Laws Applicable on Sexual Harassment & Women Rights

Section 66A, Online Abuse and Offensive Messages

Section 66A:-

Section 66A of the IT Act describes, which penalised sending offensive messages through an online medium. The types of information these covers are offensive messages of a menacing character, or a message that the sender knows to be false but is sent for the purpose of ‘causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, or ill will.’ If you are booked under Section 66A, You can face up to 3 years of imprisonment along with a fine. The types of information sent for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, or ill will. The judgement about Section 66A is face up to 3 years of imprisonment along with a fine.

Influence of Internet

Nowadays, internet has a vital role.Through internet, women face large amounts of sexist harassment, abuse, discrimination on the basis of their gender, rather than their opinions, or beliefs. For women who face such abuse, the first law to which they could logically recourse is Section 66A of the IT Act. Overall 4154 cases were reported under this section during the year 2015.Recently, Bollywood singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya was arrested by the BKC Cyber Cell in Mumbai for abusing female journalist Swati Chaturvedi on micro blogging site Twitter, case was registered against him after the journalist lodged a complaint against him. He was booked under Section 66A of IPC for sending offensive messages online. However, the use of 66A to file a case against cyber sexual harassment seemed to be a victory for the law of  cyber problems.

Various laws applicable on the sexual harassment and women’s rights

Not just 66A there are other sections of the IPC that can be used when a woman suffers online harassment, these sections can be called into play for online harassment too.

Section 509: Insulting the modesty of a woman.

An act, word or gesture intended to insult the modesty of a woman and other forms of sexual abuse faced by women online - can fall under this.

Section 499: Defamation

Defamation is a catch-all term for any statement that harming someone's reputation. Section 499 too can be used against the online abusers.

Section 228a: Disclosure of the identity of victims of certain offences

Images of rape victims, as well as images and videos of rape, are sometimes published on the Internet, this is not legal.

Section 503: Criminal Intimidation

Rape threats is the most common violence against women online. Many of the women Twitteratis and Bloggers are a victim of these threats.

Section 507: Anonymous Communication

Many of the senders issuing rape threats other threats of violence. This section can be used against them.

We can use Section 66A and other sections to file a case against cyber sexual harassment for online abuse. These messages can be in the form of text, images, audio, or video. You can face up to 3 years of imprisonment along with a fine in case you are booked under Section 66A.