The New Suffragettes: India is finally listening to its women
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.I was in a school in Delhi with 200 children recently. We were talking about sexual assault, and they asked: why does rape happen? Ten years ago, it would have been unthinkable for kids to discuss such subjects. But something has changed in India.
Every day the media is full of stories of violence towards women, but it took the horrific gang rape and death of a 23-year-old Delhi medical student last December to shock society into a wave of protests.
Women’s groups in India highighted the government’s failure to protect half its citizens and lobbied for a law to do more. Against expectations, in April, they got one.
The new law gives harsher sentences for rape, criminalises “Eve teasing” (a euphemism for sexual harassment) and made it a crime for police to ignore complaints of violence against women. There is a sense that someone is finally listening to women.
A lot is still to be done – for one, marital rape is not recognized as a crime. But the law has been celebrated as a step forward, by women who for too long have been forced to stand still.
Perhaps most importantly, conversations about women’s rights are taking place in India, and at a much louder volume than before.
Urvashi Butalia co-founded Kali for Women, India’s first feminist publishing house
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments