The outcry that followed the December 16 gang-rape has been taken as a case study in a latest report by the United Nations. The ‘State of the World’s Volunteerism Report-2015’ says the movement which followed the crime is a perfect example of how citizens’ voices can be included in legislations.
According to Rosemary Kalapurakal, UN Volunteers (UNV) Deputy Executive Coordinator, what is far less known is the way the government mobilised volunteer energy to support this revision of the laws. “The government set up a committee headed by a former chief justice to review the laws and recommend changes. In a public notice it asked the civil society to share ideas, knowledge and experience within just two weeks. The committee received more than 80,000 responses from women’s groups, CSOs and individuals,” Ms. Rosemary told The Hindu .
