Criminal Law Amendment Act which came
into force in the year 2013 is the most significant
step as far as the protection of the women’s
rights is concerned. The issue of gender justice
in India is incomplete without the reference to
the Justice Verma Committee Report that led to
the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 2013. The
Report is very crucial and cannot be overlooked
as it dealt with the issues related to gender justice
and gender equality with such expertise that it
encompasses almost every important aspects
involved of the ideology. This article tries to
throw light on the perspectives of gender equality
and gender justice with special reference to the
contribution of Justice Verma Committee Report
in this regard.
The Committee was set up by the Government
in response to the long standing demand
from all parts of the society and triggered by
nationwide protest that erupted after Nirbhaya
Case that happened in Delhi, in December
- The Committee report in its preface itself,
recognises and categorically states the reason for
constituting the committee that,
“…in response to the country-wide peaceful
public outcry of civil society, led by the youth,
against the failure of governance to provide a
safe and dignified environment for the women
of India, who are constantly exposed to sexual
violence. The immediate cause was the brutal
gang rape of a young woman in the heart of the
nation’s capital in a public transport vehicle in
the late evening of December 16, 2012.”