Exploitation of women runs deep across government offices: Experts

Srinagar, Feb 8: A day after disgraced Minister of State for Health Shabir Ahmed Khan tendered his resignation over molestation charges, women activists and academicians on Saturday said that Minister trying to molest a lady doctor is just a tip of the iceberg; the reality is that sexual exploitation runs deep across government offices across the state.

On an estimate approximately only 15 cases of molestation were registered in South city in the 2013. Women activists claim that most of the molestation cases are not reported due to women not coming forward.

“In 2013 15 to 20 cases were registered in a women police station Rambagh,” an official told Precious Kashmir.

According to Professor Bashir Ahmad Dabla, a scholar-researcher and insightful sociologist most are not been reported. Talking to Precious Kashmir Dabla said: “In past such things never used to happen in the past. Times have changed women these days are rubbing shoulders with males. Violence against women is the outcome of male dominant society.”

In a research done by Dabla survey entitled 200 women respondents across Kashmir say that after studying 66 old cases, only five victims had reported to the police. Most cases, therefore, go unreported, and the victim suffers alone.

The report further states that the victim remains the lone sufferer and in some instances it has led to suicide attempts.

Academician Hameeda Nayeem, said that women are often been subjected to the violence. “The working women are those who have achieved status in the society and when they are not safe how non-working women can be safe. When they can be subjected to molestation what about the other women,” she adds.

She added that the working women are often been threatened over the issues of transfer and other things.

However Kashmiri based Social Activist Kalpana Tikku, who has been extensively working for the women and children in Kashmir says that the things are now changing as the females now are mustering courage and are reporting atrocities against them.

“Women in Kashmir are as safe and unsafe as any other women in the sub- continent. Most rapes and molestation cases used to go unreported as it was very unsafe for women to report such cases. It is just now things are started changing and such incidents are coming in light,” says Tikku.

“If the action is taken timely and would be dealt strictly the person would think ten times before committing a crime against women,” she said.