The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 6th August 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

The issue of institutional violence, addressing it 

Why in News?

India’s electoral process presents a dichotomy. Six hundred and forty-two million voters, more than half of whom were female, cast a vote in the largest democratic process in action in the world. Yet, in a country where 90 rapes are reported everyday, very few among the 2,823 candidates who stood for elections, had women’s safety on their electoral agenda. For those that did, all were sporadic and none tackled the underlying institutional violence that millions of survivors live through everyday. This dichotomy is real: nearly 50% women face domestic violence and two out of three Dalit women face sexual violence in their lifetimes. Yet, not just political parties ignored this. Even voters did not seem to demand it.

Violence Against Women

• Definition: The UN defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence" that leads to or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.
• Occurrence: The problem of violence against women happens throughout a woman's life from pre-birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, to old age.
• A Matter of Concern: The issue of violence against women is a multifaceted problem encompassing social, economic, developmental, legal, educational, human rights, and health (physical and mental) aspects. It is a violation of human rights, and the immediate and long-term physical, sexual, and mental consequences for women and girls can be severe, including death.

Current Status of Violence Against Women in India/World

Violence Against Women – According to data from the United Nations: 

• 1 in 3 women globally face physical or sexual violence, mainly from a partner.
• The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women is also known as UN Women.
• 38% of murders of women worldwide are committed by a male intimate partner.

Violence Against Women in India – Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5): 

• Prevalence: 
  • 30% of women aged 18-49 have experienced physical violence since age 15, and 6% have faced sexual violence.
  • Only 14% of women who experienced violence have reported it.
• Age and Types of Violence: 
  • Women aged 40-49 experience more violence compared to those aged 18-19.
  • 32% of married women (18-49) have encountered physical, sexual, or emotional spousal violence.
  • The most common spousal violence types are physical (28%), emotional, and sexual.
• Regional Divide: 
  • Highest domestic violence rates are in Karnataka at 48%, followed by Bihar, Telangana, Manipur, and Tamil Nadu.
  • Lakshawdeep has the lowest domestic violence rate at 2.1%.
  • Physical violence is more prevalent in rural areas (32%) than urban areas (24%).
• Impact of Education & Wealth: 
  • Violence decreases with higher education and wealth for both the victim and the perpetrator.
  • 40% of women with no schooling experience physical violence compared to 18% of those who completed their education.
  • Physical violence ranges from 39% among women in the lowest wealth quintile to 17% in the highest quintile.
• Husband as Perpetrator: 
  • In over 80% of cases, husbands are the perpetrators of physical violence against women.
  • Factors like education and alcohol consumption of husbands significantly affect spousal violence rates.
• Interrelation with Mental Health and Homelessness: 
  • Violence against women, homelessness, and mental health are closely interconnected.
• Underreporting: 
  • Less than 40% of women seek help from family and friends, while less than 10% approach the police.

Violence Against Women in India: Causes

• Gender Disparity: It's a big reason for violence against women. Discriminatory beliefs and stereotypes about genders create unfair situations. Gender role stereotypes have been around for a long time. 
• Socio-Demographic Factors: The main cause of violence against women is patriarchy. If women have more money and power than their husbands and can change traditional gender roles, the risk of violence is high. 
• Family Factors: Experiencing harsh punishment as a child and seeing unfair treatment between genders can predict both being a victim of violence and being violent. 
• Female Genocide: This leads to lasting emotional pain along with physical harm. 
• Acid Attacks: Acid attacks are used against women for reasons like family disputes, not meeting dowry demands, or rejecting marriage proposals. 
• Honour Killing: In some countries like Bangladesh, Egypt, and India, women are killed to protect family honor for reasons such as alleged affairs or rape. 
• Early Marriages: Early marriage harms many girls' health and freedom. Women have traditionally been expected to marry and have children. Being single, separated, or divorced is seen as shameful. 
• Low Education & Sensitivity: Men with low education, a history of abuse, exposure to domestic violence, alcohol problems, and accepting of violence are more likely to be violent towards women. 

Legislative Framework Addressing Violence Against Women in India

• Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005: 

  • To protect women from domestic violence, defined as including physical, emotional, verbal, sexual and economic abuse within the family and the home.

• Indian Penal Code (IPC) Amendments: 

  • Section 498A of the IPC: To tackle the problem of the large number of women dying in their homes. 
    • It addresses the subjection of any woman to cruelty (whether mental or physical) of such a nature that is likely to drive the woman to commit suicide or to cause grave injury or danger to life, limb or health.
  • Section 304B (2) of the IPC: Whoever commits dowry death shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 7 years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life.

• Other Key Laws for Women’s Safety in India: 

  • The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956, The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987, The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. 

Consequences of Violence against Women in India

Health Issues: 

• Violence in any form harms women's physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health. This affects their self-esteem, work capabilities, and fertility decisions.

Economic Issues: 

• Violence against women has significant impacts on both household and national economies.
• Examples include loss of income, productivity, social service costs, effects on child well-being, social and psychological costs across generations, etc.

Development Issue: 

• Violence hinders women from participating in the workforce, limits their freedom of movement, and obstructs their involvement in development and planning programs.

Impact on Poverty Alleviation Programs: 

• Violence against women obstructs poverty alleviation efforts by hindering the fair distribution of resources.

Violation of Constitutional Rights & Values: 

• Any violence against women goes against fundamental rights outlined in articles 14, 19, 21, and 32 of the Indian Constitution.

Impact on Future Generation: 

• Many victims resort to suicide or flee with their children, facing threats and potential disabilities in such circumstances.
• During homelessness, they struggle to find food and safe places to rest daily.

Way Forward to Curb Violence Against Women in India

 Establishment for a Support Network: 

• Recognize and reward women for their unpaid work at home.
• Create spaces where women can find support and form new family structures for safety.
• In India, the Emergency Response Support System (112) assists in cases of domestic violence.

Ensure Economic Independence: 

• Provide access to income, housing, and land ownership for economic freedom and to reduce homelessness risks.

Cultural and Educational Shift: 

• Include values in education that promote gender equality and combat violence against women.

Need for Policies & Interventions: 

• Implement policies early in life to decrease violence.
• Enact laws and policies to end discrimination and promote gender equality.
• Develop national plans to address violence against women like the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

Enhancement of Survey & Surveillance Quality: 

• Improve data collection systems for crimes against women.
• Conduct gender-based surveys and health assessments.
• Conduct comprehensive research on violence against women at various levels.

Capacity Building and Training: 

• Prioritize training for service providers and law enforcement to handle cases of violence against women.

Provide Counselling & Friendly Mental Health Care Services: 

• Offer counseling interventions and mental health services to prevent intimate partner violence.
• Ensure affordable and accessible mental health care for women empowerment.

Adopt a Multifaceted Approach: 

• Scrutinize root causes and explore mental health complexities.
• Emphasize diverse responses to address varying needs, especially for vulnerable groups like homeless women.
• Encourage greater understanding of mental health issues and intersectionality.

Conclusion

A woman’s right to live free from violence is supported by worldwide agreements like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the 1993 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. An immediate requirement exists for investments to enhance close-range access to mental health services through combined efforts that can significantly tackle deeply ingrained violence.

The social benefits of stock market speculation

Why in News?

The Indian government’s recent Budget increased taxes on capital gains and securities transactions, equating stock market speculation to gambling.

• While intended to reduce inequality, critics argue this overlooks the benefits of efficient capital allocation, market liquidity, and the social advantages of speculative trading in both stocks and derivatives.

Introduction: Increased Taxation on Capital Gains

• The Indian government, in its recent Budget, hiked taxes on both immediate and extended gains from the stock market and lifted the securities transaction tax on derivatives transactions.
• The reason behind this decision is that making money from the stock market is seen as similar to gambling. In a developing country like India, people should not spend their limited savings on risky bets.
• Finance Secretary T.V. Somanathan mentioned that capital gains are the fastest-growing category of income and might face higher tax rates.
• Many people believe that profits from investments don't really benefit society and can worsen inequality. That's why the government is looking at taxing them more.

Understanding Capital Gains

• Capital gains happen when an investor purchases an asset at a lower price and then sells it at a higher price due to changes in how much people think the asset is worth.
• In a perfect world where people can perfectly predict the future, capital gains wouldn't happen because investors would never buy an asset for less than what it's really worth.
• In reality, since we can't predict the future perfectly, assets can be priced wrongly. Investors who find assets that are priced too low can make capital gains when prices go up to their true value.
• It's very important for the economy to allocate capital efficiently. If capital is allocated poorly, resources are wasted. This can happen when investments are made in areas where there isn't much demand.

Social Implications of Capital Allocation

• Efficient capital allocation ensures resources are directed toward sectors that meet societal needs, such as healthcare during a pandemic.
• A consistent capital gains tax applied to all businesses can prevent resource misallocation, but higher taxes might discourage investment and lessen economic growth.

The Role of Speculation and Market Liquidity

• Critics suggest that the majority of stock market trades do not directly help businesses grow, as money often moves between investors instead of going into businesses themselves.
• An active stock market, however, offers liquidity, enabling early investors to sell and encouraging initial investments in companies.
• The government wants to boost long-term investments by increasing short-term capital gains taxes, but this might not consider the role of traders who uphold market liquidity.

Benefits of Liquidity and Efficient Pricing

• High liquidity in stock markets ensures that shares are priced accurately, showing the real potential of companies.
• Efficient pricing helps companies with strong growth possibilities to gather funds more easily, making it easier to allocate resources effectively.

Misconceptions About Derivatives Trading

• Derivatives trading, which involves contracts like futures and options, often receives criticism for being purely speculative.
• Derivatives help in transferring risks among investors. This allows those who do not want to take on price fluctuation risks, such as investors, to protect themselves against uncertainties.
• Speculative trading in derivatives boosts market liquidity, similar to the cash market, and assists fundamental investors in managing risks.

The Social Benefits of Speculation

• Speculative trading, often likened to gambling, is essential for market efficiency by providing liquidity and aiding price discovery.
• Purely speculative traders in derivatives markets enhance the availability of these instruments, supporting investors who wish to hedge risks.
• Understanding these benefits can lead to more informed public policy decisions regarding taxation and regulation of stock market transactions.

Conclusion

• A nuanced understanding of the stock market and how it works, including speculation, is crucial for creating effective rules that balance taxes with encouraging investment and economic growth.
• Realizing the social advantages of making money from investments and trading financial contracts can result in improved rules that back efficient distribution of resources and economic progress.