THE news that a young Indian woman has lost her life after a brutal gang rape in New Delhi is a stark reminder that many women around the world do not enjoy the same freedoms and liberties as we do in this country.

But the Jimmy Savile affair and its aftermath also remind us that even in a society where equality before the law is established, there are still many opportunities for the vulnerable to be exploited by people who abuse the power and status their position accords them.

One of the most horrific details is that Savile was free to roam the corridors of care homes and hospitals and to carry out his abuse of vulnerable victims who should have been able to expect care and protection from these institutions.

We have seen a spike in the reporting of historic sexual assaults at rape crisis centres up and down the country. I hope that at last we are able to put clear lines in the sand about what is and what is not acceptable behaviour.

And we should show zero tolerance against this unpleasant behaviour. It was horrifying to see footage of a sexual assault being captured on Top of the Pops and then to hear the young woman tried to complain but was dismissed by BBC staff.

It shows an astonishing amount of complicity at the BBC. By turning a blind eye, it created conditions for Savile to indulge himself.

And that really is a lesson for all of us. If we ignore low level sexual banter, shrug it off and not let it bother us, we are allowing sexism to go unchallenged.

Sexualised imagery is so much a part of popular culture and entertainment that we take it for granted that it is part of the scenery. But we should be prepared to give challenge where things make us uncomfortable.

And yes, I think that in the 21st century it isn’t a very healthy comment on society that page 3 features in our best-selling national newspaper.

But back to the events in India. This year the UK takes the presidency of the G8 and will be using its position to fight against rape as a weapon of war.

We know that in Bosnia more than 50,000 rapes were committed, but only 30 men have been convicted of rape at the war crimes tribunal. We need to give a clear signal that rape will be prosecuted as a war crime.

And there is more we can do to improve the rights of women. Much of our aid budget, for example, is being spent on educating girls.

The recent case of the young girl shot by the Taliban for daring to go to school illustrates what women are up against in some societies.

So we need to show leadership, but we need to get our own house in order too. Let’s hope these events mark a real step, change in attitudes and behaviour.