Bangalore: Every 33 minutes, a crime is committed against a woman in India and there is one dowry death in the country every 104 minutes. Even though there are several laws to check crime against women, the conviction rate in cases of harassment of women is very low, Gopal B. Hosur, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), said here on Saturday.

Speaking at the inauguration of a legal awareness workshop organised by the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) in collaboration with the Bangalore Urban District Legal Services Authority here, Mr. Hosur said only if there is certainty that stringent punishment will be accorded for a crime committed against a woman, will there be fear among persons about the outcome of the crime.

There has to be a concerted effort not only to create awareness among women about the laws pertaining to crime against them, but more men should be sensitised about the violence against women that is rampant across the country. "The practice of dowry can be abolished if marriages are not conducted in a lavish and materialistic manner. Awareness should be created among members of the public to conduct weddings in a simple manner and not to demand dowry," he added.

Inaugurating the workshop, V. Gopala Gowda, Judge, Karnataka High Court, said there has to be a change in the attitude of people and society at large towards women. "They are still considered as secondary citizens and this is reflected in the various kinds of discrimination in every walk of life. Even though the constitution says that every one should have equal rights, there is disparity in every field," he said.

He said the Hindu Succession Act was recently amended to allow women to be given equal right in property. Women need to arm themselves with knowledge about their rights and laws such as Dowry Prohibition Act, Domestic Violence Act and so on. K.S. Vimala, General Secretary of AIDWA, said that there were no provisions in the State for filing cases under the Domestic Violence Act as protection officers had not been appointed yet. Keshav Narayan, President of Bangalore Urban District Legal Services Authority, was present.

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