This paper unveils a serious social and global phenomenon which involves a spectrum of physical, sexual, psychological acts of control, threat, aggression, abuse and assault against women[1]. Violence against women happens at home, workplace, streets and is a human rights violation of pandemic proportions that take place in public and private spaces.Female infanticide, child abuse, incest, rape, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence and neglect of older women are the forms of crime. Crimes against women dates to the history of mankind where several forms of abuse have been described since ancient times. However, in the 21st century where women had made to the space marking sky as the limit, the other side of the coin shows the increasing rate of the crime against women which off-late is highly alarming as most of the women, girls, in present society are subjugated, oppressed sexually, physically, verbally and also mentally and emotionally which are the most unnoticed face of the crimes. However, despite growing awareness in the international arena regarding the gender-based violence[2]  women continue to suffer disproportionately as the crime is frequently ignored or the abuse is justified with a reference to “culture” as the societies across the globe are patriarchal. Hence, though there are stringent laws and legislation made they don’t seem to have any effect as people are unaware of the laws of the land or scant respect for laws as most of the times the justice is being delayed which indulges the culprit to commit most heinous crimes as seen in most known case ‘NIRBHAYA.’ So, holistic approach with gender sensitization, setting up fast track courts for expeditious disposal of cases and general awareness to public towards laws would give long term solutions for these issues.

[1] Violence against women journal – World Health Organization, Available on Internet.

[2] Reference drawn from unhcr.org.

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