Cyber Crime Against Women With Special Reference To The State Of Madhya Pradesh
- IJLLR Journal
- Sep 3
- 2 min read
Monu Kumawat, Jai Narain Vyas University
ABSTRACT
Women and cybercrime are one of the areas of the online era that lag behind the rest-affecting women both in their privacy, dignity and even safety. Due to the swift change in technology and extensive use of the internet resource, an Indian woman particularly in the State of Madhya Pradesh is becoming more susceptible to various forms of cybercrimes such as cyberstalking, online harassment, identity theft, revenge pornography, and cyberbullying attacks. When a person commits these crimes, the results are not only immediate but also result in long-term psychological and social effects.
This paper aims at investigating socio-legal aspects of cybercrimes against women in particular in the context of Madhya Pradesh where crimes related to women in this segment are increasingly on the rise. Paper looks into the laws that are set to safeguard women against cybercrimes in India, in this case Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) criminalize various activities committed over the internet like cyberstalking, defaming and publishing obscene materials. Even when such laws do exist, the study brings out that there is a huge gap in the execution and enforcement of the same in the rural parts of Madhya Pradesh where the technological influx and the prevalence of information on cyber crimes are very low.
The socio-cultural issues form an important part in under reporting of such crimes as well. The society may also make women reluctant to pursue justice due to its negative attitude towards women such as victim-blaming, and the absence of support mechanisms set up to aid women. In addition, the law enforcement agencies in Madhya Pradesh have significant barrier to overcome to pursue and investigate cybercrimes, including inadequate training and technical skills.
The study points out that there is a necessity of better law provisions, increased training of law enforcers in capacity building and also enhanced awareness created amongst the women. It also demands the changes in the society where women are given a chance to tell about cybercrimes and use the law. Lastly, the paper shows how an effective legal and societal framework is urgently required in a bid to guard women against the menace of rising cybercrime.
