The NHRC has urged police to stop victim-shaming survivors of gender-based violence. The advisory links sensitive policing with faster responses and stronger safeguards against digital abuse.The NHRC stressed that violence against women was no longer limited to physical harm.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recommended that police personnel be sensitised to avoid moral judgements and victim-shaming when survivors of gender-based violence approach police stations.In its advisory on women's safety at work and in public spaces, the rights panel also called for regular police patrols at crime hotspots, greater awareness of sexual harassment and legal rights, and measures to address technology-enabled abuse.The NHRC said violence against women was no longer limited to physical harm. The rise of digital technology, particularly artificial intelligence, had led to a āsharp increaseā in cases of technology-facilitated gender-based violence in recent years, news agency Press Trust of India reported.It recommended sensitising women across age groups to risks such as ārevenge porn, doxxing, sharing of non-consensual explicit images and videos, and deep fakesā.
Awareness programmes on cybercrime and complaint mechanisms, including the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and the Sahyog portal, may be held in schools, colleges, universities and workplaces. Despite stringent laws protecting women's rights, āharassment remains a pervasive issueā, the NHRC said in its advisory dated October 23, which was shared through a statement on Tuesday.
It said women's safety must be addressed comprehensively through āpreventive and remedial measuresā, while taking their different social identities and circumstances into account.The advisory was sent to the secretaries of 10 Union ministries, including the ministries of women and child development, education, health and home affairs. It was also sent to the chairperson and chief executive officer of the Railway Board, as well as the chief secretaries of all states and administrators of Union Territories.
The authorities have been asked to implement the recommendations and submit an action-taken report within two months to inform the commission about the progress.Under its recommendations on the role of the police, the NHRC said: āSurvivors of gender-based violence often report facing resistance and moral policing in police stations when they try to register their complaints. It is recommended that police personnel be adequately sensitised to avoid making moral judgements and victim-shaming.āThe nodal ministry may consider preparing a standard operating procedure that clearly sets out protocols for dealing with survivors of gender-based violence and circulate it widely, including on social media, according to the advisory reported by PTI.The NHRC also recommended setting time-bound response standards for helplines and police arrival in cases of violence in public spaces. āPolice officers may undertake regular patrolling, especially in places that are deserted during the night and/or are crime hotspots,ā it said.As of December 2025, 14,658 of the country's 16,109 police stations, or 89 per cent, had a Women's Help Desk, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The advisory recommended ensuring that the remaining police stations also have functional help desks to assist women in distress.The commission said societal attitudes and mindsets that directly influence people's behaviour must also be addressed to ensure women's safety. It identified the lack of awareness about what constitutes sexual harassment and what to do after such an incident as a major concern.It recommended displaying targeted posters, flyers and other information in public spaces and workplaces to explain what constitutes harassment, women's legal rights, emergency numbers and available reporting mechanisms, including the Sexual Harassment Electronic Box portal, or SHe-Box.Overall, the NHRC's advisory calls for more sensitive policing, timely responses, stronger awareness of legal and digital risks, functional help desks and wider access to complaint mechanisms to improve women's safety at workplaces and in public spaces.- Ends