Women's safety in Assam

Krishna Medhi

(krishnamedhi808@gmail.com)

Assam is a developing state in India and the largest economy in the northeast region. Assam contributes to the Indian economy in various fields and is rapidly making strides towards employment generation. Hence, a growing economic zone could emerge from it. This has been possible because of the highly skilled and educated workers in different sectors, which include both men and women. It is thus expected that women like their male counterparts enjoy a high social status and safe working conditions and are secure to step outside the domain of their homes and take up a variety of jobs. However, this is a misconception. Many people are unaware of the fact that Assam has a crime rate against women of 154.3 per cent, nearly three times the national average of 56.5 per cent. Furthermore, according to data issued by the National Crime Records Bureau, Assam has the highest rate of crimes against women for the fourth year in a row. As a result, it is no longer a guarded secret that women in Assam are unsafe. Women are hesitant to leave their houses, particularly at night, and this is the sad fact of our current situation.

The daily reports of crime against women strike fear in the hearts of not only girls but also adult females who thrive to be independent and support their families and the nation. According to reports, the number of cases of crime against women in Assam was 27,687 in 2018 and 30,025 in 2019. Despite the Covid-19 global epidemic and lockdown imposed in the country, Assam registered 26 occurrences of rape-cum-murder/gang rape in 2020, the third-highest figure in the country, as well as 1658 cases of rape. The recent crimes which came to light through the Assam Police Department not only make women feel uncomfortable in society but also terrorize their goals and aspirations.

Three boys, two eleven-years and one eight-year-old, were detained in the Nagaon district for reportedly beating their six-year-old friend to death after she refused to watch pornographic content with them. The father of one of the accused was also arrested for concealing evidence and refusing to cooperate with the authorities. Another heinous act of assault took place in Dispur's Rukmini Nagar, where a man was caught groping a woman in broad daylight. The victim did not remain silent and took to social media raising her voice against such a shameful act and displayed tremendous strength and courage by dragging the man's Scooty into a ditch to prevent him from driving away.

These are the cases that surfaced and were circulated by media houses. But there must be numerous cases that remain unknown, numerous women assaulted, irrespective of their age, occupation, marital status, who still wish to free themselves from such atrocious living, even if the only way they have is to simply end their life.

It's heart-wrenching that women in our state are forced to live in such deplorable conditions. The state, whose residents believe in and adore mother goddess Kamakhya, a female figure, with all their hearts filled with piety. Is this devotion to women restricted to the area around temples or religious sites? That isn't the case. Not everyone is a rapist or assaulter, but today's women often fall short to differentiate between a man and a rapist, because of the dread that is embedded deep in their hearts. We cannot blame women for being wary in a society wherein they are vulnerable to assault from even their fathers, brothers, relatives and close friends. Instead, what we can do is create a secure environment for them, which will help them to overcome their trepidation and work to earn assets and emerge as sustainers of society. Women can and surely play a key role in national development and progress by breaking barriers of prejudice and shaping the future while nurturing the next generation. Hence it is important to think of effective measures that can enable us to achieve this much-needed outcome.

First and foremost, it must be instilled in men than women are fellow humans, who want to make a place for themselves in the society, not commodities for their uplift. Perceptions in society must shift. Crimes against women must not be normalized as a result of the numerous incidences that occur; ignoring such crimes due to a sense of "helplessness" does not help to improve women's conditions. A victim of physical abuse should be protected and supported rather than blamed and assaulted based on irrelevant factors such as her clothing size, lack of self-defence mechanism etc. A woman wearing a saree is no less vulnerable to abuse than a girl wearing skin-bearing attire. Women's portrayal must shift from constantly being in the kitchen, caring for the house and hearth to being treated equally to males in all aspects. In light of recent incidents, another important step that can be taken is setting an example for the younger generations, shaping their thinking and understanding about gender, respect and human rights and teaching them about consent, bodily autonomy and accountability to boys and girls. These steps can help stop abuse and assault to some extent, but the most important step is for people to step up. People must speak up when they witness such incidents on the spot, taking appropriate action against the perpetrators until the right authorities arrive. More voices will join together to assist the victim in taking action against the offender and will also allow her to feel secure in society and share her account of the situation.

Women's safety in Assam can become a reality if individuals adopt these steps and add more from their side. It may take time to alter the minds of thousands of people and to break old customs, but it is certainly possible that one day women will be able to go to work on their own and return home saying, "Yes, I live in a society where women are completely safe".