Bill for women’s security in Japan: against upskirting.
A new bill has been introduced in the parliament for the safety of women in Japan against upskirting. If this bill is passed and becomes a law, then a person found guilty of taking objectionable photos of women in skirts or other clothes in Japan will have to face the punishment of up to three years in jail and a fine of lakhs of rupees. This bill has been brought in the Parliament on public demand.
The purpose of bringing this bill is to prevent crimes related to women like upskirting. Britain and many countries in Europe have already put it in the rape category. Punishment has also been fixed for this in these countries.
What is upskirting?
Criminal minded people click photos of women in short clothes. Then they sell them to a porn website, or that woman is defamed under revenge porn. This type of act is called upskirting. In Japan, it is now being included in the rape category. In the local language i.e. Japanese it is called ‘chikan’.
According to a research, such crimes are often committed in crowded public places, theaters and stadiums. Most cases have been reported in Japan’s metro trains. Here, in a hurry, women are unable to take care of their clothes and become victims of the dirty mentality of the criminals.
Laws have been made in many countries against upskirting. To prevent such crimes in Britain, a law was made after three years of struggle. And social activist Gina Martin campaigned for 3 years against upskirting in Britain.
The bill is
Strict provisions have been made in the bill to prevent upskirting. It is sure to pass. The accused arrested in this case will be produced before the court. Strict bail conditions will apply. And after confiscation of all his electronic devices, his forensic examination also will be done.
There will be a hearing in the court. All the reports will be presented in it. If convicted, the minimum punishment will be three years and a fine of Rs 18 lakh. In case of non- payment of fine, one more year will have to be served.
To prevent such crimes, Japanese mobile phone makers have started using ‘audible shutter sound’ technology. In this, as soon as a photo is clicked, a sound will be heard. With this, women will become alert about any activity happening around them and also will be able to report to the police immediately.
Also read: Bill passed to ban caste discrimination in California.
