Female Criminality in India: Prevalence, Causes and Preventive Measures 1

IntroductionThe history of mankind reveals that the woman has been the foundation stone of a family in particular and society in general. Especially in India, a woman is seen as preserver of social norms, traditions, customs, morality and family cohesiveness. In the present world a woman has taken up added responsibility of making a mark of her own to have an identity along with nurturing her family. However, it is sad to see that women's achievement is also getting extended towards criminality in the social, cultural, economic and political milieu of India. Female Criminality in India is at rise along with the increase in crime against woman. The issue has reached to an alarming level which has compelled all the socially responsible scholars to focus on root cause of female turning to criminal activities in larger numbers. Female criminality has been theoretically stated as complicated; less understood and subject to easy control. The social environment contributes a lot to the making of women criminals.The gravity of the challenge increases manifold when we go through the available data on crime from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). While women criminals are still a minority- they comprise only 6.3% (NCRB Crime report 2009) of the criminals convicted for crimes under IPC (Indian Penal Code). The Crime in India Reports reveal that the number of females arrested for criminals activities in 2003 were 1,51,675, and this shot up to 1,54,635 in 2007. Also, interestingly, the nature of crimes committed by them too, is gradually witnessing a sea change - from softer crimes like drug trafficking and prostitution to heinous crimes as murder. 3439 women were arrested for murder in 2005; 3812 in 2007 and 4007 in 2009 that is an increase from 5.4% in 2005 to 6% in 2007 and 6.4% in 2009 (NCRB figures).Studying the available data, it is observed that along with the increase in total crime rate, crime committed by women is increasing. The total percentage of female criminals among the total criminals arrested for committing various crimes in 2001 has risen from 5.4% to 6.2% in 2011. Looking at the figures one would think that it is hardly 0.8% increase in a decade. However, going into details, it is observed that the nature and severity of crimes in which women are involved has undergone drastic change. Earlier there were lesser records of women involving in heinous crimes, however as time passed, women arrested for much harder and sophisticated crimes is at rise. There is a need to understand the pattern of female criminality and this article moves in this direction.This article deals with type of causes of female criminality emerging due to socio-economic changes and provides recommendations to prevent women from becoming offenders. This article is divided in to two parts. The first part examines female criminality in India with statistical representation and the second part discusses on various causes of female criminality and it concludes with recommendations to prevent female criminality in India.I. Female Criminality in IndiaAs stated in the beginning, in India also the social environment contributes a lot to the making of women criminals. Here, it has more to do with the patriarchal society. According to Psychologist Anchal Bhagat, the female offenders have lost faith in social system. Women's fate is sealed and they face deprivation instead of constitutional rights and privileges. Discrimination within society exists from birth till last breath in most parts in India. Bhagat, in her work, had mentioned one such very famous example about a victim turned victimizer, Phoolan Devi. Her story as a victimizer starts with law failing to give her justice. Phoolan Devi denied of justice had turned into notorious bandit queen who later became politician. However, in her short struggle-full life she had gained lot of enemies and she was murdered. Stating an example like this Bhagat concludes that the compelling factors such as want of economic independence, recognition in society and to earn a respectable position in the society is what probably forces women like Phoolan Devi to resort to extreme steps of taking law in their hands. …