Bihar in India has imposed a total ban on alcohol in response to a spike in violence against women.

The state, India’s third biggest with a population of 100 million, will enforce the ban from April 1, 2016.

India has been in the world’s spotlight in recent years due to a number of highly publicised and horrific sexual attacks, including the fatal gang rape of a young woman on a bus in 2012.

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The state’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced the bold move on Thursday, saying a group of women had initiated an anti-alcohol campaign.

“Increasing liquor consumption was a major cause for domestic violence, particularly against women, and had contributed to a rise in crimes,” he said in the announcement.

“I have instructed my officials to start working towards this [ban] and implement this from the next financial year.”

The state will join other Indian states of Gujarat, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland in prohibition, as well as Saudi Arabia, Libya, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Only the bans in Bangladesh and Afghanistan affect more people.

Traditionally, prohibition has caused the proliferation of black markets, but Mr Kumar said any attempts to flout the rules would be “dealt with strongly”.

Residents of Bihar currently drink on average on half pint of local spirit “toddy” per week, according to Fairfax Media.

Beer and wine are more expensive and thus less popular in the region.

The move comes after an increase in reported rapes, including child rapes, in the area.

The rapes of two girls aged two and five sparked angry protests in October, just one week after a four-year old was reportedly raped and deserted on train tracks.

Harsher penalties for violent sexual assaults have been introduced in India since 2012, although experts say they won’t solve the problem.