Social media used against women: ASCW

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Sept 30: In a disturbing development, the Assam State Commission for Women (ASCW) has found that a section of people is clandestinely using social media and other forms of technology to threaten, humiliate and lower dignity of women in the State.

ASCW chairperson Chikimiki Talukdar told The Sentinel that at a time when the social media has been helping many causes of women, the anti-socials and unscrupulous elements are clandestinely misusing the same media to depict women in indecent ways to perpetrate physical and mental atrocities on them. She said such elements are using pornography to blackmail, threaten and use many women for indecent jobs.

“Stringent laws must be introduced to prevent use of social media, Internet and other technological gadgets against women’s dignity,” Talukdar said.

The State had recorded 1751 rape and 10,460 dowry cases during 2017-18. In the previous year (2016-17) a total of 1571 rape and 9629 dowry were recorded in different parts of the State. Till May 2018, the ASCW has registered 87 cases of different types of atrocities against women in the State. The Commission has so far disposed 19 cases and it has registered 11 suo motu cases.

In 2017, the ASCW registered 192 cases of atrocities against women and disposed 87 cases. In the same year the Commission registered 27 suo motu cases.

Talukdar said the fast changing society, erosion of human value such as tolerance can be attributed to rising cases of atrocities and violence against women. She said many women from the State who are migrating to different parts of the country in search better jobs and avenues have eventually become victims of trafficking racket.

“We are trying to create mass awareness to prevent women and girls of the State to fall in the trap of human traffickers. Besides creating awareness we are emphasizing on effective rehabilitation plans for those women rescued from traffickers. It is unfortunate that many rescued women are once again going back to traffickers as they face social discrimination due to non existence of effective rehabilitation plans,” Talukdar said.