As the world marks International Women’s Day, the plight of Kashmiri women in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) remains a grim testament to the ongoing oppression they face. A report by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service sheds light on the devastating impact of Indian state terrorism on women in the region.
Since January 2001, at least 688 women have been martyred by Indian forces. Additionally, since 1989, 22,981 women have been widowed, while 11,266 have suffered molestation and disgrace at the hands of Indian troops. These figures highlight the systematic brutality inflicted on Kashmiri women.
The report revisits some of the most heinous crimes committed against women in IIOJK, including the Kunan-Poshpora mass rape, the Shopian double rape and murder of 17-year-old Aasiya Jan and her sister-in-law Neelofar Jan, and the brutal gang rape and murder of eight-year-old Aasifa Bano in Kathua. These cases are harrowing reminders of the widespread sexual violence that continues under Indian occupation.
The Kashmir conflict has long been marred by sexual violence. In 1947, during the Jammu massacres, Dogra troops and Hindu extremists launched a brutal campaign against the region’s Muslim population, involving mass rapes and abductions. These atrocities were part of a systematic attempt at ethnic cleansing under the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh.
Since the 1988 uprising, human rights organizations have documented the use of rape as a weapon of war by Indian forces, including the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Border Security Force (BSF). Reports confirm that Indian troops have targeted Kashmiri civilians, particularly women, through violence, torture, and sexual assault, often during cordon-and-search operations.
A 1993 Human Rights Watch report highlighted the use of rape as a means of retaliation by Indian forces. In 1992, Asia Watch and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) visited Kashmir to document these crimes, later publishing a report titled Rape in Kashmir in May 1993.
The suffering of Kashmiri women extends beyond sexual violence. Thousands have lost their sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers to enforced disappearances by Indian troops. The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons estimates that at least 8,000 Kashmiris have gone missing in custody over the past 36 years. Many women, now known as “half-widows,” live in perpetual uncertainty, neither recognized as widows nor wives. The psychological toll has been immense, with many suffering from trauma and depression.
The report also highlights the severe injuries inflicted on Kashmiri children by Indian troops, including the case of four-year-old Zuhra Majeed, who was struck by pellets in her legs and abdomen outside her home in Srinagar in July 2016.
In July 2021, a minor Dalit girl was gang-raped in Jammu’s Dansal area by a police constable and a Special Police Officer (SPO), showcasing how impunity emboldens state actors.
The world community must act to halt the rampant sexual violence being perpetrated in IIOJK. Currently, over three dozen women and girls, including prominent Hurriyat leaders, remain in illegal detention for their political beliefs and advocacy for Kashmir’s right to self-determination. The wives and daughters of detained Kashmiri activists continue to suffer, including Rafiqa Begum, the wife of Hurriyat leader Ayaz Akbar, who passed away from cancer while her husband remained imprisoned in Tihar Jail since 2017.
Another victim, Maroofa Meraaj, wife of jailed Hurriyat leader Raja Meraaj-ud-Din Kalwal, struggles to raise her four daughters in his absence. She describes her life as unbearable, stating that her husband’s imprisonment is purely due to his political stance.
Hundreds of Kashmiri women who married youth from IIOJK and migrated from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) face discrimination, denied citizenship rights and travel documents. Their children are refused admission to government schools, exacerbating their suffering.
One such woman, Saba Fayaz from AJK, has been unable to visit her family since 2012. “My mother recently passed away, and I couldn’t see her one last time. Many of us have lost loved ones but were denied the chance to attend their funerals,” she lamented.
Despite global commitments to women’s rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Kashmiri women continue to be denied their fundamental rights.
Testimonies from international organizations confirm that rape is systematically used as a weapon of war in IIOJK. Professor William Baker testified at the 52nd United Nations Commission on Human Rights that sexual violence in Kashmir is not a result of undisciplined soldiers but a deliberate policy deployed by Indian forces to intimidate and humiliate Kashmiris. Amnesty International’s 1992 report confirmed that rape was being systematically used during counterinsurgency operations.
Human Rights Watch has noted that most cases of sexual violence by Indian troops go unpunished, as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) grants them near-total impunity. Scholars Om Prakash Dwivedi and V. G. Julie Rajan have also documented how this law enables Indian military personnel to commit war crimes without accountability. Journalist Freny Manecksha has reported that remote communities, such as the Gujjar population, are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence due to their geographic isolation.
Human rights activist Khurram Parvez emphasizes that victims often fear retaliation, preventing them from reporting crimes. “In several cases, when rape was reported, the victims’ families were attacked or prosecuted,” he explained.
The plight of Kashmiri women is a global human rights concern. As the world observes International Women’s Day, it is imperative for international organizations, including the United Nations, to intervene and hold India accountable for the ongoing crimes against Kashmiri women. The resilience of Kashmiri women in the face of such immense suffering stands as a testament to their strength, but justice remains elusive.
The world must act now to ensure that the voices of these women are heard and their rights upheld.
