A series of brutal rape cases in India has shocked the country to its core, placing the issue of sexual violence firmly back on the national agenda.
The incidents, including two alleged unrelated attacks on girls aged 16 and eight, have given rise to protests comparable to the rallies that followed the highly-publicized gang rape of a female college student in Delhi in 2012.
As with the events six years ago, the attacks have prompted demands for stricter rape laws.
Responding to the outrage, India’s Cabinet has passed an executive order introducing the death penalty for rapists of children under the age of 12. The change in law is awaiting approval from parliament.
But in a country of more than 1.3 billion people, where women make up about 48% of the population, what do Indian women want?
CNN spoke to five women in the capital, New Delhi, and asked them for their views. Some of their responses have been lightly edited for style and flow.
‘The entire country is pigeonholed into a rape country’
Akriti Wadhwa, 21, journalism student
As a woman, do you feel safe in India?
Honestly, I am slightly skeptical and I don’t want to generalize it, but no, I don’t feel safe in India, considering that every moment there is something happening. Not exactly rape, but there are so many cases of molestation and sexual harassment. It’s basically the male gaze. It’s sort of brutal. You are going out, you are wearing short clothes, people are going to check you out from head to toe. I think that’s the basic thing that makes you feel unsafe.
How do you think those who have been sexually violent towards women should be punished and why?
Castrate them. I don’t think I need to add to that.
What is a woman’s place in India compared to a man’s?
I think they are subordinated in a lot of ways, not just in the workplace or at home. There is some sort of subordination happening at every moment. You wake up, you go out, you are subjected to those rules and regulations, and I don’t think they are equal in any sense.
There is about 5% of the population that has surpassed or transcended those regulations, but there is still a large population that needs to break from that shell.
What do you think the Indian government should do to protect women?
Fast track trials. I think that is the main thing right now. If you talk about the rape of the 8-year-old, or the case in Uttar Pradesh, everything is so laid back, so lackadaisical. They really need to have a hands-on approach to rape and sexual harassment.
Following the global coverage of the recent rape attacks, what do you want to say to the world about how India treats women?
Undoubtedly, it’s really unfortunate because in so many ways we have come forward and presented ourselves in a completely different light. And when cases like these happen, the entire country is pigeonholed into a “rape country.” People who visit here, women are given explicit instructions to “wear the right clothes” and “not look around.” I think that’s unfortunate because there’s more to India.
‘I only feel safe in this slum’
Kishwar Jahan, 60, social worker at a school in Laxmi Nagar slum
As a woman, do you feel safe in India?
I only feel safe in this slum, at least we know each other here.
The women do not feel safe because the crime has increased so much and they have increased in way that there is no hearing for them and especially during this government’s reign. Nobody is safe in Modi’s government [Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bhartiya Janata Party].
How do you think those who have been sexually violent towards women should be punished and why?
These things have been happening for a long time, but nothing like how it is happening today in this government. Every person is tense; be it a young girl or an old woman who steps out of the house is not safe.
