Women’s Safety: A Question of Legal Systematic Failure with respect to Thoothukudi District

Women’s safety remains a pressing socio-legal concern in India, despite constitutional guarantees and statutory protections. Laws such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act aim to safeguard women’s rights, yet gender-based violence continues to persist. This research titled “Women’s Safety: A Question of Legal Systematic Failure with Respect to Thoothukudi District” adopts a non-doctrinal research methodology to assess the effectiveness of existing legal mechanisms. The study is based on 70 respondents from varied social and economic backgrounds. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire, and secondary sources such as statutes, government reports, and scholarly articles were also used for analysis. The findings indicate that while awareness of women-centric laws is relatively high, many respondents remain unaware of reporting mechanisms and doubt the efficiency of the legal system. Factors like judicial delay, ineffective law enforcement, and social barriers contribute to persistent insecurity. The study concludes that mere legal provisions are inadequate without robust implementation, gender-sensitive reforms, and institutional accountability.