The Madhya Pradesh government has shared data showing the high number of crimes against women from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities. This was revealed in the state assembly on Tuesday, showing how deep caste- and gender-based violence still run in society.

The data was shared in response to a question by opposition MLA Arif Masood. It shows that 7,418 rape cases were registered between 2022 and 2024 involving Dalit and Adivasi women. This means that, on average, seven SC/ST women were raped every day in the state during these three years.

The data also revealed that 558 women from these communities were murdered, and 338 were victims of gangrape in the same period.

Domestic violence and sexual harassment cases were also very high. According to the data, 1,906 SC/ST women faced domestic abuse, meaning nearly two women from these communities were abused in their homes every day.

There were also 5,983 cases of molestation, which means around five SC/ST women were sexually harassed each day in Madhya Pradesh.

In total, 44,978 crimes were recorded against SC/ST women in the state in the last three years. That means, on average, 41 crimes happened every single day against Dalit and Adivasi women.

SCs and STs make up about 38% of Madhya Pradesh’s population, with 16% SC and 22% ST.

This data highlights the urgent need for stronger protection and justice for women from marginalised communities.

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