There have been countless efforts to try and decrease rape cases in India where terrifying studies show that a woman is raped every 30 minutes. Although all these efforts (such as as anti-rape clothing) try hard to change things, rape continues to be a very serious and prominent issue in India.
Although much focus has been on rape prevention, what about those who have already fallen victim to this unforgivable act? Apparently, they face a whole new layer of difficulties when they try to seek justice.
According to Think Progress, a 16-year-old girl in Calcutta reported a gang-rape to the police. As punishment, the men raped her again and burned her alive. It’s very likely that many women do not report rape out of fear. After all, these death threats are apparently quite common.
“Women were being denied a fundamental right because of this fear of going to the police. Why should they need someone’s help to do something so basic?” said Joydeep Nayak, a senior member of the police force in India.
Nayak decided to create an alternative to going to the police station. Her solution? She created an electronic kiosk that allows women to discreetly report abuse without fear of backlash. The “Instant Complaint Logging Internet Kiosk,” or “iClik,” resembles an ATM Machine and has been installed in a bank in Bhubaneswar.
Nayak has even addressed the illiteracy issue in India. For those who are unable to write out a report, the kiosk also records audio reports and scans written complaints.
“My dream is to have a kiosk alongside existing ATMs, in schools, railway stations and bus stations, all over the country – so that women can walk in, complain and leave without any escort or hassles,” Nayak said.
So far, about eight to ten women use the machine every day.
Internet kiosk iClik helps Indian women report crime http://t.co/UNYMx1PFpD #India pic.twitter.com/E5FIkVFAHl
– Ian Geldard (@igeldard) August 23, 2014
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