Odisha student self-immolation, RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case: Why is it time for women to be legally aware?

Women in India have been facing brutality in the form of sexual, physical, emotional, and mental violence for ages. The Delhi 2012 Nirbhaya rape and murder led to significant changes in laws, policies, and societal discourse for violence against women. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, introduced stricter penalties for sexual offenses; amendments were made to the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, and Evidence Act to expedite investigations and trials, and fast-track courts were established. Even awareness campaigns were launched to educate the public about women’s safety and rights. However, the situation hasn’t changed, as crime is still on the ominous rise. It has become more dangerous because places once considered safe, such as schools, colleges, or workplaces, have become crime scenes. 

The brutal killing of a postgraduate at RG Kar Medical Hospital, the most recent case of a student’s death after immolation at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, a law college student gang rape in Bengal, rape in Mangaluru by lecturers, and a nine-year-old girl’s rape and murder case in Delhi—the cases just go on and on. These horrifying incidents, along with unreported ones, certainly are a clarion call for the need for quick action on grievances and improved safety measures. However, despite the laws and safety measures in place, women are still unaware of their basic legal rights. 

Why is legal awareness for women no longer option but necessity?

Dinesh Jotwani, co-managing partner of Jotwani Associates, rightly puts it, “In the evolving social and digital environment, legal awareness is foundational to women’s empowerment and safety. Offline, legal knowledge enables women to protect themselves in instances of domestic violence, workplace harassment, dowry harassment, and denial of inheritance or property. Women who understand the law can resist coercion, demand accountability, and safeguard both personal dignity and economic independence.” Jotwani emphasises, “With digital access to e-FIR systems, helplines like 181/112, and legal aid from DLSAs, the structural tools are now in place; what remains critical is awareness.”

Though government and non-governmental organisations have awareness campaigns working relentlessly to educate the public about women's rights and safety measures, the “socioeconomic division” between women leads to a lack of awareness, says Niharika Karanjawala-Misra, Principal Associate at Karanjawala & Co. “A lot of women from impoverished socio-economic backgrounds are denied an education from the beginning, leads to a basic lack of awareness in many scenarios, including what legal rights you are entitled to and not entitled to. So you are raised, and in certain sections of society, it's also preferred that women not have too much access to information of that sort, because it leads to, you know, questioning authority, it leads to backtalk, it leads to things that are not appreciated,” she adds.



Why are women in India often unaware of their legal rights?

Domestic violence, especially, has been a majorly underreported crime, owing to a lack of awareness among women. Karanjawala notes that often women are also discouraged from gathering information about their legal rights, let alone exercising them. “In certain sections of society, women are not aware that if they're beaten by, say, their husbands or their in-laws, they have recourse against it; it is considered just a part of life. And combined with that, they are also heavily discouraged from knowing other legal rights, such as those concerning sexual assault. Even if they are aware of what their legal rights might be, they are told not to come forward; it will bring shame upon the family, and it will be a huge stigmatising factor. So, from that perspective, I think those are the rights that women are least informed about,” explains Karanjawala. 

Besides socio-economic factors, educated women are also not versed in the laws and the significance of their rights. Like school-going girls, those with jobs still struggle to understand the first course of legal action when faced with adversities. There is indeed a gap in the curriculum in schools that lack content on legal rights and laws. Here, Jotwani notes, “With the rapid digitisation of public discourse and personal interactions, women are increasingly vulnerable to cybercrimes like stalking, doxxing, online sexual harassment, impersonation, and financial scams. Many of these offences are covered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, such as stalking (Clause 69), voyeurism (Clause 75), and online threats, but enforcement only follows when victims understand their rights and remedies.”

What are some quick and accessible remedies for women in distress?

Jotwani adds, “Women at every stage of life should have foundational legal awareness that equips them to deal with abuse, coercion, or crisis,” while elaborating on basic legal knowledge parents should impart to their teenage girls, married daughters, housewives, or elderly women. 

Teenage girls must know:

• What constitutes cyberbullying, stalking, and digital exploitation (Clause 69 BNS, IT Act Sections 66C/66E),
• Their right to file e-FIRs or complaints via helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in,
• How to report anonymously under POCSO or childline 1098 if underage.

Married women and housewives should be aware of:

• Domestic violence remedies under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005,
• Dowry harassment provisions under Clause 85 of BNS,
• Maintenance rights under Clause 144 of BNSS (formerly Section 125 CrPC),
• Free legal assistance from NALSA, DLSA, and access to One-Stop Centres for counselling, shelter, legal aid, and medical help.

Elderly women must know:

• Their rights under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007,
• How to access senior citizen helplines and police assistance,
• How to prevent property frauds through registration of wills, powers of attorney, and gift deeds with legal advice.
• Universal resources include:
• Helpline 181 (Women’s Distress),
• 112 (National Emergency),
• 1930 (Cyber Financial Fraud),
• Mahila Police Volunteers, State Women Commissions, and SHE-box for workplace harassment.

Jotwani speaks about BNS, which replaces the Indian Penal Code, stating that it retains and strengthens many core protections for women. However, he feels “the failure to criminalise marital rape remains a glaring gap.” “In a society with persistent gender-based violence, legal literacy is not just protection—it is power, dignity, and independence,” Jotwani concludes.