Special gun for Indian girls

orld news Most popular Can a gun protect India's
women from rape and
violence? Named after the 23-year-old who was raped and
killed in Delhi in 2012, the Nirbheek pistol has
been designed for women. But it has drawn
fierce criticism from women's groups and anti-
gun campaigners Sunday 19 January 2014
09.00 EST The Nirbheek gun designed for women: comes in a bejewelled maroon case. Jon Henley It weighs barely 500g, is slim enough to slip into
a purse, features an attractive darkwood handle
on a black titanium-alloy body and comes in a
bejewelled maroon case. Engraved on its barrel
is the name Nirbheek: Hindi for fearless, and a
synonym for Nirbhaya, the name given to the unnamed 23-year-old Delhi woman whose
torture, gang rape and, ultimately, death at the hands of six men in December 2012 sparked
national and international outrage. The launch by India's state-run Indian Ordnance Factory of what is billed as the
country's first handgun for women, and named
after the victim of such a horrific murder, has
drawn fierce criticism from women's groups and
anti-gun campaigners who say it is an admission
of state failure and an insult to Nirbhaya's memory. But Abdul Hameed, the factory owner, told the BBC the gun would increase women's confidence and deter attackers: "We believe that
women who carry this gun will feel fearless," he
said. Despite tough new laws against rape, a greater police presence and the launch of
dedicated women's helplines in several cities,
shocking attacks on women – such as last week's gang rape of a 51-year-old Danish tourist in New
Delhi – remain commonplace in India: general violence and homicides using guns may be
falling, but levels of reported sexual crimes have
increased significantly in recent years. Figures
from the National Crime Records Bureau
suggest one rape is committed every 22 minutes. Only 15% of the estimated 40m guns in India are held legally, and while the total number of
guns is the second-highest number in the world
after the US, ownership per capita remains
comparatively low at three for every 100 people.
But faced with what many see as the state's
inability to assure their security, there is mounting evidence that middle-class women in
particular are turning to firearms. Anti-gun activists have reacted with horror to the launch of Nirbheek, saying women's safety
should be the government's responsibility. They
also object to the weapon's name, which was
suggested by the factory's staff, and question
whether carrying a gun actually makes anyone
safer – research in eight indian states by the Women Gun Survivors Network suggests people
are 12 times more likely to be shot dead if they
are armed when attacked. Critics also say that the high cost of the weapon, about £1,200 – 40% more than India's
average annual income – is far beyond the reach
of the vast majority of women. Many have also
pointed out that firearms are banned in almost
all public places in India. A "gun for women" sends entirely the wrong message, women's rights activist Ruchira Gupta told CNN. "Nirbhaya was a victim of violence caused by a desire of six men to project their
masculinity through domination," she said.
"Ultimately, we have to challenge the culture of
domination and violence through nonviolence,
not through introducing more tools of violence."