Thiruvananthapuram: The Chief Minister and his Cabinet ministers have been self praising the efforts of the government to bring protection to women in Kerala. The government is said to have spent crores to give security to the womenfolk of the state. Yet, the data show that crimes against women are on the rise. Last year alone, 14,300 cases were reported from across Kerala.
The official data from the website of the police department paints a poor picture about the state of women security in Kerala. Though crores of rupees are spend on securing women at homes and public spaces, the situation is grim.
In 2018, crimes against women were 13, 643. This number rose to 14,293 by 2019. Officials themselves say that this number is not accurate and the real number of crimes against women would be alarmingly high.
Since 2009, the number of rape cases registered was the highest in the year 2019 with 2076 cases.
Number of cases where women were harassed by their husband and in-laws stood at 2991. While many women are harassed in the state the government is not able to curb it. Instead, the government brings out policies and action plans that do not change the ground reality of Kerala.
Mere giving police protection to women walking at night for a day is not enough. Novel ideas and genuine action is needed to bring about real women safety in Kerala.
