Home equality Biased socio-economic culture : an unfair game of violence

Biased socio-economic culture : an unfair game of violence

November 13, 2021

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This article is written by Dharani. V from Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University and the article is edited by Khushi Sharma (Trainee Associate, Blog iPleaders).

Table of Contents

Abstract

Socio-economic inequalities form rust in our society. Social norms in the early period have been the backbone reason for the prevailing inequalities, as they encouraged partial rules for different sets of societies where higher privileges are confined to a limited class of people. Thereby restricting water, education, worship, living places to others and paving the way for violence.

Women’s equality is not always subject to education and opportunities in public and private forums; it is largely interconnected with the ideals of society. That’s why even after 75 years of independence women are the primary subjects of social violence.

Today, if we take “inequalities have the face of feminine” where only 20% of women come under working-class people, and the violence against them is at its peak¹. Nearly 1 in 3 women experienced physical violence or harassment in their lifetime². The alarming rate of gender-based crime has become a normal sequence in the daily news. Only the law and justice provide gender equality, not the society to a larger extent as Indian society is still tangled in the age-old social norm’s and the unfair game played by the power.

Introduction

Back in India, cruel atrocities were exercised against a targeted group of societies in the sail of casteism. On the other edge, the British, in the exercise of their power, oppressed many Indians and much more in history. All these imply that “violence is a ground of power play” in a majority of the cases, i.e. as a result of spatial differences in social & economic aspects of the society via inadequate access to education, health care, occupation status, nutrition, and so on. Which makes the victims of socio-economic gradient more vulnerable to other forms of violence against them. Though the government has made many initiatives to bridge these unequal gaps in society, regardless, there are a set of people trapped in the indefinite loop of socio-economic inequalities. Among those women have been largely victimized. It is to be noted that around 92% of women are engaged in unpaid household work due to the biased social norms of society³.Transwomen were also indulged in these norms and deprived of many basic amenities. This imbalance abruptly results in a greater disadvantage to these victims, as it is prone to increase the crime rate against them.

A least bad option

No one in the first place opts to be a prostitute, many out of poverty, left with no other option, and, for basic survival, force oneself to be a prostitute. In context to India, there are more than 7lakh women engaged in prostitution⁴. On account of their work profile, they are considered for granted, an easy target, and treated with less dignity. They face imminent threat & discrimination in day-to-day life, and their fear of being prosecuted, harassed, accused, by the police, and the public fore stops them to act against violent behaviour. Sexual violence against them isn’t considered to be a serious issue. In a study, it has been shown that violence against sex workers increases their vulnerability to HIV infection⁵.

Laws pertaining to prostitution also increase the risk factor of violence. If a law criminalizes sex work, it doesn’t end right there; it continues to exist behind a veil, thereby leading to more threat and violence in trying to keep their voice lower. Even in rehabilitation centers, the discrimination disrespect doesn’t stop. In some cases, they were forcibly drowned out of their living place.

The stigma portrayed by society against the sex workers resulted in the far inequalities against them. This socio-economic inequality and violence continue to haunt them even after leaving their work, and yet be discriminated against, and it also has an effect on their children. These children are on the verge as they tend to witness all the abuse and unfair treatments, which might be traumatic or might lead to the increase of juveniles. In conscience, to the prevailing pandemic, these workers were trapped in a dead-end loan bond which might force the next generation into it⁶.

Women in prostitution are the most fragile section of societies that need precise reforms and accurate welfare actions to get them out of their hell

The far widened gender gap

India’s rank in the global gender report as 140 of 156 depicts the structured inequality in our society⁷. It has become the 3rd worst performer in the south-Asian countries, having an estimated gap of 37.5% yet to overcome gender inequality⁸. The prevailing gender injustice in India has its root in our cultural institution, which had many social-evil practices against women and girls and has paved the way for violence against them. Despite that, the age-old socio-evil practices have withdrawn from our society women continue to fight against the violence of intimate partners, trafficking, sexual harassment, dowry problem, and so on due to the predominance of patriarchy in our society. It also curtails them from having their own life as the societal ideas expect the women to confine to the picture of patience, sacrifice, and to live for the sake of the family and termed them as the sole carrier of a family’s honour and forced to protect the same. Which deprives them of their rights and sometimes leads to grave human rights violations.

As we already know, the socio-economic disparity and violence go hand in hand, on a note that it is not always the violence is associated with economically weaker women. Also, if in a relationship a woman is of higher economic standard, violence is on the subject of emasculation and demanding more dowry⁹. ∴ Women from all societies are victims of social violence. So it is to be questioned whether the government is to be blamed or the society?

Is social change an ultimatum?

“Change is the only constant” -a well-approved phrase. Societal ideologies change and evolve over a certain period. To which we play a significant role in molding it in the right form.

It’s our ideologies that reflect in our society, i.e. the way we interact. There were several social movements that have gradually influenced our society. As women’s access to education, which was then a mere dream, was now a reality to a large extent. It is a result of a change in ideas towards women’s education. It is also important for a government to play a positive role in social change through its policies, schemes, and governance. Such policies from the government should be free from any backlogs, and the government should ensure it reaches the right beneficiaries and without any corruption in it.

Responsibility doesn’t stop by criminalizing the violence against women. A welfare action should be taken by the government so that the crime against women will record the least. Government decisions towards certain issues also influence social change, as it represents the majority of people. So bearing that in mind, right actions are to be made both by the government and the people ∴ Together we should stand for a better future where men, women, and other genders are seen through the same eyes & respected equally.

Conclusion

India has evolved to a much better place in several aspects, yet it’s the most unsafe country for women. The strong interrelation between socio-economic inequalities and violence has resulted in the great cause of the current position of women in these modern days. This vicious cycle should have stopped long before, but we made it further away, and now here. At Least in the near future, this grave injustice should be eradicated. The government should also try to intensify their scheme and laws towards addressing the core of the socio-economic problem in a way as to ensure the decline of gender crime rates. Our participation is also mandatory as, after all, our society is what we are. So the ball is in our courtroom. Even the small changes in all our self would reflect in a better future where all of them can stand side by side.

Let the woman be the writer of her story,

Let her shine for her happiness, not for the family.