Judiciary and enforcement agencies need to be friendly and sensitive towards survivors of gender-based violence

How can a victim of gender violence get justice without delay? How can the legal system become sensitive and friendly for the survivors? What are the problems survivors face while reporting discrimination?  Answers to such questions aren’t found easily.

At a discussion hosted by the American Centre on “Access to Justice for victims of gender-based violence” on Friday, Justices Moushumi Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Protik Prakash Banerjee, Advocate Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharyya and Professor Kavita Singh discussed the importance of a system that would make it easy for survivors to report crimes and justice would not be delayed. The discussion was moderated by Justice Joymalya Bagchi.

Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya said that women from backward sections were not aware of the laws that are there to protect them, and therefore “we need to make them aware them of the legal recourse.”

Justice Banerjee said, “With the gradual empowerment of women, men now feel threatened.” He said that the fear of being reported by women colleagues at workplace is sometimes a reason they exploit them.

Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya said, “Men are used to dominating women while it is in our scriptures to keep the women restricted within four walls. If a woman tries to be assertive, society tries to pull her down. Such things are institutionalised in us through our upbringing and education. It is a socio-cultural problem.”

The speakers stressed that judiciary and enforcement agencies needed to be more sensitive while handling the cases. There is more violence against women from socio-economically weaker groups.

Justice Bagchi pointed out that gender-based violence should not be segregated by sex boundaries. “Any group that is weak in society face violence. Gender violence must be seen from the point of view of power equations,” he said, adding that absorption of the survivors in the mainstream is necessary to reassure the victims of a safe life.