Safety of Women: India vs U.S.

Sudha Sundararaman, general secretary of the All India Democratic Women’s Association, a nonprofit organization said very few rape cases get reported in India due to pressure from society to cover up abuses and the unwillingness of police to register cases. Sundararaman says approximately only about one in 10 rapes get recorded in the country. Thus, making India’s reporting rate much less than the results of surveys in the U.S.

Only 46 percent of U.S. rape cases get reported to the police as per the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN, a U.S. nonprofit organization.

However, there are other reasons for the Indian numbers to be low. For example, Indian law doesn’t recognize rape committed within a marriage and it doesn’t allow for rape of men, etc.

The rape statistics of countries can also be compared by looking at conviction rates. As per India’s National Crime Records Bureau there were 24,206 reported rape cases in 2011. Further, of those that made it to court that year, 26 percent were convicted. While in the U.S., it is estimated that just over half of rape cases that are prosecuted each year leads to a conviction, a higher rate than India.

Indians are raged over the death of the 23-year-old student and hope the country will take actions to curb this crime and improve public safety for women.

Also Read: 6 Major Internet Sensations Of 2012