Women’s Safety in India: Assessing the Effectiveness of Legal Provisions and Enforcement Mechanisms

Author: Mayank Bhooshan Ashutosh

Research Scholar Department of Sociology

Kanpur Vidya Mandir Mahila Mahavidyalay Swaroop Nagar Kanpur CSJMU

E-mail:mayankbhu22@gmail.com

Abstract

Violence against women continues to remain a serious concern in India despite the expansion of legal safeguards over the past two decades. The country has strengthened its constitutional provisions and introduced several criminal and protective laws, including reforms after 2013, to ensure women’s safety. However, official data from the National Crime Records Bureau indicate that reported cases of violence have not declined proportionately.

This study examines whether the persistence of violence reflects a failure of law or weaknesses in enforcement and social structure. Using a descriptive-analytical secondary research design, the paper analyses NCRB data, major legal provisions, conviction trends, and institutional mechanisms. The findings suggest that while legal reporting has improved due to digital mechanisms and awareness, enforcement deficits, judicial delays, low conviction rates, and deeply rooted socio-cultural norms continue to weaken the deterrent impact of law.

The paper argues that women’s safety in India is not only a legal issue but a structural one. Sustainable change requires stronger institutional accountability, faster judicial processes, greater legal awareness, and socio-cultural transformation.

Keywords: Women’s Safety; Crimes Against Women; Legal Framework; Enforcement Gap; Gender Norms; Domestic Violence; NCRB; Structural Inequality