Examining global crime statistics, it becomes evident that crimes committed by men against men significantly outnumber those against women. This observation is not intended to undermine the significance of crimes against women but rather to shed light on the deeper issue within our social framework. Let us confront a harsh reality: throughout the history of human civilization, we have witnessed a relentless power struggle where the powerful use violence to establish dominance over the powerless. Crimes against women are no exception to this pattern.
When we analyze our social structure, we find an inherent human nature that instills the fear of its potential for violence to maintain a cohesive social order. Whether within families, communities, societies, politics, the judiciary, or nations, this potential for violence serves as a cornerstone for preserving socio-political structures. For instance, consider our political hierarchy: there are police officers, the military, the judiciary, and the government, and our respect for them varies based on their capacity to influence our lives. We hold greater respect for an officer over a constable, for the judiciary over an officer, for a minister over an MLA, and for the government over the judiciary. To reiterate, our adherence and respect for this hierarchy are not determined by wisdom but by the potential for violence or the extent of violence they can inflict. What concerns us is not the violence itself but the capacity for violence. Our socio-political structure has cunningly harnessed this fickle aspect of human society to construct itself. From police constables to the government, the ability to inflict violence grows at each level, step by step and structure by structure.
However, it is not just the ability to inflict violence but the capacity to instill greater fear through violence that defines our social order. In such a structure, advocating stringent punishments for crimes against women makes little sense unless women possess the power to enforce these punishments.
The use of violence as a mode of governance is certainly questionable in the 21st century, but devising an alternative system to replace this brutal and archaic approach will take time. Waiting for such change would be asking too much and coming too late for our mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, and friends.
In our society, men are respected for their power, and it is also a fact that powerful women receive respect and experience less violence. Therefore, it is imperative for Indian women in the 21st century to hold power if they wish to ensure their safety. No law can protect them unless they are positioned at the highest echelons of the power structure – the government – with a strong presence that instills fear of their ability to bring about significant changes in society. Thus, it is crucial to bring the Women's Reservation Bill to parliament and enact it without further delay if we want to safeguard women's lives.
