That said, I don't think top-down measures aimed at preventing rape are going to do much - not because the Indian government is doing anything wrong per say, but because it's considered a social norm to treat women as inferior people.
Top down measures can work, but they need to actually be implemented. It is all good and well to have these laws on the books, but they are barely enforced, and the people who made them barely follow those laws themselves.
You can bring about social changes by having visible women beating the system. Right now in the unlikely scenario that a rape is reported, it receives barely any attention, and most often the guys responsible walk free. The government can make visible televised crackdowns on rape with visible harsh punishments and that will begin to start changing the perceptions.
It already started a little. The gang rape on the bus that resulted in the girl dying generated enough news for the Indian people to start taking notice. Even now despite how common these headlines are, they are becoming more visible. It is being reported and people are seeing it for what it is. The perceptions are starting to change, the government can work to help that by showing visible support for women, right now though, they show more support for the rapists with how the police treat the victims.
