The new anti-rape law is not intended to empower women; it merely states how sexual offenders will be punished (“Gender justice, interrupted,” March 29). Subtle and invisible forms of harassment in private and public spaces will continue to haunt women because laws cannot easily dislodge entrenched values and stereotypical perceptions of society. It will perhaps take a generation or two before more women become lawmakers and enact more gender-sensitive laws.
V.N. Mukundarajan,
Thiruvananthapuram
The article has rightly pointed out the surface approach adopted by the government. Taking a slew of measures, rolling out scores of schemes and making more stringent laws can in no way address the core issue of women empowerment. It is like taking innumerable medicines to cure a disease instead of preventing it. A fear-free and safe environment is what a woman needs.
Afsana Perween,
Ranchi
