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Jeeya Kumari
Bharti Vidyapeeth New Law College
The Supreme Court issues notice to the Centre and all states on PIL for national guidelines for women’s safety. The PIL by a group of citizens highlights the brutal, widespread problem of violence against women and says existing laws and measures are not equipped to deal with the multifaceted issue. It paints a grim picture of women’s daily life, citing statistics on crimes including rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and acid attacks.
It also highlights the huge disparity in the implementation of existing laws and the lack of uniformity in the services provided from one state to another. Petitioners said this disparity is one of the reasons women are more vulnerable and a hurdle in preventing and redressing crimes against women. Petitioner said this disparity can only be addressed by a uniform pan-India set of guidelines.
Some of the areas their proposed guidelines should cover may be:
1. Standardized procedures for registration and investigation of crimes against women. The petition said police in different states had different procedures for complaints, which led to delays, poor investigations, and no accountability.
2. It says there would be a better and more effective response if only there were standardized procedures. Enhanced training and sensitization of law enforcement agency personnel: A lot of emphasis has been laid in this petition on regular and comprehensive training of police officers and other law enforcement agency personnel in gender-sensitive policing, investigation, and victim support. The logic here is, that sensitization can eliminate all biases in the investigation. It further says without these, an investigation may not be thorough and sensitive.
3. Support to survivors: The petition says there should be easily available and comprehensive support services for survivors of violence, medical care, counseling, legal aid, and shelter. Finally, it demands the national establishment of a network of support centers so that survivors have access to these services wherever they go. Strengthening existing legal framework: Amending and strengthening the existing laws to cover changing causes of women and survivors against them.
4. Public campaigns: The petition also says there should be more public awareness of women’s rights, gender equality, and violence against women prevention. Launch of national campaigns that are required to change the mindsets and practices in the society that lead to such violence.
This can include amending existing laws to introduce harsher penalties, to widen the definition of crimes, or to introduce new laws to combat new forms of violence. This shows the court is taking the issue very seriously, which is evident from the notices issued to the Centre and state governments. The court will look into the existing law, see if the existing measures are working, and also talk about the feasibility of pan-India guidelines. Governments and states will respond, which will help the court to decide what order to pass.
The PIL has raised many public interest questions. Women’s rights activists welcome the court’s intervention and hope that there will be some change in women’s safety and security in the country. They are calling for immediate action at the national and state levels on this issue. The case will come up for hearing in a few months, and the verdict will impact millions of women in India.
It’s not just about the guidelines—it will be about the feasibility of implementing them. Resource allocation, state coordination, and the ability of state governments to enforce guidelines are some of the issues that may come up for discussion. Some expectations exist for mechanisms, if any, for monitoring the effectiveness of women’s safety efforts, which will be questioned, and how to improve it will be suggested.
The court order will go beyond the immediate issues raised in the PIL. It will also decide other human rights and social justice issues and bring to focus the need for uniformity and consistency in laws and public services across the country. This is a step towards justice and equality for Indian women. Whether the judgment is in favor or not, this case will touch activists, policymakers, and the public. It will impact women long-term, which will decide the future as far as women’s safety and security in India is concerned.
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