Violence against women (VAW) is a global public health concern. One in three women face intimate or non-intimate partner violence during their lifetime. Every woman has the right to live with dignity, freedom, and without fear, and each country needs to protect women by promptly amending legislation systems and recognising laws as important legal determinants of health.
VAW includes physical, mental, sexual, or economic violence. Among six WHO regions, the South-East Asia region ranks second for lifetime intimate partner violence with a prevalence of approximately 33%. However, due to reasons such as fear, financial vulnerability, or associated stigma, VAW is usually under-reported and prevalence estimates do not necessarily indicate the true pervasiveness. In India, 30,216 rape cases were reported in 2021, of which 11.2% involved women from Scheduled Castes and Tribes (members of the lower caste known as Dalits). Shockingly, the number of rape victims among Dalit women and girls increased by 160% from 2009 to 2019, with an average of ten cases per day in 2019. In some parts of India, police refuse to register a rape case unless there is an uproar on social media. Occasionally, a survivor of rape is enquired by judges about their willingness to marry the rapist or is forced by the family members to do so, which often results in extreme mental agony and suicide. Such examples lead to perpetrators of VAW becoming less fearful of persecution, while protection of women remains in peril. In Nepal, rape cases increased by 44% during 2019.Çô20 compared with 2017.Çô18. Unfortunately, in countries such as Myanmar and North Korea, incidences of sexual violence by the governing military continue and other countries are mere spectators to these human rights violations.
Dowry harassment also leads to significant violence against women in the South-East Asia region, for instance in India and Bangladesh. In 2021, 6589 dowry deaths were reported in India and 45 were reported in Bangladesh. A newly married woman experiences indirect aggression with the mother-in-law instigating violence through her son. Multiple rounds of assault or unwanted pregnancies cause severe psychological trauma in women, sometimes culminating in suicide. On Sept 29, 2022, the Supreme Court of India upheld a woman's right to abort unwanted pregnancy (from 20 to 24 weeks gestation), irrespective of marital status and criminalised marital rape. However, the Exception 2 of the Indian Penal Code 375.Çöwhich legalises marital rape.Çöneeds to be removed to really empower women in India. Empowerment of women by education or vocational training would help women to get employment, be independent, and escape domestic violence. However, depending on the region, employment might increase a woman's vulnerability to domestic violence when the husband tries to gain control over her salary. In some rural parts of India, the joint control by a woman of her husband's income or possession of land property decreased her vulnerability to domestic violence. Some countries are making strides to improve women's safety. In Indonesia, women affected by VAW were generally persuaded to sort it out within the family. The sexual violence bill passed in April, 2022, after almost a decade, provides legal support for women in Indonesia to report sexual violence.
Acid attacks on women are also prevalent in Bangladesh; however, the death penalty for acid attackers introduced in 2002, led to a decrease in such attacks. In 2013, India banned the sale of acid to reduce these attacks, but it is still readily accessible in supermarkets. In Thailand, improvement is needed as only 1500 arrests were made for 30.Çë000 reported cases of VAW, and when 60% of women reported sexual harassment during the Songkran water festival in 2018, authorities asked women to dress properly.
All countries in the South-East Asia region need to ensure that women are protected against VAW through stronger legislations so that those affected can easily report cases to the authorities. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a steep increase in child marriages as more families were pushed into poverty. Countries should empower minors to annul their marriage without any mandatory consent from a legal guardian; and prosecute guardians seeking exception for child marriages citing pregnancy as a reason. Unfortunately, during COVID-19, the lockdown and increased proximity led to more domestic violence. Although many countries started telephone hotlines for mental health support, and gender-sensitive commissions and all-women police teams encouraged reporting of VAW. A study by Amaral and colleagues in India found a 22% increase in women reporting VAW when the police teams consisted of all-women units. The health sector could also help in prevention of violence by advocating VAW as unacceptable, training and sensitising health professionals, promoting gender equality, conducting research and generating evidence using population surveys, and providing referral support.
The UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25 is the day to reflect on this issue, and for governments to strengthen legislation and support systems to eliminate VAW. The crocodiles need to fear, not the person crossing the river.