Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Jul 21:7:23718.
doi: 10.3402/gha.v7.23718. eCollection 2014.

Whose problem is it anyway? Crimes against women in India

B L Himabindu  1 , Radhika Arora  2 , N S Prashanth  3
Affiliations

Whose problem is it anyway? Crimes against women in India

B L Himabindu et al. Glob Health Action. .

Abstract

The recent public outcry following a brutal gang rape of a young woman in India's national capital was a watershed moment in the world's largest democracy. It generated widespread public and political support for strengthening legal provisions to punish sex offenders. Although the legal response is a useful deterrent against such heinous crimes, women continue to suffer due to deeply rooted social prejudices that make them vulnerable to violence and discrimination in society. In this commentary, we aim to analyse the current developments with respect to gender violence in India within a background of the social position of women in Indian society. Using secondary data related to sex-selective abortions and crimes against women, and a critical review of the portrayal of women in Indian cinema, we reflect on the role of health workers, researchers and public health professionals in shaping a social response towards improving gender parity in our country.

Keywords: Delhi gang rape; child sex ratio; gender inequality; women in India.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Ghosh P. International Business Times; 2012. May 12, Delhi: the Center of India's growing rape crisis. Available from: http://www.ibtimes.com/delhi-center-indias-growing-rape-crisis-705482 [cited 30 December 2012].
    1. O'Hare S. India's rape crisis revealed: now 16-year-old runaway is ‘attacked by bus conductor’ as full horror of sex assaults emerges’. Daily Mail. 2012. Dec 31, Available from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2255198/Indias-rape-crisis-revea... [cited 30 December 2013].
    1. The Gazette of India. Department of Publication, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. Available from: http://xegazette.nic.in/RecentUploads.aspx?Category=1 [cited 16 December 2013].
    1. Kurup D. The Hindu; 2013. Oct 20, Death sentence is a quick-fix option. Available from: www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/death-sentence-is-a-quickfix-opti... [cited 30 December 2013].
    1. Ghosh P. International Business Times; 2013. Sep 13, Delhi gang-rapists sentenced to death: India's conflicting attitudes towards capital punishment. Available from: http://www.ibtimes.com/delhi-gang-rapists-sentenced-death-indias-conflic... [cited 30 December 2013].

LinkOut - more resources