WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBERS
IF YOU ARE AN WOMEN
Upload your own Problems
HELPLINE NUMBERS
lodge complaints related to domestic violence, sexual harassment, dowry cases, eve-teasing in public/work places etc.
For Delhi : 011-23370557 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7 )
For UP : 181 OR 1090 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7)
For LUCKNOW : 1090 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7 )
For MUMBAI : 103 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For AHMEDABAD : 181 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For CHENNAI : 1091 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For Bangalore : 181 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7)
For BHUBANESWAR : 181 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For HYDERABAD : 181 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7 )
For INDORE : 1092 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For KOLKATA : 1091 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7 )
For PATNA : 9771468024 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7 )
For MUZAFFARPUR : 181 (WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For RANCHI : 1091 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For CHANDIGARH : 1091 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) (Works 24 x 7 )
For COIMBATORE : 1091 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For KANPUR : 1090 (WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER) ( Works 24 x 7 )
For JAIPUR : 181 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7 )
For JODHPUR : 1800-1200020 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7 )
For KOTA : 181 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7 )
For J & K : 181 (SAKHI ) ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For PUNE : 1091 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For KOZHIKODE : 1091 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For TRIPURA : 1091 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7 )
For GUWAHATI : 181 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ) ( Works 24 x 7 )
For GWALIOR : 1090 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For AP : 1091 ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER )
For SILIGURI : 0353-2663885 ( WOMEN POLICE STATION )
For MADHUBANI : 18003456247 ( WOMEN HELPLINE CENTRE)
For USA : 202-307-6026 ( Office on Violence Against Women)
WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBERS
Mahila Police Station : 9727174615
Address: Mahila Police Station, Gaurang Flat, Mithakhali 6 Rasta,
Navrangpura, Ahmedabad
Phone: 079-26560235, 079-26560236
Division
Crime Branch, Gayakwad Haveli, Ahmedabad 380004
079-25320664
Shri A. K. Sharma Joint Commissioner of Police Crime Branch
Crime Branch, Gayakwad Haveli, Ahmedabad 380004
079-25398800
jcp-crime-ahd@gujarat.gov.in
WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBERS(ANDHRA PRADESH)
1.Crime Stopper: 10902.Crime Against Women and Children: 1091
4.Police: 100
5.Fire: 101
Women's Helpline (ASSAM POLICE) |
Send mail to - ssp-cid@assampolice.gov.in mentioning subject as "Helpline for Women"
or Call
+91-9345215029 / +91-361- 2521242
Emergency Helpline Numbers for children and womenare toll free numbers to help the children and women in distressed situation.
The Helpline Number is : 181 for Women
The Helpline Number is : 1098 for Children
BEGUSARAI Women Helpline Numbers
Begusarai | Women Helpline,Collectorate Begusarai | Smt. Veena Kumari | 9771468005 | whl.begusarai@wdcbihar.org.in |
Sl. No. | Emergency Contact | Name | Std Code | Office Number | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | District Control Room | DM Confidential | 6243 | 222285 | |
2 | Police Control Room | 6243 | 223015 | ||
3 | Fire Station | Haldhar Prasad Mandal | 6243 | 223133 101 | |
4 | Ambulance Service | 102/108 |
WOMEN Helpline Numbers(Bhagalpur)
WOMEN HELPLINE CENTRE | 18003456247/ 0612-2320047/2214318 |
Department | Helpline Number |
---|---|
DISTRICT CONTROL ROOM BHAGALPUR | 0641-2421555 |
POLICE CONTROL ROOM BHAGALPUR | 0641-2400701 |
POLICE | 100 |
FIRE | 101 |
AMBULANCE | 102, 108 |
INDIAN RAILWAY (GENERAL ENQUIRY) | 139 |
JIGYASA (FOR GENERAL INFORMATION) HEALTH DEPARTMENT SCHEDULED CASTE AND SCHEDULED TRIBE WELFARE | 0612-2233333 1911 / 102 18003456345 |
WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBERS (CHANDIGARH)
Women Helpline Number : 1091 (Toll Free), 0172 – 2741174
The contacts detail of the Women Police Station is under:-
Office : 0172 – 2723444
SHO : 0172 – 2700448 , 7087239005
To deal more effectively with the complaints/cases of Women and for immediate registration of complaints pertaining to dowry demand, physical and mental cruelty and domestic violence Chandigarh Police established its 1st Women Police Station on 29.08.2015 at Home Guard Building, Sector – 17, Chandigarh.
This police station will registered and investigate the crime related to women and children. This Police Station would be working with extended field of work covering Anti Human Trafficking Unit, Rape Crisis Intervention Centre and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Cell. This Women Police Station would act as a nodal agency for Rape Crisis Intervention Centre to educate girls about their rights, to impart training in Self Defense and to act as a counseling center in order to redress complaints related to matrimonial disputes etc.
Women Cells ( WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBERS KERELA )
WomenHelpline : 1091
Women Cell | STD | Office Number | VPN | Mobile Number | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SP Women Cell | 0471 | 2338100 | 94979 96992 | spwomen.pol@kerala.gov.in | |
Thiruvananthapuram City | 1091 | 9995399953 | civaniceltvm.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Thiruvananthapuram Rural | 0471 | 2418277/1091 | ciwceltvmrl.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Kollam | 0474 | 2764579/1091 | ciwmncelklm.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Pathanamthitta | 0468 | 2325352/1091 | ciwmncelpta.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Idukki (Thodupuzha) | 04862 | 229100/1091 | ciwmncelidk.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Idukki (Kattappana) | 1091 | 9497932403 | ciwmncelidk.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Alappuzha | 0477 | 2237474/1091 | ciwmncelalpy.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Kottayam | 0481 | 2561414/1091 | ciwmncelktm.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Ernakulam City | 0484 | 2356044/1091 | ciwmncelekm.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Ernakulam Rural | 0484 | 2623399/1091 | 9495000100 | ciwcelekmrl.pol@kerala.gov.in | |
Thrissur | 0487 | 2441897/1091 | |||
Palakkad | 0491 | 2504650/1091 | ciwmncelpkd.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Malappuram | 0483 | 2734830/1091 | 9497963365 | ciwmncelmpm.pol@kerala.gov.in | |
Kozhikode Rural | 0496 | 2517767/1091 | ciwcelkkdrl.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Kozhikode City | 0495 | 2724070/2724143/ 1091 | ciwmncelkkd.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Wayanad | 0493 | 6206127/1091 | ciwmncelwynd.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Kannur | 0497 | 2764046/1091 | ciwmncelknr.pol@kerala.gov.in | ||
Kasaragod | 04994 | 257591/1091 | ciwmncelksd.pol@kerala.gov.in |
WomenHelpline Numbers ( KOZHIKODE )
Helpline | Phone Number |
---|---|
Citizen’s Call center | 155300 |
Comissioner of Rescue & Relief | 1070 |
Crime Stopper | 1090 |
Women Helpline | 1091 |
Child Help line | 1098 |
Disaster Help Line | 1077 |
BSNL Help Line | 1500 |
Police Control Room | 100 |
Fire and Rescue | 101 |
Ambulance Help Line | 102 |
Accident Help Line | 108 |
Vanitha Helpline (Police) | 9995399953 |
Vanitha – Nirbhaya | 9833312222 |
KOLKATA HELPLINE NUMBERS
1. Traffic Helpine - Kolkata Police is happy to introduce a dial-in-service for traffic information in collaboration with VODAFONE [Toll Free]. The numbers are 2000 / 2001.
This is a 24 hour service which will enable citizens direct access to the Kolkata Police Traffic Control Room. Information regarding traffic situation in different parts of the city may be obtained through this system. The citizens may also pass on any information that they wish to share with the Traffic Control Room.
2. Senior Citizen Helpine - Kolkata Police is happy to introduce a dial-in-service for senior citizens. The number is 9830088884.
3. Women Helpine - On International Women's Day, Kolkata Police has introduced a dial-in-service for distressed and harassed women. The number is 1091[Toll Free] for all complaints of eve-teasing etc.
4. Medical Helpine - Kolkata Police is happy to introduce a dial-in-service for providing assistance related to medical help. The number is 9830079999.
Help Line Name | Contact No. | Email ID | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Police | 100 | |
2 | Fire | 101 | |
3 | Ambulance | 102 | |
4 | Control Room | 0621-2212377 | |
5 | SSP Office | 0621-2217797 | |
6 | Child Line | 1098 | |
7 | Women Helpline | 181 |
Nagpur City Police
Women Helpline Telephone No.1091(toll free)
Police Control Room(NAGPUR)
Helpline (PUDUCHERRY)
Particulars | Helpline No. |
---|---|
The District Collector-cum- District Magistrate | 1070 |
The Regional Commissioner -cum- Dy. Collector (North) | 1077 |
Ambulance | 102, 108 |
Fire | 101 |
Police Control Room | 100 |
Children Helpline | 1098 |
Women Helpline | 1091 |
Traffic Accidents | 1073 |
HELPLINE NUMBERS (PUDUCHERRY)
1091 (Women complaints)
1031 (Crime-related complaints with confidentiality guaranteed)
Police Department: 100 (Police emergency)
Health Department: 108 (Emergency Ambulance Service)
Fire: 101 (Fire/flood/disaster/cyclone-related complaints)
1073 (Traffic-related complaints)
Electricity Department: 1912 (power cut/power disaster)
Revenue and Disaster Management Department: 1070 and 1077 (Natural calamities such as flood/cyclone, rescue-related distress situations and complaints on civic amenities)
1093 (Coastal Police emergency assistance)
WOMEN Helpline Numbers (PURNEA)
Purnia | Women Help Line, Kailashpuri, Shrinagar Hata, Purnia. | Smt. Anita Kumari | 9771468025 | whl.purnia@wdcbihar.org.in |
महिला हेल्पलाईन :
निबंधित वाद : 60794,
निष्पादित वाद : 51031
अल्पावास गृह :
निबंधित संवासिन : 15667,
पुर्नवासित संवासिन : 15489
PURNEA HELPLINE NUMBERS
District Control Room : 06454-243000
Women Helpline : 1091
Patiala Women Helpline Numbers
Sr No. | Designation | Office No |
---|---|---|
1 | Bus Stand, Patiala | 01752311718 |
1 | Railway Station, Patiala | 131 132 |
2 | Police Station | 100 |
3 | Fire | 101 |
4 | Ambulance | 108 |
5 | Flood Control Room | 01752359999 |
6 | Emergency (Rajindra Hospital) | 01752214971 |
7 | Telephone Inquiry | 197 |
WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBERS (PUNE)
- Election : 1950
- Police : 100
- Ambulance : 108
- Fire Brigade : 104
- Pune Muncipal Corporation : 1800-1030-222
- Disaster Management Control Room : 1077
- Child Helpline : 1098
- Women Helpline : 1091
- NIC Sevice Desk: 1800-111-555
WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBERS (RANCHI)
Sl. No. | Helpline | Contact No. |
---|---|---|
1 | Child Helpline | 1098 |
2 | Women Helpline | 1091 |
3 | Police Helpline | 100 |
4 | Ambulance Service | 108 |
WOMEN SAFETY & SECURITY ISSUES
WOMEN POLICE STATION
Jurisdiction Area (In Sq.km)
Whole Siliguri Police Commissionerate AreaName of the Police Station | WOMEN POLICE STATION |
Address | S.F. Road, PO – Siliguri Bazar, PS- Siliguri, Dist.- Darjeeling, Pin- 734001. |
Officer–in-charge | SI Atrayee Ganguly |
PS Phone No | 0353-2663885 |
womenpssiliguri@gmail.com | |
Population | 15,22,734 |
Boundary and Strategic point under PS | Whole Siliguri Police Commissionerate Area |
Out Post | |
Jurisdiction Area (In Sq.km) | Whole Siliguri Police Commissionerate Area |
Wards and G.P. |
WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBERS ( TAMIL NADU)
|
UN Women Japan Liaison Office
Officer in Charge: Kae Ishikawa, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Specialist
Bunkyo Civic Center, First Floor, 1-16-21 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-0003, JAPAN
Tel: +81 36 801 8511
Contact: Kae Ishikawa, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Specialist

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20530-0001
Freephone 24 hr National Domestic Violence Helpline
0808 2000 247
helpline@womensaid.org.uk*
WOMEN HELPLINE NUMBER ( BANGLADESH)
National 24-hour Helpline: 109
For NEPAL : +977-1-4414745 ( Women and Children Service Directorate )
WOMEN HEPLINE NUMBER (NEPAL)
+977-1-4414745
Sunday – Thursday: 10:00 hrs - 17:00 hrs
Friday : 10:00 hrs - 15:00 hrs
(Closed on Government holidays)
E-MAIL : nepolwcsd@gmail.com
For IRAN : 129 ( Works 24 x 7 )
For PAKISTAN : 15 (POLICE), Ambulance - 115, FIRE- 16
For IRAQ : 119 ( Works 24 x 7 ).
For survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI)
For INDONESIA : 110 ( POLICE ) , Ambulance - 119 ,FIRE : 113 ,
Natural disasters - 129
For TAIWAN : 113 ( Works 24 x 7 )
The Center for Prevention of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault
For EUROPE : +370 5215 7400 ( Administration - European Institute for Gender Equality)
Standards set out in the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence(Istanbul Convention) provide that a women’s helpline should operate 24/7, should be free of charge, should provide advice to callers confidentially or with due regard for their anonymity, and should serve victims of all forms of violence against women.
Awareness Against Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person who is incapable of giving valid consent, such as one who is unconscious, incapacitated, has an intellectual disability or is below the legal age of consent.The term rape is sometimes used interchangeably with the term sexual assault.
The rate of reporting, prosecuting and convicting for rape varies between jurisdictions. Internationally, the incidence of rapes recorded by the police during 2008 ranged, per 100,000 people, from 0.2 in Azerbaijan to 92.9 in Botswana with 6.3 in Lithuaniaas the median. Worldwide, rape is primarily committed by males. Rape by strangers is usually less common than rape by persons the victim knows, and male-on-male and female-on-female prison rapes are common and may be the least reported forms of rape.
Widespread and systematic rape (e.g., war rape) and sexual slavery can occur during international conflict. These practices are crimes against humanity and war crimes. Rape is also recognized as an element of the crime of genocide when committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a targeted ethnic group.
People who have been raped can be traumatized and develop posttraumatic stress disorder. Serious injuries can result along with the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. A person may face violence or threats from the rapist, and, in some cultures, from the victim's family and relatives.
For Delhi : 011-23370557 ( Works 24 x 7 )
| ||
|
For Bihar :
- PATNA : A woman helpline number was launched here on Friday for 35 districts of Bihar, including Patna, which will facilitate victims to directly contact protection officers of Women Development Corporation (WDC), Bihar. The move comes in the wake of recent reports of increase in crime against women across the country.
The helpline number for Patna is 9771468024. For other districts too, the first eight digits would be the same, only the last two digits would change. They range from 01 (Araria) to 35 (Vaishali), according to the alphabetical order of each district.
Social welfare department minister Parveen Amanullah on Friday released the Core User Group (CUG) mobile numbers (serial wise) for the helpline, on which complaints can be registered 24X7. - The East Central Railway (ECR) which has headquarters at Hajipur in Bihar has set up a control room for ensuring security of women in running trains. The mobile number 9771425718 is being widely publicised.
Individual factors [edit]
Known victim[edit]
Data on sexually violent individuals show that most direct their acts at individuals whom they already know.[19][20]
Drug facilitated sexual assault[edit]
Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA), also known as predator rape, is a sexual assault carried out after the victim has become incapacitated due to having consumed alcoholic beverages or other drugs. Alcohol has been shown to play a disinhibiting role in certain types of sexual assault,[21] as have some other drugs, notably cocaine.[22] Alcohol has a psychopharmacological effect of reducing inhibitions, clouding judgements and impairing the ability to interpret cues.[23] The biological links between alcohol and violence are, however, complex.[21] Research on the social anthropology of alcohol consumption suggests that connections between violence, drinking and drunkenness are socially learnt rather than universal.[24] Some researchers have noted[citation needed] that alcohol may act as a cultural break time, providing the opportunity for antisocial behavior. Thus people are more likely to act violently when drunk because they do not consider that they will be held accountable for their behavior. Some forms of group sexual violence are also associated with drinking. In these settings, consuming alcohol is an act of group bonding, where inhibitions are collectively reduced and individual judgement ceded in favor of the group.
Psychological factors[edit]
There has been considerable research in recent times on the role of cognitive variables among the set of factors that can lead to rape. A detailed conceptual analysis shows that objectification might underlie denial of agency and personhood that leads to rape.[3] Sexually violent men have been shown to be more likely to consider victims responsible for the rape and are less knowledgeable about the impact of rape on victims.[25] Such men may misread cues given out by women in social situations and may lack the inhibitions that act to suppress associations between sex and aggression.[25] They may have coercive sexual fantasies,[26] and overall are more hostile towards women than are men who are not sexually violent.[7][27][28] In addition to these factors, sexually violent men are believed to differ from other men in terms of impulsivity and antisocial tendencies.[29] They also tend to have an exaggerated sense of masculinity. Sexual violence is also associated with a preference for impersonal sexual relationships as opposed to emotional bonding[dubious – discuss], with having many sexual partners and with the inclination to assert personal interests at the expense of others.[28][30] A further association is with adversarial attitudes on gender, that hold that women are opponents to be challenged and conquered.[31]
Research on convicted rapists[edit]
The research on convicted rapists has found several important motivational factors in the sexual aggression of males. Those motivational factors repeatedly implicated are having anger at women and having the need to control or dominate them.[32]
Factors increasing men's risk of committing rape include alcohol and other drug consumption, being more likely to consider victims responsible for their rape, being less knowledgeable about the impact of rape on victims, being impulsive and having antisocial tendencies, having an exaggerated sense of masculinity, having a low opinion on women, being a member of a criminal gang, having sexually aggressive friends, having been abused as a child and having been raised in a strongly patriarchal family.[citation needed]
A study by Marshall et al. (2001) found that male rapists had less empathy toward women who had been sexually assaulted by an unknown assailant and more hostility toward women than non-sex-offenders and nonoffender males/females.[33]
Freund et al. (1983) stated that most rapists do not have a preference for rape over consensual sex,[34] and Marshall et al. (1991) stated that there are no significant differences between the arousal patterns of male rapists and other males.[35]
Peer and family factorsedit]
Early childhood environments[edit]
There is evidence to suggest that sexual violence is also a learnt behavior in some adults, particularly as regards child sexual abuse. Studies on sexually abused boys have shown that around one in five continue in later life to molest children themselves.[36] Such experiences may lead to a pattern of behavior where the man regularly justifies being violent, denies doing wrong, and has false and unhealthy notions about sexuality.
Childhood environments that are physically violent, emotionally unsupportive and characterized by competition for scarce resources have been associated with sexual violence.[8][29][37] Sexually aggressive behavior in young men, for instance, has been linked to witnessing family violence, and having emotionally distant and uncaring fathers.[7][8]Men raised in families with strongly patriarchal structures are also more likely to become violent, to rape and use sexual coercion against women, as well as to abuse their intimate partners, than men raised in homes that are more egalitarian.[29]
Family honor and sexual purity[edit]
Another factor involving social relationships is a family response to sexual violence that blames women without punishing men, concentrating instead on restoring lost family honor. Such a response creates an environment in which rape can occur with impunity.
While families will often try to protect their women from rape and may also put their daughters on contraception to prevent visible signs should it occur,[38] there is rarely much social pressure to control young men or persuade them that coercing sex is wrong.[where?] Instead, in some countries, there is frequently support for family members to do whatever is necessary including murder to alleviate the shame associated with a rape or other sexual transgression. In a review of all crimes of honor occurring in Jordan in 1995,[39]researchers found that in over 60% of the cases, the victim died from multiple gunshot wounds mostly at the hands of a brother. In cases where the victim was a single pregnant female, the offender was either acquitted of murder or received a reduced sentence.
Societal factorsedit]
Factors operating at a societal level that influence sexual violence include laws and national policies relating to gender equality in general and to sexual violence more specifically, as well as norms relating to the use of violence. While the various factors operate largely at local level, within families, schools, workplaces and communities, there are also influences from the laws and norms working at national and even international level.
War and natural disasters[edit]
Lawlessness during wars and civil conflicts can create a culture of impunity towards human rights abuses of civilians. Some irregular armies and militias tacitly endorse looting of civilian areas as a way for troops to supplement their meagre incomes, and promote pillaging and rape of civilians as a reward for victory.[40][41] In 2008, the United Nations Security Council argued that "women and girls are particularly targeted by the use of sexual violence, including as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instil fear in, disperse and/or forcibly relocate civilian members of a community or ethnic group."[42]
Refugees and internally displaced people who flee their homes during war and major disasters can experience human trafficking for sexual or labour exploitation due to the breakdown of economies and law and order.[43] Speaking at the UN General Assembly in 2010, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, its Causes and Consequences noted women’s particular vulnerability and increased risk of experiencing violence following disasters.[44] Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, large numbers of women and girls living in Internally Displaced Persons camps experienced sexual violence.[45] The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights recognized the need for state actors to respond to gender-based violence committed by private actors, in response to a petition by Haitian groups and human rights lawyers calling on the Haitian government and international actors to take immediate measures—like increasing lighting, security, and access to medical care—to address sexual violence against women and girls in the IDP camps.[46]
Poverty[edit]
Poverty is linked to both the perpetration of sexual violence and the risk of being a victim of it. Several authors have argued that the relationship between poverty and perpetration of sexual violence is mediated through forms of crisis of masculine identity.[47][48][49][50][51]
Bourgois, writing about life in East Harlem, New York, United States, described how young men felt pressured by models of successful masculinity and family structure passed down from their parents' and grandparents' generations, together with modern-day ideals of manhood that also place an emphasis on material consumption. Trapped in their slums, with little or no available employment, they are unlikely to attain either of these models or expectations of masculine success. In these circumstances, ideals of masculinity are reshaped to emphasize misogyny, substance abuse and participation in crime and often also xenophobia and racism. Gang rape and sexual conquest are normalized, as men turn their aggression against women they can no longer control patriarchally or support economically.[49]
Physical and social environment[edit]
While fear of rape is typically associated with being outside the home,[52][53] the great majority of sexual violence actually occurs in the home of the victim or the abuser. Nonetheless, abduction by a stranger is quite often the prelude to a rape and the opportunities for such an abduction are influenced by the physical environment. The social environment within a community is, however, usually more important than the physical surrounding. How deeply entrenched in a community beliefs in male superiority and male entitlement to sex are will greatly affect the likelihood of sexual violence taking place, as will the general tolerance in the community of sexual assault and the strength of sanctions, if any, against perpetrators.[19][54][55] For instance, in some places, rape can even occur in public, with passersby refusing to intervene.[10] Complaints of rape may also be treated leniently by the police, particularly if the assault is committed during a date or by the victim's husband.
Laws and policies[edit]
There are considerable variations between countries in their approach to sexual violence. Some countries have far-reaching legislation and legal procedures, with a broad definition of rape that includes marital rape, and with heavy penalties for those convicted and a strong response in supporting victims. Commitment to preventing or controlling sexual violence is also reflected in an emphasis on police training and an appropriate allocation of police resources to the problem, in the priority given to investigating cases of sexual assault, and in the resources made available to support victims and provide medico-legal services. At the other end of the scale, there are countries with much weaker approaches to the issue where conviction of an alleged perpetrator based on the accusation of the women alone is not allowed, where certain forms or settings of sexual violence are specifically excluded from the legal definition, and where rape victims are strongly deterred from bringing the matter to court through the fear of being punished for filing an unproven rape suit.
Legal and social deterrents of victims reporting rape[edit]
Women in various countries face serious risks if they report rape. These risks include being subjected to violence (including honor killings) by their families, being prosecuted for sex outside marriage, or being forced to marry their rapist.[56][57][58] This creates a culture of impunity which allows rape to go unpunished.
Social norms[edit]
Sexual violence committed by men is to a large extent rooted in ideologies of male sexual entitlement. These belief systems grant women extremely few legitimate options to refuse sexual advances.[50][59][60] Some men thus simply exclude the possibility that their sexual advances towards a woman might be rejected or that a woman has the right to make an autonomous decision about participating in sex. In some cultures women, as well as men, regard marriage as entailing the obligation on women to be sexually available virtually without limit,[61][62] though sex may be culturally proscribed at certain times, such as after childbirth or during menstruation.[63]
Societal norms around the use of violence as a means to achieve objectives have been strongly associated with the prevalence of rape. In societies where the ideology of male superiority is strong, emphasizing dominance, physical strength and male honor,[jargon] rape is more common.[64] Countries with a culture of violence, or where violent conflict is taking place, experience an increase in almost all forms of violence, including sexual violence.[64][65]
Global trends and economic factors[edit]
Many of the factors operating at a national level have an international dimension. Global trends, for instance towards free trade, have been accompanied by an increase in the movement around the world of women and girls for labor, including for sex work.[66] Economic structural adjustment programmes, drawn up by international agencies, have accentuated poverty and unemployment in a number of countries, thereby increasing the likelihood of sexual trafficking and sexual violence,[67] something particularly noted in Central America, the Caribbean[68] and parts of Africa.[69]
16 ways you can stand against rape culture
Originally published on Medium.com/@UN_Women

“Boys will be boys.”
“She was drunk.”
“Women say “no” when they mean “yes.”
Rape culture is pervasive. It’s embedded in the way we think, speak, and move in the world. While the contexts may differ, rape culture is always rooted in patriarchal beliefs, power, and control.
Rape culture is the social environment that allows sexual violence to be normalized and justified, fueled by the persistent gender inequalities and attitudes about gender and sexuality. Naming it is the first step to dismantling rape culture.
Every day we have the opportunity to examine our behaviours and beliefs for biases that permit rape culture to continue. From the attitudes we have about gender identities to the policies we support in our communities, we can all take action to stand against rape culture.
Here are 16 ways you can do your part:
1. Create a culture of enthusiastic consent.
Freely given consent is mandatory, every time. Rather than listening for a “no,” make sure there is an active, “yes,” from all involved. Adopt enthusiastic consent in your life and talk about it.
2. Speak out against the root causes.
Rape culture is allowed to continue when we buy into ideas of masculinity that see violence and dominance as “strong” and “male”, and when women and girls are less valued.
It is also underpinned by victim-blaming—an attitude that suggests a victim rather than the perpetrator bears responsibility for an assault.
When discussing cases of sexual violence, a victim’s sobriety, clothes, and sexuality are irrelevant. Instead, counter the idea that men and boys must obtain power through violence and question the notion of sex as an entitlement.
3. Redefine masculinity.

Take a critical look at what masculinity means to you and how you embody it. Self-reflection, community conversations, and artistic expression are just some of the tools available for men and boys (as well as women and girls) to examine and redefine masculinities with feminist principles.
4. Stop victim-blaming.
Because language is deeply embedded in culture, we may forget that the words and phrases we use each day shape our reality.
Rape-affirming beliefs are embedded in our language: “She was dressed like a slut. She was asking for it,”
It is part of popular song lyrics: “I know you want it.”
It is normalized by objectifying women and calling them names in pop culture and media.
You have the power to choose to leave behind language and lyrics that blame victims, objectify women and excuse sexual harassment. What a woman is wearing, what and how much she had to drink, and where she was at a certain time, is not an invitation to rape her.
5. Have zero tolerance.
Establish policies of zero tolerance for sexual harassment and violence in the spaces in which you live, work, and play. Leaders must be particularly clear that they are committed to upholding a zero-tolerance policy and that it must be practised every day.
As a starting point, take a look at what you can do to make harassment at work history.
6. Broaden your understanding of rape culture.
Across time and contexts, rape culture takes many forms. It’s important to recognize that rape culture goes beyond the narrow notion of a man assaulting a woman as she walks alone at night.
For instance, rape culture encompasses a wide array of harmful practices that rob women and girls of their autonomy and rights, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.
Know the factors that underpin rape culture and the myths that surround it.
While no one may disagree that rape is wrong, through words, actions and inaction, sexual violence and sexual harassment is normalized and trivialized, leading us down a slippery slope of rape culture.
7. Take an intersectional approach.

Rape culture affects us all, regardless of gender identity, sexuality, economic status, race, religion or age. Rooting it out means leaving behind restrictive definitions of gender and sexuality that limit a person’s right to define and express themselves.
Certain characteristics such as sexual orientation, disability status or ethnicity, and some contextual factors, increase women’s vulnerability to violence. LGBTQI individuals may be subject to “corrective rape” in which the perpetrator intends to force the victim to conform with sexual and gender stereotypes. During humanitarian crisis, prevalent discrimination against women and girls often exacerbates sexual violence.
Gulzada Serzhan, is an active member of Feminita, a Kazakhstan feminist initiative that protects and defends the rights of LGBTQI community members. While working as an IT project manager, a male co-worker began to sexually harass her on business trips. When she told him she was a lesbian, his harassment became stronger.
“He believed he could ‘correct’ me,” Serzhan says. “He said that I needed a strong man...In Kazakhstan, the society accepts and values men who are savage and brutal. It’s considered natural when men make sexual advances towards women.”
“If you are invisible in everyday life, your needs will not be thought of, let alone addressed, in a crisis situation,” explains Matcha Phorn-in, who works to address the unique needs of LGBTIA individuals in crises.
8. Know the history of rape culture.
Rape has been used as a weapon of war and oppression throughout history. It has been used to degrade women and their communities and for ethnic cleansing and genocide.
There are no quick reads for this. You can start by learning about the use of sexual violence during past and recent conflicts, such as in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Guatemalan civil war, or the Kosovo conflict.
9. Invest in women.
Donate to organizations that empower women, amplify their voices, support survivors, and promote acceptance of all gender identities and sexualities.
UN Women works to end violence against women, assist survivors, and secure equal rights for women and girls everywhere. Donate now at https://donate.unwomen.org/en/16days.
10. Listen to survivors.

In the era of #MeToo, #TimesUp, #NiUnaMenos, #BalanceTonPorc, and other online movements, survivors of violence are speaking out more than ever before.
Listen to their experiences, read stories of survivors and activists around the globe, and follow #OrangeTheWorld and #GenerationEquality on social media.
Don’t say, “Why didn’t she leave?”
Do say: “We hear you. We see you. We believe you.”
11. Don’t laugh at rape.
Rape is never a funny punchline. Rape jokes delegitimize sexual violence, making it harder for victims to speak up when their consent is violated.
Humour that normalizes and justifies sexual violence is not acceptable. Call it out.
12. Get involved.
Rape culture is held up by the absence or lack of enforcement of laws addressing violence against women and discriminatory laws on property ownership, marriage, divorce and child custody.
Check out the global database on violence against women to see what your country is doing to protect women and girls. Engage with your representatives to ensure implementation of laws that promote gender equality.
13. End impunity.

To end rape culture, perpetrators must be held accountable. By prosecuting sexual violence cases, we recognize these acts as crimes and send a strong message of zero-tolerance.
Wherever you see pushback against legal consequences for perpetrators, fight for justice and accountability.
14. Be an active bystander.
One in three women worldwide experience abuse. Violence against women is shockingly common, and we may become witness to non-consensual or violent behaviour. Intervening as an active bystander signals to the perpetrator that their behaviour is unacceptable and may help someone stay safe.
First, assess the situation to determine what kind of help, if any, might be appropriate. You may be able to support the target of sexual harassment by asking how they are or if they would like help, or by documenting the incident, creating distractions to diffuse the situation, or making a short and clear statement directly to the perpetrator such as, “‘I’m uncomfortable with what you are doing.”
Read up on how you can be an active bystander, and take a bystander intervention training hosted by your university, municipality, or local NGO.
15. Educate the next generation.
It’s in our hands to inspire the future feminists of the world. Challenge the gender stereotypes and violent ideals that children encounter in the media, on the streets, and at school. Let your children know that your family is a safe space for them to express themselves as they are. Affirm their choices and teach the importance of consent at a young age.
Looking for inspirational content? Here are 12 feminist books that everyone should read.