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GLOBAL DATABASE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMENCOUNTRY-PROFILEINDIACOUNTRY SNAPSHOT

India

Region: Asia / Population: 1,407,564B / Female Population: 681,060M

Gender Inequality Index Rank

Global Gender Gap Index Rank

Lifetime Physical and/or Sexual Intimate Partner Violence

Physical and/or Sexual Intimate Partner Violence in the last 12 months

Lifetime Non-Partner Sexual Violence

Country Snapshot Measures CEDAW

Country Snapshots were developed by UN Women on the basis of information contained in the database

Laws & Policies

Constitutional Provisions on Violence against Women

Stand-alone EVAW Law

YES

Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (1956), Dowry Prohibition Act (1961), Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act (1986), Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act (1987), Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005)

Source: India Code

National Action Plan on VAW (latest one that is currently into force)

Paragraph 7.1 of National Policy for Empowerment of Women 2001 lays down that ‘all forms of violence against women, physical and mental, whether at domestic or societal levels, including those arising from customs, traditions or accepted practices shall be dealt with effectively with a view to eliminate its incidence. Institutions and mechanisms/schemes for assistance will be created and strengthened for prevention of such violence, including sexual harassment at workplace and customs like dowry; for the rehabilitation of the victims of violence and for taking effective action against the perpetrators of violence. A special emphasis will also be laid on programmes and measures to deal with trafficking in women and girls. National Action Plan for implementation of the policy is yet to be developed.

National Strategy on VAW (latest one that is currently into force)

Law against Sexual Harassment

YES

Sections 294, 326 A and B, 354, 354 A, B, C and D, 509 of the Penal Code (1860)

The sexual harassment of women at workplace (prevention, prohibition and redressal) Act, 2013

Provision against Marital Rape

Under special legislation, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, girls and boys below 18 years of age are protected against penetrative sexual assault. As per exception 2, under section 375 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, married girls under 15 years of age are protected against marital rape. Under civil legislation, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, women in domestic relationships are protected against sexual violence. Under section 498A of IPC, married women are protected against cruelty by their husband and relatives of husband, under section 376B of IPC, married women living separately from their husband are protected against non-consensual sexual intercourse.

Equality in Marriage and Divorce

YES

Hindu Marriage Act (1955)

Section 27 of the Special Marriage Act (1954)

Minimum Age of Male Marriage

Section 2(a) of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act

Minimum Age of Female Marriage

Section 2(a) of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act

Law Prohibiting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

For immediate and livelong harms or death, sections 319 to 326 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 dealing with punishments for voluntarily causing hurt and voluntarily causing grievous hurt

Assessment of Services for Women Survivors of Violence

Governance and Coordination

Existence of a governance structure or coordination mechanism

YES

Government of India, National Commission for Women

Government of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development, One Stop Centre Scheme, August 2016

Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Women Safety Division

Justice

Availability of administrative data on justice

YES

222801 women beneficiaries for the period April 2022 to February 2023

Source: National Legal Services Authority, Legal Service Beneficiaries, April 2022 to February 2023

Number of VAW specialized courts

763 Family Courts are functional across the country (as of December 2022) [REF] Since 2019, the Department of Justice has set up 764 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) and 411 Special Courts (to try CSA cases) across 28 States in India for expeditious trial relating to sexual offences Nari Adalats under Mission Shakti Scheme (2022) speaks of alternate grievance redressal systems at gram panchayat level. The data on the scheme is not available

Source: Government of India, Ministry of Law and Justice, Family Court

Number of women accessing justice services (latest year)

Not available

Number of legal aid service organizations for VAW/G survivors

1 National Legal Services Authority; 39 State Legal Services Authorities; 676 District Legal Services Authorities; 2350 Taluk/sub-district Legal Services Committees.

Source: National Legal Services Authority, NALSA at a glance

Police

Availability of administrative data on police

YES

Number of police stations or units specialized in EVAW

Women Help Desks established in 13101 police stations; 150 Investigative Units for Crime against Women established in 36 States and Union Territories.

Source: Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Press Release, "Women's Safety", 13 February 2023

Number of law enforcement professionals trained to respond to incidents of VAW/G in accordance with a standardized curriculum

2575 Investigating officers, prosecution and medical officers trained in collection, handling and transportation of forensic evidence by Bureau of Police Research and Development & Lok Narayan Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science in 2018-2019
Source: Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Press Information Bureau, "Safety and Security of Women and Girls", 25 June 2019

3254 police personnel trained in identifying, detecting and resolving cyber-crimes against women and children by Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India in 2018-2019
Source: Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Press Information Bureau, "Safety and Security of Women and Girls", 25 June 2019

925 Investigating officers across India trained on women safety by Bureau of Police Research and Development in 2020-2021
Source: Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Bureau of Police Research and Development, Women Safety

Number of women accessing police services (latest year)

Not available

Social Services

Availability of administrative data on social services

YES

Number of social services (i.e. shelters, helplines, centres offering psycho-social counselling support)

730 One Stop Centers operational in 36 districts
Source: Government of India, Press Information Bureau, Year End Review-2022: Ministry of Women and Child Development

34 Women Help Lines (Call 181) operational in 34 States and Union Territories
Source: Government of India, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Setting up of women helpline in the country

441 Shakti Sadans in 30 States and Union Territories
Source: Government of India, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Mental Health assistance in shelter homes, 15 March 2023

Women Help Desks established in 13101 police stations
Source: Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Women's Safety, 7 February 2023

Emergency Response Support System (Call 112) operational in 35 States and Union Territories National Legal Aid Helpline Number (15100)
Source: Government of India, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25), 24 November 2022

Number of women accessing social services (latest year)

8800000 women accessed One Stop Centers since 2015 to September 2022
Source: Government of India, Press Information Bureau, Year End Review-2022: Ministry of Women and Child Development

1100145 women assisted through 181 Women Help Line in 2022
Source: Government of India, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Setting up of women helpline in the country

533548 women accessed legal aid
Source: National Legal Services Authority, Statistical Snapshot 2021

Health

Availability of administrative data on health

YES

Number of health units that have documented and adopted a protocol for the clinical management of VAW/G survivors

Number of health units adapted the guidelines and protocol is not available. Guidelines and Protocols: Medico-legal Care for Survivors/Victims of Sexual Violence was published by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India

Source: Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Guidelines and protocols medico legal care for survivors victims of sexual violence

Number of women accessing health services (latest year)

Not available

Experiencing Violence?