Addiction to phone and social media fuelling crimes against women in U’khand: Kandwal
Monday, 16 October 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The chairperson of Uttarakhand State Commission for Women (USCW) Kusum Kandwal has expressed concern about the rising incidents of crimes against women in the State due to the addiction to mobile phones and social media. Kandwal said that cases of alleged rape, kidnapping, eve teasing and other offences against women have seen a significant increase in a short span of time. Recently, a minor girl in Rishikesh was allegedly raped and gave birth to a baby. This incident has emphasised the urgent need to ensure the safety of women and girls, which has become a major issue for the USCW, she said.
Kandwal further added that the addiction to mobile phones and the influence of social media have contributed to the rise in offences against women across the State. Additionally, girls in the mountainous regions are also susceptible to such offences due to their dependency on social media. So, in order to address this matter effectively it is essential for parents to closely monitor their children’s activities and routines. With this, they must ensure to keep their children away from the excessive use of social media as much as possible, she added.
The USCW chief said that considering the increase in the number of cases involving women, the commission will be organising an awareness programme across the State. Further, she made an appeal to the police to conduct awareness programmes in schools and colleges to educate individuals about the detrimental impacts of social media and mobile phones in order to prevent such cases from occurring in the State.
