Post 7- The Role of Women in India

The recent conviction of four men for the brutal gang rape and death of a teenage girl in Delhi has cast a light on the way women are valued and looked at by society. The four men currently on death row were interviewed by an American director who plans to make a documentary of the incident. Currently the accused men are challenging their sentences by claiming that it was the woman's fault as she should not have been out on the streets so late. One of the men has prior convictions for the same crime, when questioned about the later incident he was quoted saying that she was a beggar so her life did not matter. A second man (The driver of the bus where the rape took place) explained that in killing them the way women are treated will only get worse as men will be less inclined to leave them alive. There has been no government statements denouncing the actions of these men, but the government has protested the filming of the documentary as the article showcases.The government believes that such a documentary will exaggerate the plight facing women in India today.This article perfectly encapsulates the social view of women held by a large population of the country, that they are not as important or useful as boys. This belief stems from the need to carry on the family line and the ability of men to provide work for their families. The lack of government support for the victims of rape crimes has sparked a small, but meaningful protest of women who want to be valued and heard. There is no knowing if these protests or the documentary will spark major change within the country and how it chooses to value women and handle rape cases. At the moment the documentary is banned from theaters sparking further outcry from the public. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-31724516