7 Women From Scheduled Castes, Tribes Raped Every Day In Madhya Pradesh

In a startling revelation that lays bare the deep-rooted caste and gender-based violence in Indian society, the Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday presented data in the state assembly that shows a disturbing pattern of crimes against women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities.

Responding to a question raised by opposition MLA Arif Masood, the government disclosed that between 2022 and 2024, a total of 7,418 rape cases were registered against women from SC/ST communities. 

This translates to an average of seven Dalit or Adivasi women raped every day in the state over the past three years.

The data also revealed that 558 women from these communities were murdered, while 338 were victims of gangrape during the same period.

The statistics further paint a grim picture of domestic violence and sexual harassment. 

As many as 1,906 SC/ST women faced domestic abuse -- meaning nearly two women from these communities were subjected to violence in their own homes every day. 

Additionally, 5,983 cases of molestation were reported, indicating that around five SC/ST women faced sexual harassment each day.

In total, 44,978 crimes against SC/ST women were recorded in the last three years, which means that on average, 41 crimes were committed every day against women from these marginalised communities in Madhya Pradesh.

SCs and STs together comprise approximately 38 per cent of Madhya Pradesh's population -- 16 per cent SC and 22 per cent ST.