Kashmiri Women Still Await Justice for Brutal Crimes

For decades, Kashmiri women have suffered grave human rights violations at the hands of Indian forces in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Despite global awareness, justice remains elusive.

According to human rights organizations, Indian forces have used rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war to suppress the Kashmiri freedom movement. The biggest victims of India’s authoritarian rule in the region are Kashmiri women.

From 1989 to 2020, over 11,224 Kashmiri women were raped by Indian forces. In 1992 alone, 882 women were subjected to mass rape.

A 1994 Human Rights Watch report confirmed:

“The Indian army uses rape as a tool to spread fear and collective punishment.”

Indian troops have also engaged in lootings, massacres, and sexual violence as retaliation against pro-freedom fighters.

An Asia Watch report revealed that in just one week, 44 extrajudicial killings and 15 rape incidents were reported.

Despite the scale of violence, not a single perpetrator has been punished in 76 years, highlighting the lack of accountability within Indian institutions.

The Research Society of International Law noted that women aged 11 to 60 have not been spared.

Due to the impunity granted by the Indian government, troops continue to commit sexual crimes without fear. Indian forces have weaponized rape to crush the Kashmiri resistance.

A report by the Bayan Board of Directors described Kashmir as having the highest rate of sexual violence against women in the world.

As of today, Kashmiri women remain without justice, waiting for the world to act.