The National Commission for Women (NCW) is a statutory body of the Government of India, generally concerned with advising the government on all policy matters affecting women. It was established on 31 January 1992 under the provisions of National Commission for Women Act, 1990 [1][2]. The first head of the commission was Jayanti Patnaik. As of 19October2024,[update]Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar is the chairperson.
The objective of the NCW is to represent the rights of women in India and to provide a voice for their issues and concerns. The subjects of their campaigns have included dowry, politics, religion, equal representation for women in jobs, and the exploitation of women for labour. They have also discussed police abuses against women.[3]
The commission regularly publishes a monthly newsletter, Rashtra Mahila, in both Hindi and English.[4]
Controversies
Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code
In December 2006 and January 2007, the NCW found itself at the center of a minor controversy over its insistence that Section 497[5] of the Indian Penal Code not be changed to make adulterous wives equally prosecutable by their husbands.
But the grounds on which Ms. Vyas resists the logic of making this a criminal offence — particularly for women, as often recommended — are not as encouraging. She is averse to holding the adulterous woman equally culpable as the adulterous man because women, she believes, are never offenders. They are always the victims.[6]
The NCW has demanded that women should not be punished for adultery, as a woman is "the victim and not an offender" in such cases. They have also advocated the amendment of Section 198 of the CrPC to allow women to file complaints against unfaithful husbands and prosecute them for their promiscuous behaviour. This was in response to "loopholes" in the Indian Penal Code that allowed men to file adultery charges against other men who have engaged in illicit relations but did not allow women to file charges against their husbands.[7]
The Commission has also worked to guarantee women security in unconventional relationships.[6]
The NCW came under sharp criticism for their response to the attack by forty male members of the Hindu right-wing Sri Ram Sena on eight women in a bar in Mangalore in late January 2009. Video from the attack shows the women were punched, pulled by their hair, and thrown out of the pub.[8]
NCW member Nirmala Venkatesh was sent to assess the situation, and said in an interview that the pub did not have adequate security and that the women should have protected themselves. Venkatesh said, "If the girls feel they were not doing anything wrong why are they afraid to come forward and give a statement?"[9] On 6 February, the NCW said they decided not to accept Venkatesh's report but would not be sending a new team to Mangalore. On 27 February, the Prime Minister's Office approved the removal of Nirmala Venkatesh on disciplinary grounds.[10]
The NCW came under fire again after the molestation of a 17-year-old girl by a gang of men outside a pub in Guwahati on 9 July 2012. NCW member Alka Lamba was accused of leaking the name of the minor victim to the media, and was subsequently removed from the fact-finding committee, though she remains a member of the commission.[11] The following week, NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma made comments suggesting that women "be careful how you dress", which invited criticism that she was guilty of victim blaming. The controversy led activists to call for a restructuring of the commission.[12][13]
Badaun rape and murder controversy
In 2021, the NCW was once again criticized for engaging in victim blaming following the gang rape and murder of a woman in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh. A two-member delegation from the NCW was sent to the site of the incident to meet with the victim's family and prepare a fact-finding report. NCW member Chandramukhi Devi, who was part of the delegation, stated to the press that part of the blame for the incident lay with the victim, as she had chosen to visit the temple late in the evening. Devi stated, "A woman should not go out at odd hours under the influence of somebody. I think if she had not gone out in the evening, or had some child along with her, this could have been prevented."[14][15] The comments attracted wide criticism on social media, as well as from celebrities.[16][17] Following public criticism, Devi withdrew her remarks.[18]
Inaction against Political leaders
The NCW has faced flak for inaction against political leaders for insensitive comments against women, especially on serious matters like rape. Despite complaints, no action is taken, especially during election periods - Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav reportedly made several sexist comments in 2010 regarding the Women's Reservation Bill.[19] Furthermore, at an election rally during the 2014 elections, he stated that "Boys are boys, they make mistakes, why hand them for rape."[20] On 19 August 2015, Yadav remarked that gang-rapes are impractical and rape-victims in those cases tend to lie,[21] for which he was summoned by the Judicial Magistrate of Mahoba district court in Uttar Pradesh for that remark.[22]His remarks were heavily criticized and despite complaints to the Election Commission and NCW, no action was taken against him, and he was elected from the constituency of Mainpuri in the 2014 elections.[23]
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