Kashmiri women feel unsafe under special powers Act

Rifat Mohidin

Srinagar, July 4

As the debate in the state continues on whether the Armed Force Special Powers Act (AFSPA) should stay or go, Kashmiri women feel unsafe under the law.

“In a democratic country, there is actually no need of security forces surrounding you all the time and making you feel the need of security. The huge presence of the Army and AFSPA is snatching my privacy as a young Kashmiri woman. I never feel safe in their presence,” said Baseera Farid, 25, a research scholar.

Many women in Kashmir believe that due to AFSPA, the crimes against women have increased at the hands of the Army and they have not been held accountable.

“Women in Kashmir have been subjected to sexual violence by security forces. The survivors fear to come forward because they know they will not get justice as the Army has AFSPA protection. Women are silently becoming suffering,” said Sumaya (24), who has done her research on the impact of militarisation on women in Kashmir.