Horrific facts about violence against women in India

The brutal murder case of Priyanka Reddy comes just a few days after India observed International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women and draws attention towards heinous violent and abusive crimes that women of the country are put through.

The burnt body, identified as that of a woman veterinary doctor Priyanka Reddy, was found on Thursday at Shadnagar outskirts in Telangana's Ranga Reddy district. As per the preliminary probe, police suspect that Reddy was sexually assaulted.

The brutal murder case has sparked outrage among people with thousands of people taking to Twitter to seek justice for Priyanka Reddy. 

The incident comes just a few days after India observed International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women and draws attention towards heinous violent and abusive crimes that women of the country are put through.

Here are some spine-chilling facts about violence against women in India:

• As per the report in The Lancet in 2014, nearly 2.75 crore women in the country are severely affected by sexual violence of one sort or the other.

 

• According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2017 (the latest data available), 33,658 women were raped which means that a woman was raped every 16 minutes and this data only includes the rape cases that were registered.

 

• According to International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), as much as 65 percent of Indian men surveyed believe women should tolerate violence in order to keep the family together, and women sometimes deserve to be beaten.

 

• The IMAGES findings also reveal that 24 percent of Indian men surveyed had committed sexual violence at some point in their lives.

 

• Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code defines rape as sexual intercourse without consent and against the will of a woman. But an exception to Section 375 says sexual intercourse by a man with his wife, who is 15 or above, is not rape even if it is without her consent and against her will.

 

• A UN report in 2018 noted that available data on dowry-related killings from the National Crime Records Bureau indicate that female dowry deaths account for 40 to 50 percent of all female homicides recorded annually in India.

 

In a generation where women are fighting for equalism, violence against women is alarming in India. The Priyanka Reddy case redirects attention to ever-growing concern about women's safety in India.

If you're facing any kind of physical, mental or verbal violence by anybody in your family, please call the Women's Helpline Number on 1091, 181 or 100.