TRS leader and MLC K Kavitha today said that only the strict implementation of existing laws for women's safety would prevent the rising number of atrocities against the women in the state.
She made these remarks while speaking at the Sanghamitra Awards function held at the Rachakonda Police Commissionerate.
Speaking on the occasion, the MLC alleged that although laws like the Nirbhaya Act (the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act (2013)) did already exist to prevent violence against women, they were not being implemented properly in Telangana.
She also highlighted the fact that women were vulnerable to various different kinds of violence - from female foeticide and infanticide, to domestic violence and sexual assault.
"Women face many different kinds of violence. Right from the moment of their conception, they could fall prey to
foeticide and infanticide. Further, girls and women are not safe on the streets or in their homes - 40% of assault survivors face domestic violence at the hands of family members. This reflects extremely poorly on our society. We must work together to stop these incidents," Kavitha said.
Citing the infamous Hajipur rape and murder case, where three adolescent girls, aged 14, 17 and 11, were raped and killed by one Srinivas Reddy, she said that such crimes needed to be stopped.
However, the MLC also praised the state government and Rachakonda Commissioner of Police Mahesh Bhagwat for some of the steps they had taken to prevent violence against women.
She added that the brainchild of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, the She Teams, were operating all over the state, and had been working towards reducing such crimes.
Kavitha then urged all women to stand by other women in need of help, and to come together and create a platform on which they would be able to collectively deal with their problems.
Commissioner Bhagwat voiced his agreement with Kavitha's words, and said that it was unfortunate that the atrocities against the women in Telangana still continued despite the existence of several effective laws.
Saying that these incidents had no place in an independent and developed country, he also expressed his anguish that women still faced dowry harassment in many places.
Recently, the Telangana government
handed over 18 Swift Dzire cars to SC women beneficiaries, under the government's She Cabs scheme. The initiative will not only help the beneficiaries find secure livelihoods, but will also provide a women-friendly cab service in collaboration with Uber in Hyderabad's Hitech City area.