– by Supreet Aneja
June 20, 2017: June 19 marks the International Day for Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. With increasing conflict in the world, the number of sexual cases in such areas are alarming. Whether the conflict is between two people or two countries, women are always the first victims.
UN Action against Sexual Violence states that women and children are the worst victims of any violence in the world. Talking about India, the horrifying cases of sexual abuse against women and children in conflict zones like Chhattisgarh, Kashmir, and Manipur leave one in a sense of shock.
A recent rape case of 14 years old girl on April 2, 2017, in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh is one such example, in which security forces while using their power left the poor girl in trauma. This is not the only case.
In a report by National Human Rights Commission in January 2017, it stated about the sexual assault of 16 tribal women between 16th and October 25, 2015. NHRC held the Chhattisgarh Government responsible for the same but the government had sidelined these cases saying that such cases are measures to defame the police forces.
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Well, other than Chhattisgarh, the situation in Kashmir is also terrifying. According to the Medicines Sans Frontiers Report of 2005, Kashmiri women are the worst sufferers of sexual violence in the entire world. 11.6% women in Kashmir Valley have to face of sexual assault and 1 in 7 become victims of rape. Government figures reveal that between 2015 and 2016, 595 cases of rape were reported in Jammu and Kashmir.
The sad part is that these figures reveal only those cases that are reported. More than half the cases never come out because of factors like fear of the society and the power of the forces. Human Rights Organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have time and again pressurized India to repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that gives unlimited powers and impunity to the armed forces.
The Secretary of All India Women's Association, Kavita Krishnan, on the day of International Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict shares how government instead of repealing an act like AFSPA, calls such activists anti- nationals. She also emphasizes that the need of the hour is to rouse the conscience of those who don't live in conflict areas and try to think the plight of the sufferers. And to think if it is nationalist to rape the women in the name of power.
The plight of such unfortunate women, definitely makes us ponder if we are living in the humanitarian world or not. It is that we come forward to stop this epidemic from spreading further. Whether it is in conflict zones or a normal area, done either by security forces or civilians, we should all pledge to stand against sexual violence of any form.
– by Supreet Aneja of Newsgram Twitter: @supreet_aneja