There have been a recent series of rapes in India's two most rapidly modernizing cities, New Delhi and Mumbai. This has been shocking in light of the rapid economic progress India has been making. An article on Pacific News Service (which you all should check out btw, really good commentaries and articles on global issues), discusses the increased vulnerability of women in this new economy as they are outside the homes during "non-traditional" times.

PNS reports...

According to the Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development, one woman is raped every hour in the country. One in every five victims has not reached adulthood. Over 90 percent of the cases take place in small towns and villages. A majority of rapes are unreported due to fears of further victimization by the accused, who fear being ostracized by society as well as the insensitive attitudes of investigative agencies. A survey done in the state of Punjab a few years ago found that for every rape reported, 68 go unreported.

Furthermore, the rapes have been extremely violent, including one rape committed by a police officer falsely bringing a women in for interrogation. Finally, something absolutely fucking appalling...

Two examples bear the distorted thinking that permeates Indian society. The Shiv Sena, a political party that acts as self-appointed cultural police, said that incidents such as the rape of the college woman by the police constable happen because modern-generation Indian girls have forgotten how to dress properly. Women wearing short skirts invite rape, was their explanation.

In the second instance, a judge summoned a nurse who was raped, her one eye gouged out, in Shanti Mukund Hospital in the heart of Delhi by a hospital employee. The judge wanted the woman to answer a strange request by the rapist: would she marry him, as now, presumably, nobody else would. The victim was outraged by the court's move.

The fact the court allowed this is INSANE!

There has been a lot of speculation about why the sudden surge of rapes have occurred. Such as expressions of male or community dominance, repressed sexuality or revenge by former lovers. But like the author says, there is a new line of thinking that perhaps it is the juxtaposition of modernization and traditional norms of sexuality.

Deeply disturbing.