Violation of Civil and political rights of women

In terms of women’s participation in political and public affairs, significant challenges occurred at both the local and national  levels. According to the Inter-
India ranks 111th of 188 States in terms of women’s participation in parliaments in parliamentary union. The bill aimed at reserving one third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and still the State legislative assemblies was outstanding.In terms of the judiciary as well, the proportion of female judges is comparatively very low. At the local level, citizens may participate in community-
level self-government institutions, called Gram Panchayats .
Measures have been taken to ensure greater representation of women in positions of authority in village councils, which also includes women belonging to underestimated groups. The Government has also implemented a programme for women Gram Panchayat representatives, who would also serve as counselors for women victims. Their main aim is to facilitate information-sharing on issues relating to women. However, there have been lot of allegations of abuse of authority by attitudes of women elected to Gram Panchayats and of abuse by community leaders.

The lack of registration and the difficulty to obtain an identity card were noted as impeding women’s participation in their public life, including their access to necessary services. No information was available to verify the measures in place to address that problem.

Fair trial rights, equality before the law and equal protection of the law were affected by numerous challenges. It began with the reporting of cases of violence against women to the police. Many interrogators said that victims were often discouraged from reporting to the police and that many women did not lodge a complaint owing to fear lack of guarantees of adequate shelter and access to their livelihoods. Alternatives of Informal dispute settlement are often sought out by police, family members or community leaders. Many investigators described the complete or partial absence of legal,  security, housing and financial assistance measures to victims. To be able to report complaints officially and continue throughout the lengthy judicial process in safety with her adequate standard of living is not an option for many women.