The number of rape cases reported in India in 2014 was more than double of those in 2001, a report titled "Status of Women in India" claimed on Friday. While 16,075 cases were registered in 2001, 36,735 were reported in 2014. These did not included cases of marital rape, as it is not considered a crime in India. Cases of cruelty against married women, however, rose from 49,170 to 122,877. The report also ranked India 141 out of 142 countries on women's health.

The report was released at the International Conference on Gender Equality in Kovalam, Kerala. Hundreds of Indian and foreign scholars and policymakers are participating in the three-day conference dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, organised by the Kerala government's department of social justice in association with the United Nations.

Pam Rajput, chairperson of a High-Level Committee that brought out the report, said that despite economic growth and education, women find it very difficult to make free choices, adding that India has one of the worst gender gaps in workforce participation.