India 6-9

(ii)Index for Violence against Women in India 10-14

(iii)Index for Violence against SC/ST Women 15-19

5 Conclusion 19-21

6 Refrences 21-22

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Violence Against Women: A State Level Analysis in India

1. Introduction

The principle of gender equality has been enshrined in Constitution of India. Although women can be

victim of any of general crimes such as murder, robbery, etc. but there are some gender specific crimes

which are being characterized as crime against women, more specifically labeled as violence against

women. The fear of violence can prevent women from pursuing education, working or exercising

their political rights and voice. Violence against women causes suffering and misery to victims and their

families and places a heavy burden on societies worldwide. It is a social construction based on a societal

consensus about the roles and rights of men and women(Krahe Barbara,2017). Violence against women is

a serious cause of concern as it also deprives women of their freedom and other safety rights which is a

very bad indicator for any country’s development. From every region, women have grasped the power of

social media to expose their pain and harm, including through use of the hashtags #MeToo,

#NiUnaMenos, #BalanceTonPorc, #PrimeiroAssedio, #Babaeko and #WithYou(UN Women, 2018).

Violence against Women in India is systematic and occurs in public as well as private spheres. It is

underpinned by the patriarchial social-norms and inter and intra gender hierarchies. Women are

discriminated against and subordinated not only on the basis of sex, but on the other grounds such as

caste, class, ability, sexual orientation, tradition and other realities. That exposes them to a continuum of

violence throughout the life cycle. The manifestations of violence against Women are a reflection of the

structural and institutional inequality that is a reality for most women in India (Manjoo Rashida,2013).

Most forms of violence are not unique incidents but are ongoing, and can even continue for decades.

Because of the sensitivity of the subject, violence is almost universally under-reported (Watts Charlotte,

Zimmerman Cathy, 2002).

Young women, early in their careers, are among the least powerful in a workplace and commonly targeted

by sexual abusers. Sexual harassment can be bound up with discrimination based on sexual orientation

and gender identity. Racial and ethnic myths and expectations can also influence the sexual expectations,

prejudices and entitlement that infuse sexual harassment. Thus, Violence against women is rooted in

discrimination, inequality and share of power, making it challenging to address. Men and women who

have not had opportunities to question gender roles, attitudes and beliefs, cannot change them. Women

who are unaware of their rights cannot claim them. Governments and organizations without access to

standards, guidelines and tools cannot adequately address these issues. Once evidence accumulates and

awareness grows, the potential for stopping all forms of violence does too. Bonds have been forged

between women who have named their abuse and those who have not been public about their abuse. They

have inspired and strengthened each other, they have found comfort in the collective outing of their

traumas and consequent harms. They have together challenged the norm of public silence and broken the

pattern of women’s required acquiescence to sexualised expressions of gender inequality.

In the Millennium Development Goals, unfortunately violence against women was not addressed. But

now in Sustainable Development Goals, considering the sincerity of the issue, violence is addressed in a

comprehensive way. The Sustainable Development Goals have been adopted by all governments of the

world. No matter where we are, we have a common platform and a common agenda to address violence

against women.

The mid-year projected female population of India in 2016 as per NCRB report was approx. 614.24

Million. This study attempts to focus on prevalence of various forms of Violence faced by women in

various sphere of life.

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2. A Review of Literature

Violence against women is not a new phenomenon, nor its consequences to women’s physical, mental and

reproductive health. One in three women experience some form of physical or sexual violence in their

lifetime. Women and girls face far greater levels of vulnerability, marginalization and resulting violence,

especially for those who experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, like widows,

elderly people, as well as women whose sexual orientation someone decides is not acceptable.

Violence against women and girls (VAW) is both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality .

The issue of gender-based violence is at the heart of human rights. It is in fact in many ways a

determining factor as to whether we can ever have a just society which is free of gender based

discrimination and violence(UNDP,2018).

The life trajectories of women are a major factor in the world’s future stability and prosperity. The lives

of millions of women and girls around the world, are being stunted or halted by the violence that prevails

in their everyday life. And because so much of this violence happens at home, for many of them there is

nowhere to escape, nowhere to run to. A place where you call home, your refuge, is actually where you

are most vulnerable.

Another new challenge being faced by women is how technology is fuelling the trafficking of women,

cyber bullying and many other forms of violence that is yet not being recognised.

A baseline study revealed that in New Delhi, 92% of women had experienced some form of sexual

violence in public spaces during their lifetime. In 2016, close to a third of total crimes reported against

women in India was cruelty or physical violence by her husband or his relative.

According to a study by UN Women organization, 23% of female undergraduate university students

reported having experienced sexual assault or sexual misconduct in a survey across 27 universities in the

United States in 2015.

In a multi-country study from the Middle East and North Africa, between 40 and 60 per cent of women

said they had experienced street-based sexual harassment (mainly sexual comments, stalking/following,

or staring/ogling).

Practices like early marriage are also widespread, particularly in low human development

countries, where 39 percent of women aged between 20 to 24 were married before their 18th

birthday ( UNDP,2018).

Adult women account for 51 per cent of all human trafficking victims detected globally. Nearly three out

of every four trafficked women and girls are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. At least 200

million women and girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation in the 30 countries with

representative data on prevalence (UN Women, 2017).

Today, 49 countries still do not have laws that protect women from domestic violence. There are

forms of violence where we have seen change, but because the different types of violence against women

have such a big profile, it becomes a drop in the ocean(UNDP,2018).

Femicide in Latin America is a serious challenge. Now 80 per cent of countries in that region have

adopted a protocol, through which they are developing and designing common programmes so that they

can enhance learning between and amongst themselves.

Violence against Women is not a small problem that only occurs in some pockets of society, but rather is

a global issue requiring urgent action. It is time for the world to take action: a life free of violence is a

basic human right, one that every woman, man and child deserves.

The Government of India has identified ending violence against women as a key national priority, which

resonates with the Sustainable Development targets of the United Nations on gender equality. Goal 5

(Gender Equality) of SDG aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women in

the public and private spheres and to undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources

and access to ownership of property. Full implementation of this goal matters because it has the potential

to transform unequal power relations between women and men and address structural barriers impeding

progress.

5

The Prime Minister’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative aims at equal opportunity and education for

girls in India. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has taken a number of initiatives to ensure

safety and protection of women.

One Stop Centres has been set up for support of women who face violent crimes. They provide access to

an integrated range of services including police, medical, legal and psychological support.

3. Data and Methodology

The Report presents a state level comparison of existing situation regarding Violence against women

using three indexes listed as below:

Index for Domestic Violence Against Women

Index for Violence Against Women:

Index for Atrocities Faced by SC/ST Women

The secondary data for the reported incidents for various forms of violence against women prevalent in

India (29 states &7 UT) have been obtained through National Crime Records Bureau(NCRB) ,Crime

Statistics- 2016. For calculating the SC/ST female population of 10 districts of Telangana, the data is

obtained from the reports of District Census Handbook of Andhra Pradesh (as per census 2011).

Calculation of crime rate:

Crime Rate for various states and UT’s is calculated as crime committed against women per lakh female

population. The following formula has been used for calculating crime rate for this study:

Total crime incidences committed against women × 100000

Total female population of that state

Standardization of Data:

The cases of violence against women per lakh female population have been calculated for various forms

of violence for each state and UT separately. The data is then standardized in the range of 1-100 for each

state and UT separately. This is important when dealing with parameters of different units and scales.

Because for comparison, all parameters should have the same scale and units. Standardization of data

scales all numeric variables in the range [0,1]. The formula that has been used to standardize the data for

violence against women is given as:

xnew = (xij – xmax)/ (xmax – xmin) ,

where xij = crime rate of a particular crime for a particular state of, xmax is the maximum rate of crime for a

particular crime and xmin is minimum crime rate for a particular crime.

On a scale of 0 to 100, 0 represents a situation where violence against women is extremely common,

highly severe and not disclosed and 100 represents a situation where violence is non-existent.

Calculation of Index Number:

6

The index number for each state for various forms of crimes prevalent against women is calculated by

adding the standardized values of various crimes committed against women for each state & UT

separately and the value so obtained is the index number for violence against women of that particular

state. The state possessing the maximum value of index number is the state having least rate of violence

against Women and the one with minimum index number is the state where violent against women is

most prevalent.

Ranking of States:

The states have been ranked on the basis of index number obtained for each state. The state with

maximum index number is ranked as first which implies that minimum cases of violence against women

in that state have been reported in that particular year and vice-versa.

Calculation of estimated population of SC/ST Women:

The SC/ST female population is estimated using the proportion of SC/ST female population IN 2011 to

the total female population as per Census 2011. The percentage of SC/ST Women is assumed to be the

same in 2016 as it was in 2011 (as per Census 2011). The population of SC/ST female in 2016 has been

estimated by using the percentage and estimated total female population in 2016(as per the NCRB Report,

‘Crime Statistics – 2016’). The following formula has been used for estimating population:

Estimated Female population of SC/ST in 2016 = estimated total female population in 2016 × 𝐲%

𝟏𝟎𝟎

where, y is the percentage of SC/ST Female population of total female population in 2016.

4. Discussion

(i) INDEX FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA

Violence against women strongly hinders women’s full participation in society and maintains an

oppressive and coercive pattern of control of men over women. Women are not even considered safe at

their home as a major form of violence called ‘domestic violence’ is very much prevalent in Indian

society. A place where you call home, your refuge, is actually where you are most vulnerable.The United

Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defined domestic violence as:

Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of

female children in the household, dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and

other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation.

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injuries experienced by women. Domestic battery causes more

injuries to women than car accidents rape and mugging together (Rodriguez 1992). 22 to 35 % of

emergency hospital visits are consequent to domestic violence (Wetzel et al, 1983). The report focuses on

the major forms of domestic violence against women prevalent in our society. The major forms of

domestic violence against women that have been studied in this report using data for various cases of

crimes are:

Domestic Violence against Women

Dowry DeathsCruelty by

husband/RelativesRape by family

members

Causing miscarriage without Women's

Consent

Prohibition of Women from

domestic violence Act.

Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961

Deaths caused with intent to

miscarriage

7

1. Dowry Deaths

Despite the rapid increase of middle class society and youth population, step towards modernization,

enormous economic development, better education,etc., there are still certain grey areas where the country

is still lacking growth and one such issue the the prevalent dowry system and the deaths due to it. Dowry

Death can be defined as unnatural death of women due to demand for dowry by her husband or family

members.

According to NCRB Report, ‘Crime statistics-2016’, a total of 7,621 cases of dowry deaths have been

reported in India. Uttar Pradesh reported a maximum of 2473 number of cases of dowry deaths with 2.38

cases of dowry deaths reported per lakh female population whereas Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram,

Meghalaya, Andaman & Nicobar, D&N Haveli, Daman & Diu, Lakshwadeep and Pondicherry reported

zero cases of dowry deaths per lakh female population.

2. Cruelty by Husband/Relatives:

Cruelty is one of the genuine sorts of social insidiousness since ages. Cruelty can be both mental and in

addition physical cruelty which is being rehearsed in various modes in general public in various

conditions.

Cruelty by Husband or relative of husband of a woman is harassment of a woman with a view to coerce

her or any related persons to meet any unlawful demand for any property or any valuable security

(Raizada Dev,2017).

As per NCRB Report, ‘Crime Statistics-2016’, Rajasthan reported a maximum of 13,811 cases of cruelty

by husband / relatives in 2016 with 39 cases reported per lakh female population. Sikkim reported a

minimumof 2 cases with 0.67 cases per lakh female population and Lakshwadeep reported a minimum of

2 cases with 5 cases reported per lakh female population.

3.Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961:

It is an act that prohibits the system of dowry that comes under the SLL crimes. Under this Act, various

punishments are included for those who are involved in this system of dowry.

A total of 9683 cases have been reported under Dowry Prohibition Act,1961 in India as per NCRB

report,2016. Uttar Pradersh reported highest number of cases(2867 cases) under this followed by

Karnataka(1698 cases)followed by Orisssa(1400 cases). Jharkhand reported the highest highest crime rate

of 8.35 followed by Odissa(6.64) followed by Karnataka(5.50). A crime rate of zero is being observed in

all the Union Territories.

4.Protection of Women from Domestic Violence,2005:

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted

to protect women from domestic violence. The Act provides for the first time in Indian law a definition of

"domestic violence", with this definition being broad and including not only physical violence, but also

other forms of violence such as emotional/verbal, sexual, and economic abuse. It is a civil law meant

primarily for protection orders and not meant to penalize criminally.

A total of 437 cases have been reported under Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act in

2016(as per NCRB report).Bihar reported the highest number of cases (171 cases) followed by

Kerala(111 cases). Kerala showed the highest crime rate (1.00). All the Union Territories reported a crime

rate of 0 with zero cases reported under this crime.

5. Rape by father /brother or relatives:

8

A total of 4,448 cases have been reported under rape by father/relatives in2016( as per NCRB report).

Uttar Pradesh reported a highest number of cases(702 cases) followed by Rajasthan(585 cases) followed

by Delhi(508 cases). Meghalaya reported the highest crime rate of 5.5 followed by Sikkim(3.7).

6. Deaths caused with intent to miscarraige:

It is a crime under IPC.Section 314. Whoever, with intent to cause the miscarriage of a woman with

child, does any act which causes the death of such woman, shall be punished with imprisonment either

description for a term which may extend to ten and is also liable to fine.A total of 125 cases have been

reported under this crime (as per NCRB report) in 2016. Uttar Pradesh reported highest number of cases

(118 cases) followed by Chhatisgarh. The crime rate reported under this is zero all over India.

7. Causing miscarriage without Women’s Consent:

If the act of miscarriage of women is done without the consent of the woman, then the criminal shall be

punished either with imprisonment for life, or with the other punishments.

A total of 462 cases have been reported under this in 2016(as per NCRB report).Uttar Pradesh reported

highest number of cases (407 cases). The crime rate was found to be almost zero all over India.

The following table gives a comparison of each state / UT in terms of their index number and Union

Territories:

S.no. STATES/UT INDEX

NUMBER

RANK

STATES:

1 Andhra

Pradesh

589.11 17

2 Arunachal

Pradesh

616.79 14

3 Assam 530.51 25

4 Bihar 519.53 26

5 Chattisgarh 627.22 12

6 Goa 657.45 7

7 Gujarat 671.33 5

8 Haryana 530.87 24

9 Himachal

Pradesh

619.59 13

10 Jammu &

Kashmir

681.83 2

11 Jharkhand 506.05 28

12 Karnataka 578.14 18

13 Kerala 538.68 23

14 Madhya

Pradesh

544.09 20

15 Maharashtra 646.07 8

16 Manipur 679.71 3

17 Meghalaya 597.22 16

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(ii) INDEX FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA : A MAJOR CHALLENGE

The term “violence against women” encompasses many forms of violence, including violence by a partner

and rape/sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated by someone other than a partner, as

well as female genital mutilation, honor killings and the trafficking of women. Violence against women is

589.11

616.79

530.51

519.53

627.22657.45

67

1.3

3

530.87

61

9.5

9

681.83

506.05

578.14538.68

544.09

64

6.0

7

679.71

597.22

659.27

686.76

519.49640.95

545.22

632.73

674.21

540.82

597.64 332.99630.7

543.36

670.68

594.54

659.88

686.4

190.7692.29

589.84

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Domestic Violence Against Women

18 Mizoram 659.27 6

19 Nagaland 686.76 1

20 Orissa 519.49 27

21 Punjab 640.95 9

22 Rajasthan 545.22 19

23 Sikkim 632.73 10

24 Tamil Nadu 674.21 4

25 Telangna 540.82 22

26 Tripura 597.64 15

27 Uttar Pradesh 332.99 29

28 Uttarakhand 630.7 11

29 West Bengal 543.36 21

UNION TERRITORIES:

30 Andaman&

Nicobar

670.68 3

31 Chandigarh 594.54 5

32 D&N Haveli 659.88 4

33 Daman & Diu 686.4 2

34 Delhi 190.7 7

35 Lakshwadeep 692.29 1

36 Puducherry 589.84 6

10

not a new phenomenon, nor its consequences to women’s physical, mental and reproductive health. Violence

against women in India is going side by side to the technological improvement in modern world in the

country. Violence to the women is of various types and can happen at any place like home, public place or

office. It is the big issue related to the women which cannot be ignored as it is hindering almost one half

growth of the country. Violence against women and girls (VAW) is both a cause and a consequence of

gender inequality. It is time for the world to take action: a life free of violence is a basic human right, one

that every woman, man and child deserves.

The report focuses on the various forms of violence prevalent in our society at home, in public places or at

work places.

The various forms of violence against women that have been studied in this report are as follows:

Violence Against Women in India

The detailed explanation for various forms of violence against women prevalent in India and their statistical

summary are as follows:

1. Kidnapping & Abdication

Kidnapping can be said as carrying away of a human being against his/her consent, or the consent of some

person legally authorized to accord consent on behalf of such person. Abduction, it may be said, by itself is

no offence. However, when it is done with the intent to commit an offence, e.g. to rob or to murder or to

confine or to compel marriage, it becomes an offence punishable under section 363.

Under Section 359 to 369 of the code, kidnapping and abduction is punishable with varying degree of

severity according to nature and gravity of the offence. The underlying object of enacting these provisions is

to secure the personal liberty of citizens, to give legal protection to children of tender age from being

abducted or seduced for improper purposes and to preserve the rights of parents and guardians over their

wards for custody or upbringing.

A total of 64,519 cases have been reported in 2016 as per NCRB Report, ‘Crime Statistics-2016’.Uttar

Pradesh reported highest number of cases (12,994 cases) of Kidnapping & Abdication of Women followed

by Maharashtra(6170 cases) followed by Bihar(5496 cases). Delhi reported a highest crime rate of 40.74

(3841 cases per lakh female population) followed by Assam with crime rate of 33.8 (5339 cases per lakh

female population). Lakshwadeep reported zero cases of Kidnapping & Abdication having zero crime rate

followed by Mizoram (3 cases).

Kidnapping & Abducation

Female TraffickingAssualt on Women with outrage to her

modesty

Attempt to commit rape

Acid Attacks & attempts to acid

attacks

Insult to modesty of Women

Indescent representation of

Women

Abetment of suicide of women

The Immoral Traffic Prevention Act

Rape Dowry DeathsDowry Prohibition

Act,1961

Cruelty by her Husaband/Relatives

Causing miscarriage without Women's

consent

Deaths caused with intent t o miscarriage

Protection of Women from Domestic

Violence Act, 2005

11

2. Female Trafficking

Whoever, for the purpose of exploitation, recruits, transports, harbours, transfers or receives any Women

by— using threats, or using force or any other form of coercion, by abduction, by practicing fraud, by

deception, by abuse of power, by inducement, including the giving or receiving of payments or benefits, in

order to achieve the consent of any person having control over the person recruited, transported, commits the

offence of trafficking. It is a criminal offence under Section 370, IPC.

A total of 1,183 cases have been reported under Female trafficking (as per NCRB Report). Jharkhand

reported highest cases (137 cases) of female trafficking with crime rate of 0.9 followed by West Bengal(120

cases). Goa reported highest crime rate of 3.8 followed by Daman & Diu with crime rate of 3.64. A total of 7

States and 4 UTs reported crime rate of 0 with no cases reported for female trafficking for the year 2016.

3. Assault on Women with intent to outrage her modesty

Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code provides that: “Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any woman,

intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby outrage her modesty, shall be punished

with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with

both”. The various forms of assault on women that have been included under this are Stalking, Voyeurism,

Sexual harassment, Assault on Women and Assault/use of criminal force with intent to disrobe identity of

women.

A total of 84,746 cases have been reported under assault on women in 2016(as per NCRB

report).Maharashtra reported the highest cases (11,396 cases) in 2016 followed by Uttar Pradesh(11,335

cases) followed by Madhya Pradesh(8717 cases). Delhi reported a highest crime rate of 43.6 (4165 cases per

lakh female population) followed by Orissa with crime rate of 39.1(8252 cases per lakh female population).

Lakshwadeep and D&N Haveli have reported lowest number of cases (1 case) of assault on women with

intent to outrage to her modesty in 2016.

4. Attempt to commit Rape

Attempt to commit rape is a criminal offence committed under Section 376/511, Indian Penal Code.

A total of 5,729 cases have been reported under attempt to commit rape in 2016 (as per NCRB Report).Uttar

Pradesh reported highest number of cases (1958 cases) in 2016 followed by West Bengal (1646 cases).West

Bengal reported highest crime rate of 3.60 (1646 cases per lakh female population).

5. Acid Attacks and attempts to acid attack

Section 326A of IPC follows that whoever causes permanent or partial damage or deformity to, or burns or

maims or disfigures or disables, any part or parts of the body of a person or causes grievous hurt by throwing

acid on or by administering acid to that person, or by using any other means with the intention of causing or

with the knowledge that he is likely to cause such injury or hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment of

either description for a term which shall not be less than ten years but which may extend to imprisonment for

life, and with fine. The Section 326 B in the Indian Penal Code lays down the punishment for attempted acid

throwing. The minimum punishment is 5 years' imprisonment. It can extend up to 7 years' imprisonment with

fine. A separate law to punish offenders in such cases was passed along with amendment of law on sexual

offences.

A total of 206 cases have been reported under acid attacks and attempts to acid attack in 2016(as per NCRB

report). West Bengal reported highest cases (54 cases) followed by Uttar Pradesh (51 cases) followed by

Delhi (19 cases).Crime rate is observed to be approximately zero all over India.

6. Insult to the modesty of Women

12

Under Section 509, IPC, Whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes any

sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture

or object shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with

simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.

A total of 6,365 cases have been reported under insult to modesty of women in 2016 (as per NCRB

Report).Andhra Pradesh reported highest cases (1831 cases) 0f this crime followed by Telangana (1003 cases)

followed by Maharashtra (924 cases). The crime rate was reported highest in Delhi (9.61) followed by Andhra

Pradesh where crime rate was reported to be 7.16.

7. Indescent Representation of Women Prohibition Act

The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 is an Act of the Parliament of India which

was enacted to prohibit indecent representation of women through advertisement or in publications, writings,

paintings, figures or in any other manner.

38 cases of Indescent Representation of Women have been reported in India (as per NCRB Report) in 2016.

Uttar Pradesh reported highest cases (18 cases) under this crime. The crime rate reported in 2016 under this

act is approximately zero all over India.

8.Abetment of Suicide of Women

Section 309 follows that whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of

such offence, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with

fine, or with both.

A total of 4,446 cases have been reported under abetment of suicide of women in 2016(as per NCRB Report).

Maharashtra reported highest cases (756 cases) of Abetment of suicide of women followed by Madhya

Pradesh (565 cases).Telangana reported highest crime rate of 3.050 (560 cases per lakh female population).

9.The Immoral Traffic Prevention Act

The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 is an Act which provides in pursuance of the International

Convention, 1950 for the prevention of immoral traffic. The Act intends to combat trafficking and sexual

exploitation for commercial purposes.

A total of 2,214 cases have been reported under The Immoral Traffic Prevention Act,1956 in 2016(as per

NCRB report).Tamil Nadu reported highest cases(432 cases) under this offence followed by Karnataka(230

cases).

Daman & Diu reported highest crime rate of 3.6 (4 cases per lakh female population).

10. Rape

Rape is the fourth most common crime against women in India. According to the National Crime Records

Bureau (NCRB) 2013 annual report, 24,923 rape cases were reported across India in 2012. Out of these,

24,470 were committed by someone known to the victim (98% of the cases).Rape of female is criminal

offence under Section 375,376,376A, 376B, 376C and 376D of the Indian Penal Code .

A total of 38,947 cases of rape have been reported in India in 2016 as per the report by NCRB. Madhya

Pradesh reported highest rape cases (4882 cases) in 2016 followed by Uttar Pradesh (4816 cases) followed by

Maharashtra (4189 cases). Sikkim reported highest crime rate (30.66) followed by National Capital, Delhi

(22.57). Lakshwadeep & Puducherry reported least number of rape cases in 2016 with low crime rates.

The remaining forms of violence that are being prevalent come under the category of domestic violence and

have been already explained and summarized.

The following table gives a comparison of each state / UT in terms of their index number and ranks:

S.No. States/UT index

number

rank

1 Andhra 1088.44 26

13

Pradesh

2 Arunachal

Pradesh

1338.74 16

3 Assam 1093.25 25

4 Bihar 1356.37 13

5 Chattisgarh 1362.39 10

6 Goa 1238.97 20

7 Gujarat 1461.81 5

8 Haryana 1131.99 23

9 Himachal

Pradesh

1360.55 12

10 Jammu &

Kashmir

1404.48 8

11 Jharkhand 1326.02 17

12 Karnataka 1288.78 18

13 Kerala 1203.36 22

14 Madhya

Pradesh

1240.15 19

15 Maharashtra 1346.65 15

16 Manipur 1539.88 2

17 Meghalaya 1473.34 4

18 Mizoram 1502.21 3

19 Nagaland 1561.94 1

20 Orissa 1076.38 27

21 Punjab 1354.88 14

22 Rajasthan 1216.49 21

23 Sikkim 1391.25 9

24 Tamil Nadu 1440.2 7

25 Telangana 1050.38 28

26 Tripura 1362.02 11

27 Uttar Pradesh 994.7 29

28 Uttarakhand 1447.61 6

29 West Bengal 1127.94 24

Union

Territories:

30 Andaman&

Nicobar

1390.1 3

31 Chandigarh 1104.42 6

32 D&N Haveli 1461.86 1

33 Daman &

Diu

1197.28 5

34 Delhi 500.2 7

35 Lakshwadeep 1411.17 2

36 Puducherry 1269.94 4

14

The above graph shows a comparison of index number of all the States and UT’s for the various forms of

violence prevalent against women in Indi

(iii) INDEX FOR ATROCITIES FACED BY SC(Schedule Castes)/ST(Scheduled Tribes) WOMEN:

The issues of exclusion and discrimination of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), who

together constitute nearly one-fourth of the Indian population, have traditionally suffered from social

exclusion. Their voices for their rights, entitlements, dignity and justice are frequently suppressed with

atrocities on them by other caste groups. The UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women noted that

SC women “face targeted violence, even rape and death from powerful members of dominant castes who

employ these methods to inflict political lessons and crush dissent within the community”. Similarly, in its

2007 concluding comments, CERD noted its concern about the alarming number of allegations of acts of

sexual violence against SC women, primarily by dominant caste men. The report attempts to study the

atrocities against SC/ST women even after we have a very good education and development in every form

taking place in our society.

The major forms of crimes that are prevalent against SC/ST Women in our society have been studied as per

the data obtained from NCRB for year 2016 are

Major atrocities faced by SC/ST Women

The total estimated female population of SC & ST in 2016 was 102,307,582 and 90,752,737 respectively in

India. SC Women comprised 17% of the total female population of India (as per estimated population) while

ST Women comprised 15% of the total female population of India.

The SC female population is zero in two states, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and in two UT’s Andaman

& Nicobar and Lakshwadeep. The ST female population is zero in Punjab , Delhi and Chandigarh.

The major atrocities faced by SC/ST Women have been studied and their statistical summary is as folllows:

1088.441338.74

1093.251356.371362.39

1238.971461.81 1131.99

1360.551404.48

1326.021288.78

1203.361240.15

1346.651539.88

1473.341502.21

1561.941076.38

1354.881216.49

1391.251

44

0.2 1050.38

1362.02 994.71

44

7.6

11127.94

1390.1 1104.421461.86

1197.28500.2

1411.171269.94

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

Stat

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States/UT's

INDEX NUMBER FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Kidnapping & Abdication

RapeAttempt to commit

rapeInsult to modesty of

SC/ST women

Assault on SC/ST Women with outrage

to her modesty

15

1. Kidnapping & Abdication of SC/ST Women:

A total of 835 cases have been reported under Kidnapping & Abdication of SC Women in 2016 as per NCRB

Report. Uttar Pradesh reported highest cases (483 cases) of Kidnapping & Abdication followed by

Rajasthan(67 cases). Gujrat reported the highest crime rate of 2.28.

A total of 163 cases have been reported under Kidnapping & Abdication of ST Women in 2016 as per NCRB

Report. Madhya Pradesh reported highest cases (51 cases) of Kidnapping & Abdication followed by Gujrat(25

cases). Chhatisgarh reported highest crime rate of 4.90.

2. Rape:

A total of 2545 cases of rape against SC Women (as per NCRB report) have been reported in 2016. Uttar

Pradesh reported highest cases(557 cases) of rape followed by Madhya Pradesh(439 cases).Kerala reported

the highest crime rate of 8.65 followed by Madhya Pradesh with crime rate of 7.57.

A total of 974 cases of rape against ST Women (as per NCRB report) have been reported in 2016. Madhya

Pradesh reported highest cases(377 cases) of rape followed by Chhatisgarh (157 cases).Chhatisgarh reported

the highest crime rate of 54.93 followed by Kerala with crime rate of 18.13.

3. Attempt to commit rape:

A total of 148 cases have been reported under attemot to commit rape of SC women in 2016(as per NCRB

report). Uttar Pradesh reported reported highest cases(77 cases) followed by Rajasthan(25 cases) and then

Andhra Pradesh(17 cases).The crime rate reported for attempt to commit rape is almost zero in all states and

UT’s.

13 cases have been reported in India under attempt to commit rape against ST Women in 2016(as per NCRB

report). Crime rate reported is amost zero for all the states and UT’s.

4. Insult to Modesty of SC Women:

A total of 81 cases have been reported under Insult to Modesty of SC Women in 2016. Andhra Pradesh

reported highest number of cases(34 cases) with maximum crime rate of 0.77 which comprises 41% of total

cases under Insult to Modesty of SC Women.

31 cases have been reported under Insult to Modesty of ST Women in 2016. Telangana reported highest

cases(17 cases) and the crime rate is observed to be zero in all states and UT’s.

5. Assault on SC Women with outrage to her Modesty:

A total of 3,172 cases have been reported under Assault on SC Women with outrage to her Modesty in 2016

as per NCRB Report. Uttar Pradesh reported highest cases(1014 cases) followed by Madhya Pradesh (686

cases). Madhya Pradesh reported highest crime rate of 11.84 followed by Andhra Pradesh having crime rate

of 6.84(303 cases per lakh female population).

A total of 835 cases have been reported under Assault on ST Women with outrage to her Modesty in 2016

according ti NCRB Report.Madhya Pradesh reported highest cases(399 cases) followed by Maharashtra (109

cases).Crime rate is maximum in Chhatisgarh(30.79) followed by Kerala with crime rate of 11.96.

The following table gives a comparison of each state / UT in terms of their index number and ranks:

S.No. States/UT INDEX

NUMBE

R

RANK

1 Andhra Pradesh 220.06 31

2 Arunachal

Pradsh

_ _

16

3 Assam 500 1

4 Bihar 493.54 13

5 Chhatisagrh 381.95 22

6 Goa 500 1

7 Gujarat 318 24

8 Haryana 250.69 30

9 Himachal

Pradesh

484.24 16

10 Jammu &

Kashmir

500 1

11 Jharkand 485.79 15

12 Karnataka 444.37 20

13 Kerala 293.3 26

14 Madhya Pradesh 250.7 29

15 Maharashtra 386.99 21

16 Manipur 500 1

17 Meghalaya 500 1

18 Mizoram 0 32

19 Nagaland _ _

20 Odisha 369.97 23

21 Punjab 486.56 14

22 Rajasthan 299.19 25

23 Sikkim 500 1

24 Tamil Nadu 483.18 17

25 Telangana 288.06 27

26 Tripura 500 1

27 Uttar Pradesh 273.04 28

28 Uttarakhand 473.28 18

29 West Bengal 496.82 12

30 Andaman&Nico

bar

_ _

31 Chandigarh 500 1

32 D&N Haveli 500 1

33 Daman & Diu 500 1

34 Delhi 471.23 19

35 Lakshwadeep _ _

36 Puducherry 500 1

The states/UT which shows rank 1 and an index number of 500 means that zero cases per lakh female

population of violence against SC Women have been reported in 2016( as per the NCRB Report, 2016).

The graph below shows a comparison of index number between all the States and UT’s.

17

The following table gives a comparison of violence against ST Women between all the States / UT in terms of

their index number and ranks:

S.No. State/UT INDEX

NUMB

ER

RANK

1 Andhra Pradesh 356.71 30

2 Arunachal

Pradesh

500 1

3 Assam 500 2

4 Bihar 500 3

5 Chhatisgarh 62.84 32

6 Goa 500 4

7 Gujarat 459.58 27

8 Haryana _ _

9 Himachal

Pradesh

500 5

10 Jammu

&Kashmir

500 6

11 Jharkhand 485.19 24

12 Karnataka 490.5 22

13 Kerala 312.41 31

14 Madhya

Pradesh

459.49 28

15 Maharashtra 484.69 25

16 Manipur 500 7

17 Meghalaya 500 8

18 Mizoram 500 9

19 Nagaland 500 10

20 Orissa 470.27 26

220.06

500

493.54

381.95

500

318 250.69

484.24

500

485.79

444.37 293.3

250.7

386.99

500

500

369.97

486.56

299.19

500

483.18

288.06

500

273.04

473.28

496.82

500

500

500

471.23

500

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

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States/UTs

Violence against SC Women

18

21 Punjab _ _

22 Rajasthan 486.04 23

23 Sikkim 500 11

24 Tamil Nadu 499.52 18

25 Telangna 360.74 29

26 Tripura 500 12

27 Uttar Pradesh 500 13

28 Uttarakhand 497.85 20

29 West Bengal 498.16 19

30 Andaman

&Nicobar

493.58 21

31 Chandigarh _ _

32 D&N Haveli 500 14

33 Daman & Diu 500 15

34 Delhi _ _

35 Lakshwadeep 500 16

36 Puducherry _ _

The above graph shows a comparison of index number between all the States and UT’s for the violence

against SC Women.

5. 5. RESULT & CONCLUSION:

The study attempts to calculate the index number of each state for various forms of violence against women

that are prevalent in our society and rank the states on th basis of Index Number.

INDEX FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA

-A total of 133154 cases have been reported under Domestic Violence against Women in India.

-Delhi reported the highest cases of Domestic Violence against women having index number 190.7 followed

by Uttar Pradesh having index number 332.99 followed by Jharkhand showing index number 506.55.

-Nagaland shows the highest index number (686.86) and thus , is ranked first among all the States which

implies that least cases of domestic violence against women have been reported in Nagaland in 2016.

356.71

500

500

500

62.84

500

459.58

500

500

485.19

490.5

312.41

459.49

484.69

500

500

500

500

470.27

486.04

500

499.52

360.74

500

500

497.85

498.16

493.58

500

500

500

0100200300400500600

An

dh

ra P

rad

esh

Aru

nach

al P

rad

esh

Ass

am

Bih

ar

Ch

hat

isga

rh

Go

a

Gu

jara

t

Him

ach

al P

rad

esh

Jam

mu

&Ka

shm

ir

Jhar

khan

d

Kar

nat

aka

Ker

ala

Mad

hya

Pra

des

h

Mah

aras

htr

a

Man

ipu

r

Meg

hal

aya

Miz

ora

m

Nag

alan

d

Ori

ssa

Raj

asth

an

Sikk

im

Tam

il N

adu

Tela

ngn

a

Trip

ura

Utt

ar P

rade

sh

Utt

arak

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d

Wes

t B

enga

l

An

dam

an &

Nic

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ar

D&

N H

ave

li

Dam

an &

Diu

Laks

hw

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pInd

ex N

um

ber

States/UTs

Violence Against ST Women

19

Nagaland is followed by the Jammu & Kashmir (681.83) and is ranked second. Manipur(671.79) stands third

followed by Tamil Nadu and Gujrat.

-Among the Union Territories, Lakshwadeep(692.29) reported the least cases of domestic violence aginst

Women and is ranked first followed by Daman & Diu (686.40) and Andaman & Nicobar(670.68).

-The most prevalent form of Domestic Violence in India (as per NCRB Report , 2016) is Cruelty by Husband/

Relatives. 1,10,378 cases have been reported under this crime in 2016 in India which accounts for 82.9% of

total domestic violence against Women in India.

INDEX FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA

-A total of 3,38,059 cases have been reported under violence against women in India in 2016.

-Delhi reported the highest cases of Violence against Women in 2016 showing least index number of 500.20

and is followed by Uttar Pradesh(994.70) which is followed by Telangana (1050.50) followed by

Orissa(1076.38).

-Among the States, Nagaland stands first showing the highest index number (1561.94) implying that Violence

aginst Women is least prevalent in Nagaland which is further followed by Manipur(1539.88). Mizoram stands

third(1502.21) and is followed by Meghalaya(1473.34) and then Gujrat(1461.81).

-Among the UT’s, Dadara & Nagar Haveli (1461.86) reported the least cases of Violence against Women ans

is ranked first followed by Lakshwadeep(1411.17) and Andaman & Nicobar(1390.10).

-Cruelty by Husband/Relatives is the most prevalent form of violence against women in India(as per NCRB

report) .1,10,378 cases have been reported under this crime which accounts for 32% of total cases of violence

against women in India. 84,746 cases have been reported under Assault on Women with intent to outrage her

modesty which accounts for 25% of the total reported cases of violence against women in India and is the

second most prevalent crime. 64,519 cases of incidence of Kidnapping & Abdication have been reported in

2016 which accounts for 19% of the total incidence cases reported under Violence against Women in India

and is the third major crime against Women.

INDEX FOR ATROCITIES AGAINST SC/ST WOMEN

-A total of 6797 cases have been reported under atrocities faced by SC Women.

-Among all Indian States, Andhra Pradesh stands last showing index number 220.70 implying that highest

cases of incidence of violence against SC women have been reported in 2016 in Andhra Pradesh.This is

followed by Haryana(250.69) reporting second highest cases which is followed by Madhya Pradesh(250.70).

Assam, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir,Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim , Tripura, D&N Haveli, Pondicherry and

Chandigarh showed the index number 500.00 implying the zero Violence against SC Women in these States

and UT,s.

-Kidnapping & Abdiction of SC Women is the most prevalent form of violence against SC Women which

accounts of 47% of total incidence cases that have been reported in 2016 under atrocities against SC Women.

-A total of 2016 cases been reported under atrocities faced by ST Women in 2016.

-Among all Indian States, Chattisgarh stands last showing index number 62.84 implying that highest cases of

incidence of violence against ST women have been reported in 2016 in Chattisgarh. This is followed by

Kerala (312.41) reporting second highest cases which is followed by Andhra Pradesh (356.71).

Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tripua, Daman & Diu, Lakshwadeep and D&N Haveli showed the index

number 500.00 implying the zero Violence against ST Women in these States and UT,s.

-Rape of ST Women is the most prevalent form of violence against ST Women which accounts for 48% of

total incidence cases that have been reported in 2016 under atrocities against ST Women.

Every human being is entitled to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health conducive to living

a life in dignity.

Violence against girls and women is recognized as a major obstacle to the enjoyment of a whole range of

human rights and to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.5 The central

importance of fulfilling the promise of gender equality was reaffirmed in 2015 when the world’s leaders

20

adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This explicitly integrated an understanding that

women’s empowerment is vital for sustainable progress and in order to address the great challenge of today to

leave no one behind. UN Trust Fund grantees continue to be at the forefront of efforts to realize the targets of

Goal 5 of the Agenda, in particular eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public

and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation, and eliminating all

harmful traditional practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mulitation. At the

same time, one of the consequences of the historically low level of funding allocated to initiatives to end and

address violence against women has been the relative underdevelopment of the administrative and governance

capacities of organizations, particularly smaller organizations, working on these issues.

6. REFRENCES:

1. 1. UN Women(2018).UN Trust Fund to end Violence Against Women. New York: UN Women Headquarters.

http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2018/6/un-trust-fund-to-end-violence-against-

women-annual-report-2017.

2. 2. Shambadkar D.(2013). Discrimonation & Atrocities against SC in India: A historical injustice. India: BSPK

Publications.https://www.academia.edu/3549969/DISCRIMINATION_AND_ATROCITIES_AGAINST_SC

SCHEDULED_CASTES_IN_INDIA_A_HISTORICAL_INJUSTICE.

3. 3. UN Women(2018). TOWARDS AN END TO SEXUAL HARASSMENT: THE URGENCY AND

NATURE OF CHANGE IN THE ERA OF #METOO. New York: UN Women Headquarters.

http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2018/towards-an-

end-to-sexual-harassment-en.pdf.

4. 4. Speech: Two sides of the same coin: gender inequality and violence against women-Opening Remarks by

UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, at the

plenary session of the Five Days of Violence Prevention Conference at Johannesburg, South Africa(2017).

http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2017/10/speech-ed-phumzile-five-days-of-violence-prevention-

conference.

5. 5. Jahan S.(2018). VIOLENCE-AGAINST-WOMEN-A-CAUSE-AND-CONSEQUENCE-OF-

INEQUALITY. New York: United Nations Development Programme.

https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/blog/2018/violence-against-women-cause-consequence-

inequality.html.

6. 6. United Nations. Declaration on the elimination of violence against women. New York : UN, 1993.

7. S.R. Subaashini ,M. Kannappan(2018). A Study on Cruelty against Married Women and Legal Framework in

India. International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics, Volume 119 ,No. 17,2018.

8. 7. Jones N., Presler-Marshall E.,Kahane M.(2019). Gender and age-responsive social protection: The potential

of cash transfers to advance adolescent rights and capabilities. New York: UN Women Headquarters.

http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2019/03/gender-and-age-responsive-social-

protection.

9. 8.Elsonan D., Keklik H.(UNIFEM)(2002). Progress of the World's Women 2002, Volume 2: Gender Equality

and the Millennium Development Goals. New York: UN Women Headquarters.

http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2002/1/progress-of-the-world-s-women-2002-

volume-2-gender-equality-and-the-millennium-development-goals.

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