As Indians celebrated the nation’s 78th Independence Day on August 15, its women cried for freedom on the same streets where their forebears shouted: “Vande Mataram” or “I salute thee, motherland.” That battle slogan was built for nonviolent resistance, and India’s women now stand united to fight against the continued violation of their dignity and their bodies.

The recent widespread protests were triggered in August 2024 by the rape and murder of a 31-year-old medical trainee at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata. Thousands of women and medical practitioners took to the streets as part of a “Reclaim the Night” campaign in West Bengal. These protests offered a powerful retort to a culturally embedded guideline for the nation’s women: “Do not step outside when it’s dark.”  

The Kolkata case is not an isolated incident; gender-based violence (GBV) is escalating across India. the nation’s deeply embedded patriarchy, weakened security mechanisms, impunity of government officials and spiritual leaders, and the silencing of women each contribute to the high prevalence of GBV.   

While determined efforts to combat these crimes have been deployed in some instances, the overall approach in Indian society continues to be a narrow one, shaped by the cultural phenomenon that “men will be men”—and that it is women who are expected to change, and to be more resilient.   

Impunity, Discrimination, and Local Politics  

Progress toward ending GBV crimes in India is marred by government impunity and corruption. A recent report published by the Association for Democratic Reforms highlighted the fact that around 150 legislators in India face charges for crimes against women. In addition, two Members of Parliament (MP) and 14 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) currently face charges of rape. On a state-by-state basis, this impunity also extends to hardened criminals. Convicted of rape and murder, spiritual leader Singh was recently given parole for the 15^th time, and has been out of prison for 240 days over the last four years. Singh is the leader of Dera Sacha Sauda, an NGO for religious learning (often denoted as a cult), whose most recent parole in the run-up of the Haryana Assembly elections influenced results, garnering a win for the incumbent political party.  

Additionally, police forces create an atmosphere of fear and mistrust, especially in rural areas where the rule of law is less explicit. Forces that should protect women often take unconscionable steps to cover up these crimes, including marrying off rape victims to their perpetrators, tampering with evidence, refusing to register FIRs (First Information Reports), and so on. As such incidents become more widely known in the aftermath of the Kolkata case, a lack of trust in state police forces has led protestors to call for the involvement of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).  

Additionally, violence against women belonging to marginalized communities often has not received sufficient attention, thus perpetuating discrimination with weakened delivery of justice. During the recent uproar, for instance, a group of marginalized or lower caste women were asked to leave the protests by other higher caste women.  

Misdirected Governance 

India’s initial policymaking efforts to safeguard women took off during the massive Nirbhaya protests in 2012.  The assault and gang rape of a 23-year-old woman in a bus in the country’s capital, Delhi, in that year sparked a countrywide uproar. In response, the Ministry of Child and Women Development initiated the “Nirbhaya Fund,” aiming to improve women’s safety.   

Several subsequent schemes were launched under its umbrella organization “Mission Shakti” (Mission Strength) including a women’s helpline, and local One-Stop Centers (OSC) for legal counseling. These programs also were accompanied by a campaign to improve the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR), counter female infanticide, and encourage girls’ education, called, ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ (Save Girls, Educate Girls). While survivor support is essential for socio-economic resilience, the impact of these efforts has been mixed, and highly dependent on local governance.

Despite these measures, 31,000 rapes were reported in 2022, reflecting broader governance shortcomings in preventing GBV crimes. The recent outrage around the Kolkata case has also only led to reactionary measures. For example, the nation’s Supreme Court, focusing on the health industry, initiated a National Task Force (NTF) to investigate and develop guidelines for the workplace safety of doctors. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Assembly passed a bill mandating life in prison or the death penalty for anyone accused of rape. With conviction rates of less than 30%, however, these security measures—while critical—have limited impact.

Uprooting “rape culture” in India will require comprehensive changes within the government’s policymaking approach. Future efforts must direct attention to the sustained role of men as perpetrators of violence, beginning with those within the government who commit such crimes. There should be bans on bureaucratic or political participation for those accused or convicted of GBV. Political will and increased representation of women in the government will be crucial to achieving success.  

Going Forward  

Addressing GBV as a pervasive epidemic also must involve the deployment of more long-term preventative solutions including communication campaigns that have proven effective in India. One prominent example is the “Do Boond Zindagi Ke” (Two Drops for Life) campaign, an initiative helped eradicate the numbers of those stricken by polio from hundreds of thousands at its peak rate of devastation to zero in 2011.  

Instigating behavioral change among men such as in Latin America could also be replicated in India. Trócaire, in Nicaragua, engages with men to eliminate GBV, through expert-facilitated workshops and educational programs. UNESCO employs a similar, but much broader initiative, “Transforming Mentalities”  that targets the root causes of GBV, including strengthening men’s social and emotional skills, building knowledge on existing and unjust gender norms, and launching media campaigns with male role models.

Considering that 89% of rapes in India are committed by people known to the victim, data collection efforts can be localized. Strengthening the collection of local evidence of GBV has already been successful for some civil society organizations in Latin America. India can take these lessons learned to identify hot spots that require concentrated security and communication efforts.

The ongoing protests signal the presence of several interlinked shortcomings in India’s governance in safeguarding women. Much more needs to be done to ensure that girls and women in India have dignity and freedom, as well as respect and space for socio-economic growth. Addressing men’s central role in escalating GBV crimes must be central to the conversation.