Four In 10 Indian Women Suffer Abuse: Survey

A survey, released today, by an International women and child rights NGO came up with the conclusion that 41% of Indian women of 19 years and below suffer physical abuse. In other words, four in ten women suffer abuse in India. The Action Aid research also revealed that girls start getting physically assaulted from the age of six and that 6% girls between 6 and 10 years experience it.

The survey was conducted in four countries -- India, UK, Brazil and Thailand. India has topped the list by a great margin. It is followed by Brazil (16%), UK (12%) and Thailand (8%).  The difference between India and the other countries is about 20 per cent approximately.

One of the significant findings of the survey is that 73% Indian women faced violence just in the past month but Brazil surpassed India in the numbers as 87% women in Brazil faced abuse in the last month. And UK and Thailand are at 57% and 67% when it comes to violence against women in October.

“Cross-country findings suggest immediate action is needed to curb harassment and violence against women. While awareness on rights of women, women's abilities and potential has increased, we are still a long way from realizing the promise of a just and equal world for half of our humanity. Threats to safety of women are directly related to patriarchal mindsets that manifest itself on streets, at the workplace and at homes,” ActionAid India executive director Sandeep Chachra told TOI.

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Coming to sexual harassment, one in four Indian women have been groped in the previous month and same is the case with the women of Thailand, which is 26%. For Brazil, one in five women were subjected to groping and the percentage comes to be 20%. In the UK, it was found that 16% women were groped in the last month, which is one in six women. The polling of women was done by YouGov in which 2,500 women of 18 years of age and above participated. The poll was carried out to mark the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women.

The positive revelation through this poll was that women are standing up against such assaults. And India’s percentage of women standing up against crime is refreshing as it came up to be 82%. It was 91% in the age group of 25 to 34 years.

The measures that women take involve avoiding dangerous areas, poorly-lit locations and changing travel routes. They also equip themselves with pepper sprays, weapons and rape alarm etc.

Picture credit- PIKSTOP