Protests against sexual violence are taking place across India to demand more protection for women in the world’s most populous nation.
The demonstrations are helping to raise much-needed awareness about an epidemic of rape. But to tackle the pervasive culture of misogyny in a society that’s still fiercely patriarchal, reform needs to start with the top echelons of institutions, such as the courts and police force.
It won’t be easy to address norms that have been in place for centuries. While education and better policies can help, more women need to be elected and appointed to top jobs, both in politics and the corporate world (scores for women’s representation in ministerial positions (6.9%) and in parliament (17.2%) remain relatively low, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap report for 2024). Instituting change from within these largely male bastions of power will help to improve India’s reputation internationally, at a time when foreign investors are looking closely at the economic powerhouse.
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