GENDER CRIMES IN SOCIETY

Gender violence is the violence directed against a person because of their gender. While both men and women face this, majority of victims are women and girls. It has always been deeply ingrained in our society and remains a grave concern to this day. Nationwide, statistics reveal that 81% of women and 43% of men have experienced sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime.

-Gender Violence Against Women

Women have faced assault and harassment throughout history, a cruel reality that transcends time and geography. Even in ancient texts, such as the Indian epic Mahabharata, we see instances of gender-based violence. Draupadi, a queen, was humiliated and dragged to a court where she was nearly disrobed in front of hundreds of men. This horrifying scene from history mirrors the struggles of women today, who still walk the streets in fear, clutching their keys like weapons, dreading the possibility of being the next victim.

Even in modern cities like Delhi and Kolkata, gender violence persists. Women, regardless of age or social status, remain vulnerable. Recently, an unspeakable crime shook the conscience of the nation—a seven-month-old baby girl, the child of a homeless couple, was brutally raped. In another appalling incident, an eight-year old was victim to her sister’s father-in-law’s evil desires. The little girl underwent a total of 4 cardiac arrests within a span of just 12 hours after being admitted to the hospital. The cruelty of such crimes knows no bounds.

Shockingly, nearly 89% of rape cases in India are committed by someone known to the victim. Trust is shattered, and safe spaces become battlegrounds where women fight for dignity and survival. Even religious spaces, meant to offer solace and peace, have turned into places of horror. At the Mahakumbh, where thousands gathered for a sacred bath in the Ganges, women were secretly filmed, and their videos were sold like commodities. In a temple in Madhya Pradesh, a so-called "priest" raped and impregnated a visually impaired girl, exploiting her vulnerability in the name of faith.

Despite advancements in technology, education, and infrastructure, the condition of women in our country remains dire. The fight for safety and respect is ongoing, and for many, justice remains a distant dream.

-Gender Violence Against Men

While violence against women is more reported, men too suffer from gender-based violence—often in silence. A recent study indicates that 52.4% of men experience spousal violence at least once in their lifetime. This violence frequently begins with emotional abuse—insults, threats, and psychological torment—before escalating into physical harm.

In a heart-wrenching case, a 90-minute-long video surfaced on social media, where a man shared his ordeal of relentless abuse at the hands of his wife and in-laws. He spoke of the humiliation, the pain, and the hopelessness that consumed him. Unable to bear the suffering any longer, he took his own life, leaving behind a 24-page suicide note that detailed his torment. His story is just one of the few that come to light—many others remain buried under societal pressure and stigma.

Men who report domestic violence are often met with skepticism or r idicule. They are told to "man up" and endure the abuse, as if suffering is a testament to masculinity. The lack of legal support and societal acceptance makes it even harder for male victims to seek justice. Patriarchy not only fuels and normalises violence against women but also reinforces harmful stereotypes about men, discouraging them from expressing vulnerability or seeking help.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community, who are surviving by breaking the society's forceful ties, face even more harassment, be it sexual, physical or emotional. But those cases are almost never recorded because of the casual hatred present in many people's mind about them. 

Gender violence, regardless of who the victim is, must be acknowledged, condemned, and eradicated. No one deserves to live in fear or suffer in silence. It is time to create a world where respect, safety, and dignity are not privileges but fundamental rights for all.

-Purbasha Debnath, Madhyamik passout

-Painting by Trinnita, XI