Lessons from Nirbhaya gang rape continue to elude lawmakers?

Women’s rights activists say a lot remains to be done to ensure safety in public transportation and spaces.

On the fourth anniversary of the gang rape of a young woman on a moving bus on December 16, 2012, another case of sexual assault in Delhi came to light on Friday morning.

A 20-year-old woman was raped, allegedly by a car driver who picked her up as she waited near the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in South Delhi on Wednesday night. She was on her way back home in Noida when the incident occurred. While the Delhi Police arrested the man on Thursday, the case once again sparked off a debate – have we learned any lessons since the Nirbhaya gang rape case that pushed for stricter laws for crimes against women?

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According to activists who led the protests in 2012, women in the Capital face the same risks today.

“We are still talking about incidents, not the overall climate for women, which is dangerous. There is an attack on women’s autonomy and there is not one elected representative or Chief Minister who has stood up and defended that autonomy,” said Kavita Krishnan, secretary of the All-India Progressive Women’s Association.

The inadequacies in public transportation that were exposed by the December 16 case are yet to be addressed properly, she said.

“Political will lacking”

Also highlighting a lack of “political will”, Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research, said the laws had failed to act as deterrents.

“The story repeats itself, the comments repeat. We are stuck in a cycle, which will only be broken with strong political will,” said Dr. Kumari.

The “feeling of impunity persists”, with perpetrators remaining under the impression that they would “get away” with crimes against women, she noted.

Jagmati Sangwan, national general secretary of the All-India Democratic Women’s Association, said not only have crimes against women not gone down since 2012, but the “vulnerability of the deprived sections of society has increased”.

“Through statements made by members of the government and political parties, a message has been sent down to the administrative machinery and law enforcement. The ‘blame the victim’ approach is still there. There is no accountability,” she said.

Terming the Wednesday night incident “unfortunate”, she said much was left to be done to make public transport and public spaces safe.

That being said, the activists all agreed that the movement for social change that the December 16 case sparked is still on today. From protests against sexist rules in university hostels to women reclaiming public spaces at night, efforts to make Delhi safer are on.

“If one thing has changed it is women’s willingness to complain and fight back. Women are increasingly choosing not to be silent. The one positive outcome is that the movement is continuing,” said Ms. Krishnan.