Context: The Centre has issued a fresh advisory to states and Union Territories on mandatory action in cases of crimes against women. The Centre said the probe into rape cases must be completed within two months as per law and that dying declaration of a victim can’t be discarded. The detailed three-page advisory of the home ministry came days after the alleged gangrape and murder of a woman in Haathras, Uttar Pradesh sparked nationwide outrage. The home ministry said there should be compulsory registration of a first information report in case of a cognizable offence under the CrPC. 
KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Home Ministry issues a fresh advisory to states and UTs on mandatory action in cases of crimes against women.
• The Home Ministry said there should be compulsory registration of an FIR in case of a cognizable offence under the CrPC.
• Home Ministry told the states and UT administrations that the Section 173 of CrPC provides for completion of police investigation in relation to rape in 2 months.
• The law also enables the police to register an FIR or a “zero FIR”, in case the crime is committed outside the jurisdiction of a police station, in the event of receipt of the information on the commission of a cognizable offence, which includes cases of sexual assault on women.
• The advisory said the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, provides that the statement, written or verbal by a person, who is dead, shall be treated as relevant fact in the investigation when the statement is made by a person as to the cause of his (or her) death or as to any of the circumstances of the transaction which resulted in his (or her) death.

Violence against women

• The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women issued by the UN General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”

Alarming Figures

• As per World Health Organization (WHO) findings about 1 in 3 (35%) women worldwide have experienced either physical or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
• Only 52% of women married or in a union freely make their own decisions about sexual relations, contraceptive use and health care.
• Worldwide, almost 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18th birthday; while 200 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM).
• 1 in 2 women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or family in 2012; while only 1 out of 20 men were killed under similar circumstances.
• 71% of all human trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls, and 3 out of 4 of these women and girls are sexually exploited.
• Violence against women is as serious a cause of death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer, and a greater cause of ill health than traffic accidents and malaria combined.

Challenges in the wake Covid-19 Outbreak

• Even before Covid-19, domestic violence was already one of the greatest human rights violations.
• In 2019-20, 243 million women and girls (aged 15-49) across the world have been subjected to sexual or physical violence by an intimate partner.
• As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, the violence is likely to grow.
• Wide under-reporting of domestic and other forms of violence
• Less than 40% of women who experience violence seeking help of any sort or reporting the crime.
• Less than 10% of those women seeking help go to the police.
• The current circumstances (Covid-19 pandemic) make reporting even harder, including limitations on women’s and girls’ access to phones and helplines and disrupted public services like police, justice and social services.
• These disruptions is compromising the care and support that survivors need, like clinical management of rape, and mental health and psycho-social support.
• The disruptions also fuel impunity for the perpetrators.
• In many countries the law is not on the women's side. 1 in 4 countries have no laws specifically protecting women from domestic violence.

Causes

Gender Disparity: is one of the deep rooted cause of violence against women that put women at risk of several forms of violence.

• Discriminatory gender norms and gender stereotypes results into structural inequality.

Psychiatric Morbidity: Generally refers to the incidence of both physical and psychological deterioration as a result of a mental or psychological condition, generally caused due to the consumption of alcohol.

• Regular consumption of alcohol by the husband has been strongly associated with poor mental health of women.
• Alcohol operates as a situational factor, increasing the likelihood of violence by reducing inhibitions, clouding judgment and impairing an individual's ability to interpret cues.

Legal Provisions

• Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) law was enacted to protect the minors. This is one of the first laws which is gender neutral.
• The Indian Penal Code has many stringent provisions in itself. After the Nirbhaya case, amendments were made in the code in 2013 on the recommendations of Justice Verma committee. The amendments have made the code further stringent.
• The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act (POSH Act) was enacted in 2013 as a comprehensive legislation to provide a safe, secure and enabling environment, free from sexual harassment, to every woman.

Suggestions
Awareness generation and sensitization

• Awareness about gender equality and women’s rights should be instilled in boys and girls from a very early age in order to bring about a change in the mindset of the future generation.
• Stigma attached to victims of violence should be removed by conscientising the community through outreach programmes.
• Legal literacy camps should be conducted on a regular and systematic basis at the local community level.
• List of NGOs and governmental organizations dealing with women’s issues should be made known to the public.
• Health care providers such as doctors, nurses, and other Para-medical staff should be properly sensitized to treat women experiencing violence

Health care support

• Domestic violence should be recognized as a health issue
• The prevalence and the health consequences of violence should be documented

Counseling

• Fostering Self-Employment among Women
• Self-employment is considered to be the best because it not only helps to change women’s own self perception but also helps to attain social status

Judiciary

• There should be a special court with a woman judge and magistrate in each district to handle domestic violence cases
• Mobile courts should be introduced as an effective strategy to provide justice to the victims of domestic violence

Role of Government

• Government should ensure proper enforcement of existing laws.
• Women should be made aware of Women’s commission
• Offices of the Women’s commission should be opened at the district and lower levels.

Role of police

• Police should be trained to be respectful and courteous to women in distress.
• A separate wing of police may opened for dealing with women’s issues, in all police stations and personnel of this wing should be exempted from other duties

Role of Media

• Media should be used to sensitise the officials and the public about violence so as to develop a positive attitude towards women in general, and women victims, in particular
• Censoring of the programmes should be implemented effectively, so that violence and negative impact programmes do not get undue attention of the public
• Strengthening research and research capacity to assess interventions to address partner violence.

Road Ahead
Unfortunately Crime against women continued to take place day-in day-out anywhere in this country, but there have been some several important points these are:

• Victim and likely victimed needs to empowered;
• Mothers need to stand by their Daughters we need to create a culture of prevention of crime against women;
• Women need to stand up for Women that's what they need to do ;
• Children need to taught from now itself- it's already to late. They need to be brainwashed about how a girl or women should be treated.
• All parents is responsible for the actions of their children.
• Every district need to have an easily accessible forensic lab; Violence against women should not be politicised as well.