Questions outside the tennis courtRadhika Yadav’s murder is a chilling reminder of the horrendous state of society and brings to light how women realizing their worth can be unsettling. It raises critical questions: Why does a woman’s financial independence threaten male pride? Does success for women come at the cost of their safety?For long, women have been victims of limited autonomy, emotional abuse and rigid gender norms. According to the Centre for Honour Crime Research, based on National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 251 cases of honour killing were officially recorded in India in 2024 — a sharp rise from 33 in 2021. Experts believe that the actual numbers are much higher as many cases go unreported. Institutional reforms, rigid laws, sex education, and changes in societal patterns can help in reducing gender-based violence to a great extent. But these require persistent efforts by committed individuals.Speaking to TNIE, Dr. Priyanka Tripathi, Associate Professor of Literature and Gender Studies at Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, says, “Eradicating violence against women requires sensitisation and education of all individuals from an early childhood, creation of safe spaces that encourage communication and exchange of appropriate information, gender sensitive policy making, as well as sensationalization of domestic violence and its consequences. Challenging our existing epistemological structure is equally important and can be achieved by disrupting the structures that are embedded in our daily lives, such as fairy tales, oral narratives, religious practices, use of words, distribution of responsibility within the family structure, recognition of economic inflow and so on.”The renowned poet Amrita Pritam rightly pitched for individualism in the face of gendered expectations, a mindset which is the need of the hour. “I was not born to be a daughter, a wife, or a mother — I was born to be myself,” she said.Radhika lived by these thoughts bravely in her short life.
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