Violence against women in India is increasing, and basic rights, such as the right to choose whether to marry, continue to be denied. In June of this year, a woman was burned alive in front of a bustling railway station in one of India’s most urban cities. The 41-year old single woman had refused to marry a suitor, who decided to douse her with kerosene and set her afire. Despite her screams, no one stopped to help until she was nearly dead and had burns covering 95 percent of her body. Other forms of violence, such as acid throwing and bride burnings, persist despite India’s legal protection of women’s rights. The National Crime Records Bureau indicates a 40 percent increase in reported incidents of sexual harassment and a 15.2 percent increase in dowry deaths between 1998 and 1999.
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