Over the years crimes against women are showing an alarming increase world over. It is a fact that violence against women cuts across all cultural and religious barriers making them marginalized section of the society. Crime against women is considered as the violation of their basic human rights and the long term ramifications can prove devastating for them. The constitution of India guarantees equal rights for men and women but unfortunately discrimination and injustice against women continue to occur. According to the World Health Organization, violence against women is a ‘public health problem of epidemic proportions’. Unfortunately, crime against women has been on rise in Jammu and Kashmir and the recent brutal murder of a 30 year old woman in Soibug Budgam is the latest example of how bad the situation is in the valley and lot needs to be done to contain the kind of incidents that are being reported. Nowadays, with more exposure and voice, people do talk about the issues confronting women but still we have some taboos holding us back to report such incidents. What needs to be done is that the society as a whole gears up to speak about these issues. Police is only an agency that has a role after the incident takes place and if they have taken steps to dispose of the cases at a good speed that also needs to be appreciated. Many experts are of the opinion that elaborate legislations enshrining various rights for women are useless unless they are safeguarded. The women activists have also been demanding setting up of hospitals exclusively meant for treating women who have been subjected to physical and mental torture. There are host of other measures which the government can take for the betterment of the women victims. Law enforcement agencies must gear up to take pre emptive measures to curb those factors which become responsible for the violence against women. We as the responsible citizens can also play an important role in curbing any form of violence against women by education our youth about the same. On criminal scale, cases from acid attacks to horrendous murders should be held in fast track courts so that exemplary punishment is given to the culprits involved in these heinous crimes. This can be done by making trial process more effective so that speedy justice can be given to the victims without any delay.
