It is a world of wolves. From the cradle to the grave, a woman is chased by wolves. As long as the police, law and enforcement agencies are alert, a woman is safe. Not to speak of a nap even blinking of any eye suffices for the wolves to attack and devour the victim. They live by the slogan, you miss we hit. Aankh Hati Durghatna  Gati.

Although Govts are doing their part yet things won't change until a woman rises to the occasion and takes a stand for herself. If she is in power, she must use it to the fullest to make the surroundings safer for other women. Let every woman pledge to be an Anupama. Charity begins at home.

As a mother, a woman has a pivotal role in rearing and caring for her children. Children who learn respect for others and the importance of consent, healthy relationships, and gender equality are more likely to develop into respectable individuals who do not act abusively toward others when they get older. Children who experience or witness domestic violence while growing up in a high-conflict households are more prone to commit acts of abuse as adults. So families need to model healthy, respectful behaviour in their relationships. Otherwise, our children will treat women as objects only. And they will be an addition to the strata of sadists and wolves that derive pleasure in terrorizing women by committing crimes of all sorts against them.

The National Crime Records Bureau reports an alarming increase in crimes against women. The NCRB also reveals that from 2020 to 2021, there was an increase from 56.5 to 64.5% in incidences of crime against women. (The number of incidents per 1 lakh population) The majority of the instances involved dowry deaths, assaults, rapes, domestic violence, kidnappings, and abductions.

The most frequently reported violent crime against women in India has always been domestic abuse. The World Health Organization estimates that one in every three women globally experiences gender-based violence, and comparable statistics apply to India. However, what makes it stand out in this instance is the silence that surrounds it, including support for domestic violence. Because of India's rigid patriarchal structures, surveys show that it was normal for a man to beat his wife if she disobeyed her in-laws, ignored her home or kids, left without notifying him, declined sex, or didn't cook adequately.

Dowry deaths are a frightening evil as well. Thousands of brides are cruelly murdered despite laws designed to stop dowry deaths; the majority are burned to death, and the murders are excused as "cooking mishaps."  Here, a woman is a victim of she-wolves in her in-laws mainly.  Women need to be given opportunities in all areas of growth. Women need to be given armour to protect them from the wolves. And it is high time that the Govts around the world prioritize progress in Gender Equality alongside the education of women. The synergy of Gender Equality, Women's Education and Moral and Religious Education for all genders are guaranteed to set things on track.

To eradicate gender inequality, India has created national programmes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, UJJWALA (a programme for the prevention of trafficking and the Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration of Victims of Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation), Mahila Shakthi Kendra, etc. Despite these initiatives, India's standing at the international level on gender equality has not changed considerably over time.

India is ranked 135th out of 146 nations in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) annual Global Gender Gap Report or Index, which measures a nation's progress toward gender equality. The index is based on data from four key dimensions: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, survival, and health. Unfortunately, our country ranks abysmally low in all dimensions in the recent rankings.  We live in an advanced world now witnessing the fourth industrial revolution. However, the representation of women in the executive, judiciary and legislature is dismally low, and gender pay gaps are ubiquitous and pervasive in this age of advancements, lowering our heads in shame.

The Ministry of Education's recent statistics indicates that over 12.29 crore girls enrolled in elementary to higher secondary education in 2021–22, a rise of 8.19 lakh from the enrollment of girls in 2020–21. According to the Gender Parity Index (GPI) of GER, girls are equally represented in school education and the population of that age group as a whole. At all levels of schooling, the GPI value is one or higher, suggesting that girls are more likely to enrol in school. Even if these numbers demonstrate the nation's success in enrolling girls in elementary and secondary education, they do not ensure that they will be treated equally in the family or classroom or have equal access to both academic and extracurricular opportunities.

Along with moral and ethical issues, gender equality is essential for human and economic development. Gender equality calls for the empowerment of women with an emphasis on recognizing and correcting power imbalances and giving women more authority to live their lives. Equal opportunities for women would provide them with the ability to contribute to the economy, increase the number of women who can serve as role models for young girls, and provide a forum for bringing attention to the issues that women in India face. Women make up a sizeable portion of the unrealized economic potential of the nation, and it needs immediate attention to tap their potential.

Mere sloganeering and chest-thumping on gender equality are not enough, it is high time that India acts realistically and works toward Gender Equality so that the distant dream of Mahatma Gandhi who said, “To call women the weaker sex is a libel; it is a man’s injustice to woman. If by the strength it is meant moral power then the woman is immeasurably superior to a man's superior. Has she not been more self-sacrificing, has she not great powers of endurance, has she not greater courage? Without her man could not be. If non-violence is the law of our being, the future is with women”, becomes a cherished reality and celebrated by every proud Indian Woman.

Above all, religious and moral education has always had a significant role to play in dealing with crimes against women. All religions teach that all people are equal and should be treated with respect and kindness, regardless of their gender. These teachings can help to create a sense of community and a shared commitment to upholding these values, which can in turn help to prevent crime against women.

Lastly, it is high time we address issues like hegemonic patriarchy, women empowerment and drug abuse, and identify and address other underlying factors to effectively prevent and reduce crimes against women in India.

(Author is Assistant Professor, AAA Memorial Degree College, Bemina