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Strengthen the legal framework to protect women and girls form harassment in public space

The India has enacted various laws to ensure safety and security of women andgirls and to protect them from harassment in public space. These include enactment of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and amendments made in our criminal law.

The definition of rape has been broadened and now includes new offences such as acid attack, stalking, sexual harassment, voyeurism and disrobing by making amendment in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) within the Indian Penal Code.

Certain changes have also been made in the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.PC) and the Indian Evidence Act, whereby the statement of the victim of rape and sexual assault will be recorded by a woman police officer and that the victims (below the age of eighteen)is not be confronted by the accused at the time of trial.

Further, for providing an environment of confidence and security to women and girls in public and other places, the government undertaking a number of important focused initiatives including operationalization of ’One Stop Centres’ for violence affected women in all districts of India in a time bound manner.

Ensure combating cybercrime against women and children

The Information Technology Act, 2000 together with the Indian Penal Code 1860, providesfor the legal framework for countering pornographic and other objectionable contents that project women in obscene and derogatory manner.

The said Act terms certain offences as publishing of obscene materials on the internet, tempering the date and hacking as punishable offences.

However, since Cybercrimes could be perpetuated from anywhere irrespective of a country’s territorial jurisdiction, India will endeavor to create a multi-country alliance to combat cybercrime committed against women and children wherein a well-defined framework will be established to fix accountability of intermediates irrespective of their geographical location towards prevention of cybercrime committed against women and children.