This Raksha Bandhan, the gift for the women of Haryana was a safety network of the women, by the women, for the women. Twenty-one women-only police stations were set up in each district of the state of Haryana, the first one instated in Gurgaon.

Why Haryana?

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, in 2012 there were 6,002 reported crimes against women in Haryana. These crimes include dowry harassment, sexual assault, torture, kidnapping, rape, gang rape, and acid attacks- an issue that has recently come to light across the global news. On top of this, Haryana has an immense gender imbalance, making the women more vulnerable. According to the 2011 census, there are only 879 women for every 1000 men there.

The Issue

Many of the female victims of crime in Haryana are often afraid, or feel shameful reporting the injustice often done to them by police officers, who are mostly male (94% of Indian police officers are male). The victims stay silent, and the men who commit these heinous crimes get away with it. These unreported cases fuel more criminals to act against women, as they know that the woman will not speak up to the police officers.

The Solution

Twenty-one all women police stations were launched on the eve of Raksha Bandhan by the Chief Minister of the state, Manohar Lal. This alleviates the issues faced by women in Haryana, as it is hoped they will feel secure reporting crimes to female police officers. The state went beyond its call of duty when it decided to ensure the women’s safety even further by creating a free women’s helpline for the whole state of Haryana: 1091.

The Response

There has been an overwhelmingly positive response to the establishment of these all-women police stations. The female empowerment and support for this event has been massive. Many women from other parts of India with female-only police officers have benefitted positively from this system, and visit their local police stations openly.

The Goal In The Future

More reported cases will send across the message that men cannot commit crimes against women and get away with it, and so crimes against women will reduce. Also, Haryana’s only-women police stations will inspire other places where the women’s safety is in danger in a conquest to eradicate crimes against women in India.

The opening of these police stations is an important event, and it will decrease crime against women in Haryana. However, what’s worrying is the dramatic increase in these crimes these recent years. The attacks against women are so frequent and so bad that it is common for women to not feel safe walking out after sunset. The all-women police stations are a great first step of getting the majority of crimes reported. However, to get to the root of the problem, the consequences for these crimes should be more severe. These happenings are normal in India nowadays, but women should be treated equally to men, and should not be exploited. We should be glad that the country is getting a wake-up call now, so the crimes against Indian women start to get reduced.

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