A news report released in South Korea titled “Crimes against women continue… Police response is passive,” underlines the society’s neglect towards increasing trends in violent crimes targeting women. The report states women were physically and sexually assaulted for reasons encompassing: “frustration towards political decisions,” “attempt for rape,” and “being a woman.” What’s unique about recent trends in gender-based violence is a questionable rise in abnormal crimes—forms of crime where the assaulter is not driven by personal connections or motives regarding the victim. I want to shed light on the recent patterns of violence against women across the globe and what it means for the safety of women going forward.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there was a steep climb in the number of rape cases in India from 25,000 in 2012 to above 30,000 in 2020. Although it underwent a brief curb during the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers jumped to more than 31,000 in 2022. The report accounts for the inconsistent application and consequential ineffectiveness of existing federal laws against rape as the reason for this trend.
During 2022 and 2023, more than 1 million violent crimes targeting women have been reported in the U.K., which Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth named an “epidemic” level. Violent crimes toward women and girls in the U.K. have increased significantly by 37% from 2018 to 2022.
Although the issue of crime against women recently came to light in these regions, rates remain high and increasing in many other corners of the world; this toxic pattern may be interpreted as a trend in subordination and marginalization of weaker groups. The statistics mentioned in this article are concerningly high, which should bring awareness to the threat to women’s safety. Sources of this article call out ineffective, insufficient legal measures and policies to protect women and increased gender divide across communities. At the core, such problems stem from a lack of interest, which is why it is crucial to acknowledge the existence of these increasing trends in crimes that target women. On the societal level, work can be done to resolve gender divides, raise awareness, and a call for action by higher institutes like the government through activism such as petitions. The global attack on women’s safety must end.
Sources:
https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/pc/reporter/reporter.do?rcd=33613#202410&1
