COVID-19 Lockdowns Leading To a Rise In Violence Against Women And Girls

The State Of Women Amid The Coronavirus Induced Lockdown

In light of pandemic COVID-19, the lockdown was implemented. According to studies, crime rates have declined among nationwide lockdowns.

Crime rate declined amid lockdown

Crimes like robbery, murder, kidnapping, robbery, mob lynching etc. were observed to be low in happening. There was strict police vigilance across the country. Curfew was imposed across the country amid the lockdown.

Strict police regulations were observed throughout the country during the time of lockdown. No one was allowed out of their homes to comprehensively combat the novel virus.

Increase in crime against women

However, it was observed that crimes against women increased during the lockdown. Whether it is domestic violence, rape, abuse, character assassination, and more.

Cases of brutal rape were reported amid lockdowns, and authorities saw an increase in domestic violence cases during the lockdown period. Women were unnecessarily targeted in locked rooms. Many lost their jobs amid the lockdown resulting in frustration and anxiety among the men.

All the anger and frustration was left on the women of the home, whether it was his wife, his daughter, his mother, or his sister, who were all attacked in the locked rooms.

Victim and accused locked in nationwide lockdown

The National Commission of Women’s Chairperson Rekha Sharma said that the high number of crimes against women could be increased due to being forced to counter the epidemic COVID-19 as abuser and victims are locked together.

“Aggressive behaviour at home will increase. this is happening worldwide, Said Mansi Mishra, head of the research division of the Center for Social Research.

Number of crimes reported

The incidence of crime against women declined by 72 from 144 this year as compared to the previous year. The kidnapping cases also came down from 259 to 150. While cases of theft increased to 53 from 109 and engine vehicle robbery declined from 1,982 to 1,243.

The National Commission for Women filed 587 complaints from 23 March to 16 April. Those complaints included 239 claims of abusive behaviour at home.

According to the NCW, 123 incidents of aggressive behavior at home were reported between 27 February and 22 March.

From 27 February to 22 March, cases of 396 crimes against women were registered in NCW, while from 23 March to 16 April, more than 587 complaints were received, according to information.

Everything went awry due to the lockdown. Multiple marriages reported separation due to conflicts in divorce that happened in the lockdown.

Rape cases amid lockdowns

There were rape cases in lockdown. For example, a 13-year-old little girl was brutally raped several times by her father during the lockdown period in the Vikarabad area of ​​Telangana.

The girl was studying in a religious school in another district and returned home before the nationwide lockdown in the month of March.

The shocking incident occurred near Karankote police station. The 35-year-old daily wager has married four times. His first two marriages ended with divorce and his third wife died. The victim girl was born to his third wife. Presently, he was living with his mother, his fourth wife and their son.

Educational institutions closed due to widespread epidemic COVID-19 in March, after a 13-year-old girl returned home.

After returning home, the minor girl was raped several times during the lockdown. Furthermore, relatives were not aware of the attack by the man. It is recorded that the victim was sexually abused before the festival celebrated a few months ago. The accused threatened her with a death warning not to disclose anything about her rape.

However, a few days later, the victim revealed the incident to her stepmother, and she complained to the police and filed a complaint against her husband.

The 35-year-old man was charged under Section 375 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other relevant sections of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.

Another rape case amid lockdown

In another incident, an 18-year-old girl was allegedly raped twice during a lockdown by her father in Morena, Madhya Pradesh.

The young girl claimed that her mother was aware of her father’s attack and remained silent.

However, the girl’s parents denied all the allegations leveled against her and responded that her daughter was trying to implicate her as she had come to know of her affair with a boy.

Apart from all this, many working women also lost their jobs. But they didn’t show their frustration and anger at her husband, father, brother or son.

Why women do not always matter, whether she is a career woman or not. Why women are always kept under glass roofs and bound by morals and religious beliefs. Wrong has always happened to women in the name of religion, values, culture, or something else.

Gender discrimination amid lockdown

Due to delay in marriage, many girls were beaten up in the village areas. With no income opportunity, many girls were expelled from schools and colleges. Boys were not denied educational opportunities, but girls faced gender discrimination here.

Also, women were fired from their jobs because of their gender, and men were able to save their jobs. We are still not at the conclusion of why women always face gender discrimination. Why are they taught to always be silent and tolerant? The above rape examples are the perfect example of women closing their lips.

Are all men created equal?