Women Noble Peace laureates Monday called on the Indian government to take more decisive steps to end sexual violence in India and internationally.
"The laureates are calling on the Indian government to take more decisive steps to end sexual violence in India and internationally - among them, endorsing the G8-backed Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict," said global human rights organization Breakthrough in a statement following an event featuring laureates Jody Williams and Shirin Ebadi.
Williams, who is co-chair of the International Campaign to stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflict, said that the Indian people are turning their outrage at cases of rape and gender violence into unprecedented powerful activism.
"The people of India are turning their outrage at these crimes into powerful activism. Right now, students in Jadavpur are protesting sexual violence and police brutality on their campus. All around the country, activists are mobilizing for change like never before," Williams said at the event.
The International Campaign to stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflict is made up of 5,000 individuals and over 800 member organisations working to end sexual violence.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has committed to tackling violence against women and said India was ashamed by sexual violence and gender inequality. Now is the time for India to show leadership by endorsing the Declaration and ending impunity for violence against women," said Ebadi.
Every day, 92 women are raped in India, according to India's National Crime Bureau, while rates of rape are at a record high in Delhi. Breakthrough's recent survey of women in six Indian states reveals that 91 percent of women and girls in India face sexual harassment in their lifetime.
"Violence against women is the largest human rights pandemic globally. If we want to create a world where all people can thrive, we must transform the norms that lead to women's second-class status," said Breakthrough president and CEO Mallika Dutt.
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