Why do women commit crimes? This new book explains why

Hyderabad: Mahmooda Begum (name changed) hesitatingly got her hands on something from a grocery store. She hurriedly ran home, afraid of being apprehended as she had never stolen anything before. However, she was quickly apprehended by the locals who handed her over to the police and she was put behind bars. Her only crime: stealing a packet of milk to feed her hungry child. The item was not even worth Rs. 100 rupee, but instead of coming forward to pay for it, the onlookers or ‘society’ sent her to prison.

Infuriated by the social discourse, she was pushed to the point of no return. She decided to keep the newly gifted ‘criminal’ status. Indulging in bigger thefts, she gradually turned into a hardened criminal. This is one of the many such stories of unnamed women behind bars in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, stories that are untold and rarely become publicly known.

Once incarcerated, the utter disregard for privacy, the lack of comfort and social life, the distasteful companionship of inmates, and the piercing glare of society change women, triggering an appetite for crime until they become serial lawbreakers. Such dispositions are among many others narrated by Dr. Aziz Unnisa, in her book ‘Jailon Mein Mehroos Khawateen Ke Masail aur Inki Baaz aabadkaari’ (The Problems of Women in Jail and their Rehabilitation).

Noted poet, critic, and writer Prof. Ashraf Rafi released the meticulously researched book. Prof. Shahida Murtuza, professor in women’s studies and director, the Center for Women’s Studies at Maulana Azad National Urdu University said women make tremendous sacrifices for their families but extreme torture can sometimes tamper their patience. Children must be taught to respect women from a very young age to curb crimes against women, she stressed.

The Center under her leadership is helping scores of married women irrespective of their age to continue their education. She urged women to take pride in their family, their husbands and in-laws and asserted that “young children who stay with their mothers inside the jail are exposed to the jail culture from a very tender age.” She observed, “When they grow up, some of them are not afraid of the jail culture and not afraid of the crime. This needs to change.”

Research spanning nearly a decade

Dr. Aziz Unnisa continued her education after nearly 30 years, visited different jails in Hyderabad, Warangal, and Rajahmundry, interviewed several inmates, spoke to jailers, prisoners, including women who are incarcerated for their husband’s murders, to study the reasons, comprehend their issues, and document them with research spanning nearly a decade. Seeing her concern for these women, her husband supported her efforts.

Dr. Aziz Unnisa’s findings establish the generally conceived notion that poverty and crime are deeply intertwined and are the top reasons behind women committing crimes. Social issues, too, top the list of reasons. There are women who cannot afford to pay just a few thousand rupees and suffer for years behind bars. “At least 37.9% of convicts suffered from financial problems to afford a legal bailout, while 25% of women who were alone or without any family support had no other means to get out,” the findings report.

Most of the convicts are usually from economically backward classes and suppressed classes with an average of 3-4 children. Statistically, at least 63% of women are from backward classes or economically backward classes. A small portion of women who were educated was found indulging in ‘neat and white-collar crimes.’

That aside, extramarital affairs and dowry harassment are major reasons behind women murdering their husbands. In fact, nearly 56% of crimes committed by women are due to these two reasons, her book notes. Domestic violence, with men lashing out at their better halves while intoxicated, is another major reason. Some crimes are also a result of unnecessary provocation by either partner during a simple argument, her findings suggest.

For example, women in the Rajahmundry jail were mostly tied to cases of property disputes; the accused in the women’s wing of Warangal jail had cases related to thefts, drugs and prostitution; and the Chanchalguda jail in Hyderabad had a significant number of women committing crimes due to dowry harassment. Once convicted, women are exposed to a bitter and horrific life inside the jails. This changes some into good people while some kindle their dark side here. But Basheera Begum, who retired as the deputy superintendent of jails and continues to train women jail wardens, firmly believes in “Hate the crime, not the criminal,” citing how several women prisoners are now making a decent living working at petrol bunks under the prisons department.

Basheera Begum was instrumental in proposing to the government that accused or convicted women be given a chance to work. It was after her proposal that the state government established an all-women petrol bunk under the Maha Parivarthan program at Chanchalguda. This petrol pump is just a stone’s throw from the Chanchalguda Central jail where women prisoners nearing parole work in shifts all around the day. Basheera Begum believes, “If prisoners are given an opportunity, then can be their best selves once again.”

She said, “Women have incredible mental and physical capacity, but they take it for granted. It can be channelized to do incredible things, become extraordinary achievers with the right mentoring and counselling.”

Youths in jails

But it’s not just women who are affected by life in prison. According to Ms. Khalida Parveen, a paralegal volunteer who has been visiting the women's prisons and juvenile detention centers, “Jail is not the place to be. Under-trials at detention centers aged between 8 to 17 years have been strongly influenced by the ambience that they do not hesitate or feel even slightly shy about narrating their shameful crimes first-hand.”

For parents, one way to prevent this from happening to their child is to keep track of what their children are doing, and stop bad habits while they are still in their infancy, she said.

Today, many parents are unaware of the type of content their kids are exposed to on mobile devices and on the internet. It is often unmonitored, and one slip-up may expose them to unmentionable crimes, observed Press Council of India member M.A. Majeed. “The reason behind publishing news about minors indulging in adult crimes is to bring awareness among parents. This incognizance and lack of good character is breaching the fabric of society,” he said.

Rehabilitating women inmates

Jails are meant for correction and reform. But the dark experiences inside the jail remain with most convicts even when they are free. The infamy of their jail time results in social stigma and social acceptance levels usually dip below zero. Society often doesn’t want to associate itself with a former inmate or someone who has spent time in jail. This antisocial treatment and the lack of self-sustenance may also compel desolate women, in particular, to commit crimes again.

A solution proposed to counter this problem involves rehabilitating such women and giving them the opportunity and means to lead a normal life once again. The government must formulate a policy to provide rehab assistance to women released from jail, so they can continue to live their lives once again, they observed.

Dr. Aziz Unnisa said, “I want my findings to improve how women are treated in society as well as in jail. It may help in finding and implementing solutions to improve their lives once they are released from prison.” She added that these inmates can be trained in IT-related courses such as data entry, basic computer operations, mobile phone repair, or municipality and hospitality industry-related jobs to support them.

Indeed, the remarks by the author second the adage outside the Chanchalguda jail that reads “Life in jail is not pleasant. Avoid crime. Avoid Jail.”