Crime against Women in India: A Socio-economic Study

The reform process has accelerated the economic growth of India along with some negative social impacts. Post reform years are experiencing increasing number of sexual violence against women in India. This study wants to find out the socio-economic causes behind increasing number of crimes against women in India after reform. For this purpose we have selected ten states of India, the first five states (Assam, Tripura, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan) having highest incidence of crime against women and another five states (Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Sikkim) which have least incidence of crime against women in India in the year 2013, according to the data published by National Crime Records Bureau. The statistical analysis shows that while education of women may not ensure enhancement of their social status, economic empowerment of women lowers the crime committed against them. It is evident that Gender inequality which is measured as the difference between HDI and GDI and poverty play significant contributors to the rising crime graph against womenfolk. But migration (or Urbanisation) may not have a prominent role to play in growing crime against women in India.