Wildlife surveillance tools in India are being misused to harass and control women, highlighting deep societal and systemic gender inequalities.

A troubling misuse has emerged in India’s vast forests—places where conservation technology is designed to protect wildlife. Tools like drones, camera traps, and sound recorders, originally intended to safeguard biodiversity, are being weaponized to surveil and harass women. The misuse of these technologies reveals a failure to protect women’s rights and a widening chasm between progress and moral integrity.

For women in villages bordering northern India’s Corbett Tiger Reserve, the forest has traditionally been a place of refuge—a rare reprieve from the societal norms that constrain them. This sense of freedom, however, is eroding. Research led by Trishant Simlai of Cambridge University, involving 270 residents, uncovered disturbing realities: drones meant for wildlife monitoring are deliberately flown over women, forcing them to flee in panic. The forest, once a sanctuary, has become an extension of the ever-present male gaze, amplified by invasive technology.

Camera traps heralded as breakthroughs for wildlife protection now evoke fear and distrust among women. In one particularly egregious case, local men circulated an image of an autistic woman relieving herself in the forest on social media. Outrage erupted, leading to the destruction of nearby surveillance cameras. As Rosaleen Duffy, a conservation expert at Sheffield University, notes, this is not mere technological misuse—it is deliberate harassment wielded as a tool of control. These incidents are neither isolated nor accidental. They reflect a broader societal acceptance of violence against women, where surveillance morphs into a sinister instrument of male dominance masked as environmental stewardship.

India’s global aspirations stand in sharp contrast to its enduring gender crisis. The country, touted for its economic potential, has one of the world’s most appalling records for violence against women. Since the horrific 2012 Delhi gang rape that captured global attention, annual rape cases have surged to over 30,000, with more than 40,000 incidents reported in 2023–2024. In Delhi alone, an average of four rapes are reported daily—numbers that likely underrepresent the true scale, as many survivors never report the crimes.

Violence permeates even the institutions meant to embody honor and discipline. Allegations of harassment within the armed forces, including claims against senior officers like Major General R.S. Jaswal, expose a troubling erosion of moral accountability. Foreign women are not immune, either. High-profile attacks on tourists tarnish India’s international reputation, deterring those drawn to its rich cultural heritage and further highlighting the country’s inability to ensure safety for all.

Laws designed to combat violence against women exist, yet enforcement remains woefully inadequate. Criminal defense attorney Rebecca M. John points out that the rape conviction rate has stagnated between 27–28% from 2018 to 2023. “Predators commit crimes when they feel assured of impunity,” she says, highlighting critical failures in policing and judicial systems. These systemic lapses reinforce a grim normalization of gendered violence, where the very tools of justice become complicit in perpetuating harm.

Misusing wildlife surveillance tools exemplifies the ethical dilemmas facing a rapidly modernizing nation. As India’s economic influence grows, its social fabric frays. Conservation efforts are undeniably vital, but when technologies intended to protect the environment are turned against vulnerable groups, they expose more profound questions about governance and priorities. The government’s failure to address this abuse not only undermines domestic promises of gender equality but also compromises international commitments to human rights.

Global institutions and civil society organizations must demand stricter oversight, greater transparency, and accountability for those who exploit surveillance technologies. Tools meant to preserve biodiversity and bolster India’s global standing are being distorted into weapons of oppression, exacerbating gender inequality and marginalizing women further. True progress requires balancing innovation with ethics—a balance India has yet to achieve.

The consequences of ignoring this problem are profound. How can a nation aspire to greatness if the safety and dignity of half its population are sacrificed for the illusion of progress? What kind of leadership can India claim if its most vulnerable citizens are exploited under the guise of technological advancement?

India faces a stark choice: Will it curb the misuse of power and technology or allow these tools to deepen the entrenched inequalities it claims to fight? The path forward lies in its people’s willingness to demand accountability, challenge societal norms, and oppose this misuse of technology.

Progress without justice is no progress at all. Until India ensures that technology serves all its people—women included—it will struggle to reconcile its ambitions with its realities.