Changing Dimensions of Human Rights Violations against Women in India- A Study

The term violence broadly refers to the aggressive acts fundamentally and particularly executed against women. In India women face violence at every stage of their life cycle. The Hindu caste system created a complex structure of hierarchy which oppressed most of the women in socially. The assumption of superiority of men over women also contributed to this. Cultural and social factors are inter linked with the development and propagation of violent behavior. Violence against women in India is increasing at an alarming rate and for this a number of causes are responsible. Violence includes physical assaults such as burns, humiliation, blackmail, sexual abuse etc. These manifestations of violence take place between a man and woman relationship inside the family, state and the society at large. Violence against women is enacted in the practices of female feticide, female infanticide, physical and sexual abuse, child marriage, eve-teasing, sexual harassment in the work place, dowry death and domestic violence. Historical and traditional caste, gender, class and religious oppressions are further exacerbated. Due to modern education, employment opportunities, technological revolution like internet, mobile phone, social media networks, etc. brought changes in the traditional system. A close attention of the intersection of various system and the everyday unpleasant realities of women is essential to understand the violence against women. An effort has been made in this paper to study the changing dimension of Human Rights violations due to the impact of modernization.