Recent protests by anti-corruption protester Anna Hazare have reignited the anti-corruption movement and initiated many debates regarding the impact of corruption on India’s population. However, a noticeable omission from these discussions has been the impact of corruption on women throughout India. Women are more susceptible to the negative impacts of corruption for several reasons.

Firstly, women have less access to resources than their male counterparts and are therefore less able to function and progress in a society that is underpinned by corruption at the family, community and institutional level. Women, who are unable to pay bribes, are often unable to access vital public services such as medical care and education. The lack of access to these services leads to women experiencing poorer health, less jobs opportunities and further marginalisation from society.

Secondly, women generally have less access to capital and less ability to develop strong and influential networks within their community. This means that women have less access to decision making power and have limited capacity to influence decisions that directly or indirectly impact their lives. Corruption persists at all levels of government throughout India and access to and influence over decision makers is often dependent on connections and collateral. Women’s lack of access to both these resources renders them less able to influence decisions meaning that issues impacting women are perceived to be less important, are allocated fewer resources and in many cases are largely ignored.

Finally, the patriarchal nature of Indian society means that women are more at risk of exploitation and less likely to receive institutional protection and support. A major form of corruption that directly impacts women and children is sexual exploitation, such as providing sexual services in place of bribes, forced prostitution and trafficking. The marginalisation of women from social and economic recourses and capital restricts their capacity to participate equally within society and forces them to engage in behaviours and interactions that are harmful and disempowering. Corruption within government bodies and law enforcement agencies has led to a culture of ignoring corrupt and exploitative behaviours. Women receive little support and protection from corruption and are largely unable to successfully prosecute perpetrators of corrupt practices.

In a country where 49 percent of women are poor, corruption can both increase women’s marginalisation and poverty and stifle women’s attempts to address gender inequality within their communities. It is a central factor in the perpetuation of gender inequality within India. And, the fact that the gender dimensions of corruption continue to be overlooked is both concerning and detrimental to women’s empowerment.

Ever wondered who is updating the CSR Facebook page, searching for the latest statistics on crimes against women, or assisting our core team in envisioning, coordinating and facilitating our projects and programs?

We are always very proud of our enthusiastic young interns in the CSR office. Over the years we’ve had interns join us from both across the country and across the world – from Punjab, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra in India to Scotland, Germany, Canada and Georgia. They’ve worked on a variety of projects such as Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, the I Stand for Safe Delhi campaign, Human Rights Defenders training workshops and numerous research projects. We’d like to introduce you to some of our current hard working interns!

Meet Kara Brown, Media & Communication Intern at Centre for Social Research, from Edinburgh, Scotland.

M&C intern Kara on the CSR office balcony

How did you become interested in an internship with women and girls in India?

Before moving to Delhi in July to join the CSR team I was studying Law at the University of Glasgow in Scotland and working in the not-for-profit sector. I’ve always been passionate about human rights and international development but it wasn’t until the final year of my degree that I seriously began to consider a career in this field. That was when I discovered Challenges Worldwide – an international development charity that partners experienced volunteers with social enterprises worldwide. It’s safe to say, the rest is history!

What is your role at CSR?

I work for CSR’s Media & Communications Division (M&C). My main tasks include social media, writing new content for the CSR website, helping with the newsletter & annual report, plus researching and writing articles for the CSR blog.

What are you most looking forward to during the remainder of your time at CSR?

We have a blog piece in the pipelines on how corruption affects the lives of women in India. I’m also looking forward to collaborating with some film makers who have recently approached CSR to document the work being done at our Crisis Intervention Centres.

What is your favourite thing to do in Delhi?

I love so many things about Delhi, but one highlight is my morning commute. Every morning I walk past a Hindu temple where people are worshiping, singing, burning incense and presenting offerings. There are street children cooking corn by the side of the road, rickshaws tooting their horns loudly, and cows wandering through the traffic. Then I step out of the heat and into the office to begin my day’s work.

This is part two of a two-part series. Read part one here.

Despite the flowery language and hype of the press, the Delhi SlutWalk Arthaat Besharmi Morcha was a lot of talk but actually little walk. While reports say hundreds of participants gathered for the much-anticipated march, in reality, hundreds of inquisitive journalists and spectators circled round only a handful of activists.

Participants assembled in the scorching heat on Sunday morning in Jantar Mantar. They brandished brightly coloured placards reading, “walk of NO shame” and “change your thinking, not your clothes”. But it wasn’t long before they were met by the restraints of the police  – who cut short the length of the march. The very essence of the SlutWalk movement is in response to a comment made by a Canadian policeman that led to outrage. Yet ironically, it was the Delhi police who flattened Sunday’s protest. This SlutWalk was more like a brief saunter around the block.

The upshot of Delhi’s Besharmi Morcha is that students actively displayed awareness of sexual aggression towards women. The movement opposing violence against women needs the support of young people who will encourage others to denounce these acts. That said, lack of support from local men and women was evident. There are over 12 million people living in the capital, but only a couple of hundred travelled to Jantar Mantar last weekend to see what all the fuss was about. Perhaps others don’t agree with the cause. Maybe they simply aren’t interested. It is more likely that the meaning behind the event was unclear. SlutWalk participants in other countries wore provocative clothing such as underwear, fishnet tights, and thigh-high boots to prove their point. However, out of respect for cultural sensibilities, Delhi organisers invited women to dress in their every day clothes to march. The question, therefore, is why use the connotations of “slut” and “shame”?  Was this a protest against society’s attitudes towards the way women dress or was this a protest against the actions and opinions of the police force? Whatever the reason, the message felt muddled. Somewhere between its origins in Canada and arrival in India, the purpose of ‘SlutWalking’ appears to have gotten lost in translation.

A SlutWalk is simply not the right vehicle for change in Delhi. Rape and sexual harassment are often not linked to the way women dress. Be it in jeans or saris, on the streets or at home, women face harassment by people they know or by complete strangers. A SlutWalk alienates a part of Indian society who cannot relate to the experience of being called a ‘slut’, but fall victim to sexual assault regardless. Using this word also attaches negative connotations to the image of women and instantly puts many people off. In order to really implement change we need to reach out to everyone – no matter what their background or level of exposure to contemporary ideals.

The main gist of the SlutWalk movement is certainly worth re-iterating – whatever the circumstances, sexual harassment and rape should never be blamed on the victim. Any future campaigning should involve collaboration between all organisations working in this field. By coming together, we can take advantage of a pool of knowledge and experience, youthful enthusiasm and fresh insight so as to best make Delhi a safer place for women.

This is part one of a two-part series. Read part two here.

Photo credit: legallyindia.com

Scrutiny of women’s mannerisms and appearance is common all over the world. From what they wear to the way they speak, everything is analysed down to the smallest of details. This week’s newspapers flooded with opinions on the style and fashion preferences of visiting foreign minister of Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar, discussing everything from her favourite jewellery to the cost of her handbags. Nothing is left out – much to her dismay. Young Indian women yearn for the freedom to step out of their homes without being examined from head to toe.  Those that can manoeuvre through such scrutiny and forge their own path in public clearly then bear the burden of sexual harassment. Many believe women themselves are responsible for the increasing levels of aggression towards them because of the way they dress in public.

To counter this opinion and protest against sexual harassment and violence against women, an event called SlutWalk Arthaat Besharmi Morcha is being held in the centre of New Delhi on Sunday 31st July 2011. The concept sparked several heated and controversial debates as to its value and reach.

Why ‘SlutWalk Arthaat Besharmi Morcha’?

SlutWalk Arthaat Besharmi Morcha means ‘SlutWalk, a.k.a Shameless Walk’ and is a form of non-violent protest. 19 year old Umang Sabharwal is organising the protest in the capital this weekend, hot on the heels of Bhopal hosting the country’s first Bersharmi Morcha on 17 July 2011. The concept is modelled on similar events in various different countries named ‘SlutWalks’ which have attracted worldwide attention. The first SlutWalk was held earlier this year in Canada after a Toronto police officer commented that ‘women should avoid dressing up as sluts in order to not be victimized.’ Indian organisers have changed the title and style of the event to keep it in tune with India’s conservative social values. Nonetheless, does using word “shameless” not suggest that women have something to be ashamed of in the first place?

How is the word ‘slut’ perceived in India?

While the SlutWalk movement gained momentum in the West, many in India were not very forthcoming in accepting this event. The word ‘slut’ is not part of daily vocabulary for the majority of Indians, nor is dressing provocatively to prove a point common practice. The event is no doubt directed towards the worthy cause of raising awareness of violence against women, but method and more importantly the choice of wording could prove a hindrance in gathering wide support.

“I agree with the cause, but the packaging is wrong,” says Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director of CSR. “I try to counsel students not to alienate the majority of Indian women. The Indian feminist movement took many decades to recover from the damage caused by the American bra-tossing campaigns. Let us not ape the West unnecessarily and trivialise our fight.”

Will this Sunday’s Besharmi Morcha in Delhi  really make people sit up and take action, or will it claim its five minutes of fame then be quickly forgotten?

Whether women dress skimpily or cover up from head to toe, they are still subjected to harassment. The majority of Indian male mindsets are so drenched in patriarchal and conservative tradition that a walk by only a small margin of the country’s vast population will evidently struggle to make a substantial impact. The lukewarm response given to the protest in Bhopal two weeks ago, where only 50 people turned up, is an indicator of the lack of support Sunday’s walk in Delhi is likely to suffer from. A movement in protest of violence against women will become successful only when women and men of all ages and walks of life come forward and loudly condemn violence. It remains to be seen whether the SlutWalk Arthaat Besharmi Morcha this weekend will have any effect whatsoever, or at least any positive effects.

Last week, Arunima Sinha, a nationally ranked athlete, was pushed out of a moving train by men attempting to rip a gold necklace off her body. Arunima not only had her left leg amputated, but is also suffering from an infection in the amputated leg stump, a number of fractures in her right leg and a spinal injury. Yet, despite all that she has experienced due to the lack of safety in public transportation, the Government Railway Police are questioning Arunima’s story.

Government Railway Police office A.K. Jain claimed that their investigation has shown Arunima to be “disturbed” and that she “either attempted suicide or met with an accident.” Jain’s statement comes just a few days after the Allahabad high court directed Indian Railways to pay her Rs. 5 lakh (more than $11,000 USD) as compensation.

Even though the Railways aid for Arunima’s initial treatment and even offered her a job, representative now claim that Arunima’s story is completely untrue, containing loopholes and missing facts. Unbelievably, it still remains to be seen what steps the Government Railway Police have taken to catch the “chain snatchers” responsible for pushing Arunima off the train in the first place.

Rather than taking responsibility for the lack of safety measures and services available to women passengers on Indian railways, the Government Railway Police have instead resorted to questioning the mental health of the victim. It seems they haven’t yet realized that the coherency and courage Arunima has shown since her traumatic accident is proof itself of just how mentally stable she is.

Thousands of women in India can sympathize with Arunima’s plight, because they also faced danger and harassment in trains and other forms of public transportation. Indian Railways’ Annual Statistical Statements reported a rise in crime figures, yet action taken against criminals on the railways is on the decline! The Railways has a full right to administer a probe into Arunima’s case and negotiate an appropriate compensation. However, accusing a victim for being mentally unstable without actually backing up those claims with evidence or witnesses is disappointing and ethically plain wrong.

All of this begs the question: Will Arunima’s story become yet another example of a woman being blamed for the increase in crimes against women, or the lack of sufficient policing in public spaces?

By Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director of Centre for Social Research

The brutal murder of two women in the presence of an entire village in Bhiwani, Haryana state, where two men beat two women to death for having an alleged affair, is just one of the nearly 1,000 so-called “honour” killings reported annually across India. According to local news reports, the men beat the first woman for nearly an hour in public until she died, before moving on to the other woman. Not a single person intervened, nor did anyone inform the police who arrived two hours after the incident ended. Even a day after the incident, when news reporters attempted to find eyewitnesses to recount the event, only a few young men in the entire community stepped forward to say anything.

Women’s groups across the country have demanded an explanation from Haryana’s Chief Minister for why illegal systems of justice (khap panchayats, similar to a village council) continue to pass judgments and declare punishments to supposed transgressors of local social norms. These barbaric acts, “honour” killings, are not only illegal but also demonstrate the complete collapse of law and order. In this most recent case, the district magistrate, panchayat leader and Chief Minister must be held accountable for allowing such crimes in their territories. Also, the villagers who mutely acted as spectators and refused to intervene must also be charged in a criminal court.

Only yesterday, India’s Supreme Court announced their judgment banning khap panchayats. The Supreme Court also instructed the police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure the implementation of this law and enforce stringent punishment to perpetrators of so-called “honour” killings. This order is expected to bring relief to thousands of women who live under constant fear.

Women’s groups had been emphasising over the years that khap panchayats and illegal systems of justice must be banned, and the perpetrators of so called “honour” killings must be punished. It is about eliminating the constant fear of being judged and then punished at any moment by such illegal and biased “courts” even when we are living in a democracy with a fully functional judiciary.

We are relieved to see that the Supreme Court has finally, at long last, taken action, and I hope that this judgment will protect our sisters and daughters living in traditional rural settings. Now it is the duty of the state, the police and the society to protect their women from the inhuman verdicts of these illegal courts.

By Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director of Centre for Social Research

Dhaula Kuan, a neighbourhood in South West Delhi, is well known for a few things: containing the south campus of the University of Delhi, being situated at the crossroads of five major thoroughfares, and hosting two major housing developments filled with young, working women. A quick Google search reveals much more: media reports of rape, kidnap, murder and molestation. The most recent case to be added to this abysmal pattern is the murder of Delhi University student Radhika Tanwar.

The socio-economic structure, the way the population is laid out, the lighting and the infrastructure are all contributors to the emergence of crime in these areas. However, inadequate and unresponsive policing remain significant contributors to the prevalence of Violence Against Women in the neighbourhood. November 2010 brought to light the inefficiency of Dhaula Kuan’s police force when a female BPO (business process outsourcing) employee was gang raped in her housing complex. Last year, the Hindustan Times uncovered nearly 20 rape cases in Dhaula Kuan that were either withdrawn or never reported.

What’s happening now is that the police lack firmness in controlling the crime rate, so there is a trust deficit forming. There remains a need for proper police training and especially for more women in the police force; additional female police officers may ease some women’s concerns about approaching the police. To date, the number of women in the police across Delhi remains pathetically low. As most of us are now aware, Radhika Tanwar was stalked for two years without informing the police. Young girls and women of all ages feel that their freedom will be curtailed if they confide in their parents or other family members, but parents should immediately call the police and take action rather than blaming their daughter and inhibiting her freedoms.

Not informing the authorities wasn’t the only problem in this case. The lack of witnesses that have come forth regarding the murder that took place in broad daylight on a crowded footbridge further demonstrates Delhi’s slow response to crimes against women. When Delhi as a city lacks a culture of respect for women, people don’t come forward to help when someone is in distress. Also, India lacks a witness protection program; rather, witnesses are harassed by the police and often even blamed for the crime.

The tragedy of Radhika Tanwar’s murder reminds us once again that the Delhi government must stop blaming the police and begin actively collaborating with and making positive changes in the police force.