Beyond Punishment: Building Safer Spaces to Prevent Crimes Against Women

The recent legislation passed by West Bengal, known as the Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, has brought to the forefront a critical discussion on how we address crimes against women, particularly in vulnerable spaces like hospitals. While the bill proposes harsher penalties, including the death penalty for certain offenses, it's essential to question whether stricter punishments alone are effective deterrents.

Stricter Punishment Isn’t the Solution

It's a commonly held belief that severe penalties such as the death penalty will deter heinous crimes like rape. However, evidence shows that this approach does not significantly reduce the incidence of crime. Stricter punishments often serve as a knee-jerk reaction to public outcry rather than a well-thought-out solution. What we need is a shift in focus—from merely punishing offenders to creating environments where such offenses are less likely to occur.

Reformation Over Retribution

The knee-jerk push for the death penalty, especially for a broad range of rape offenses, risks overshadowing the need for reformation. It’s not just about punishing the crime; it's about preventing it from happening in the first place. Instead of solely emphasizing punitive measures, we must adopt a reformation-focused approach that considers the broader systemic issues.

Addressing Root Causes: The Real Deterrents

To genuinely protect women, especially in sensitive spaces like hospitals, we need to focus on structural reforms. Some actionable solutions include:

1. Reducing the Burden on Medical Professionals: Doctors and medical staff are often stretched thin, overworked, and under-resourced. This increases their vulnerability and compromises their ability to provide safe, focused care. Reducing the workload by employing more staff, providing adequate rest periods, and offering emotional support systems can create a safer and more effective work environment.
2. Enhancing Workplace and Rest Infrastructure: Hospitals need to be safe spaces not just for patients but also for their staff. Investing in better infrastructure, including secure rest areas for doctors and nurses, well-lit corridors, and secure entry and exit points, can go a long way in preventing crimes within these institutions.
3. Increasing Security Measures: Security should be proactive, not reactive. Hospitals must have robust security systems in place, including surveillance, security personnel, and controlled access to sensitive areas. These measures are not just deterrents but also instill a sense of safety among patients and staff alike.

A Call for Holistic Change

The Aparajita Bill’s approach to stricter punishment might seem like a strong stance against crime, but it misses the mark by not addressing the root causes that allow such crimes to happen in the first place. To make a real impact, we need to create environments that prioritize safety and respect, supported by comprehensive reforms that go beyond punitive measures.

We must ask ourselves: Are we merely reacting to the symptoms of a larger societal issue, or are we willing to invest in the structural changes that can truly protect our women and children? The path forward lies not in harsher sentences, but in building safer systems and workplaces that leave no room for such atrocities to occur.