DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA
In India where almost half of the population are women, they have always
been ill-treated and deprived of their right to life and personal
liberty as provided under the constitution of India. Women are always
considered as a physically and emotionally weaker than the males,
whereas at present women have proved themselves in almost every field of
life affirming that they are no less than men due to their hard work
whether at home or working places. Behind closed doors of homes all
across our country, people are being tortured, beaten and killed. It is
happening in rural areas, towns, cities and in metropolitans as well. It
is crossing all social classes, genders, racial lines and age groups.
It is becoming a legacy being passed on from one generation to another.
But offences against women which reflects the pathetic reality that
women are just not safe and secure anywhere.
Violence against women is not a new phenomenon. Women have to bear the
burns of domestic, public, physical as well as emotional and mental
violence against them, which affects her status in the society at the
larger extent. The statistics of increasing crimes against women is
shocking, where women are subjected to violence attacks i.e. foeticide,
infanticide, medical neglect, child marriages, bride burning, sexual
abuse of girl child, forced marriages, rapes, prostitution, sexual
harassment at home as well as work places etc. In all the above cases
women is considered as aggrieved person.
Domestic violence or domestic abuse typically occurs between people who
are in an intimate relationship. Most often the abusers are husbands,
ex-husbands, boyfriends or intimate partners. Domestic violence includes
physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Both men and women can be victims
of domestic abuse, but females are most often the victims. Domestic
violence is one of the most common forms of violence and happens in most
societies all over the world. It happens to women of all backgrounds.
Knowing the signs of abuse
You may not be able to
identify abuse in the early stages as it usually begins in a subtle way.
It can begin as an occasional unkind comment, can turn more vicious
later on and over a period of time the abuser begins controlling your
behavior and your life. As the situation worsens the abuse can become
more frequent, severe and violent putting your safety and that of your
children at a dangerous risk. Here are some signs that will help you
know if you are in a relationship with a person who abuses you.
Signs of domestic abuse
- You have to constantly keep asking the person money for your everyday expenses.
- The person often commits deliberate acts to scare you.
- The person is very possessive of you and questions your actions every time, often accusing you of being unfaithful.
- The person tries to control you in every way—what you do, what you wear, where you go, whom you talk to, etc.
- Gets violent when intoxicated with alcohol or drugs
- Threatens to kill you or threatens suicide
- Beats you up often or threatens you with a weapon
- Forces you to have sex without your consent
- Prevents you from seeing family members and friends
Dangers of domestic abuse
Domestic violence can be
especially dangerous if you are pregnant or have children. The health
of your unborn baby and that of your children are at extreme risk.
Besides, being witness
to abuse can have a psychologically negative impact on children. Most
men who abuse their wives abuse their children too.
Its not about anger, it is about power and control
There is a common
misconception that domestic violence is a result of pent up frustration
and anger. This is far from true. The truth is that the person who
abuses you tries to instill fear and gets a kick out of exercising
control over you. In order to exert power over you, the abuser may
employ different strategies to make you buckle to his pressure. Here are
some of the methods used by abusers to gain control over you.
- Calls you insulting names or engages in criticizing you.
- Blames you for his abusive behavior. Makes you feel that you deserve it.
- Scares you by breaking things in the house or hurting your children or pets.
- Threatens to hurt you, your children or your family members.
- Takes all the household decisions by himself and treats you like a slave.
- Does not allow you to meet friends, family members or to socialize.
- Calls you frequently when you are at work and portrays a bad image about you amongst your friends, relatives and office coworkers.
Ending the abuse
Domestic violence can
take a toll on your life and that of your children. Overtime the abuse
usually worsens and the frequency only increases, unless you take
preventive action at the earliest. Remember, domestic violence can break
you down and rob you of your self-esteem and confidence. The irony is
that over a period of time you may begin to doubt your own abilities and
integrity. Worse, you may actually begin to feel that you are at fault
for the torture that you suffer and even begin to feel that you probably
deserve it.
If you feel you are a
victim of domestic violence, talk about it to someone you trust—a
friend, relative, parent or colleague. It is also a good idea to talk to
your doctor about it. Your doctor will be able to help you cope with
it. He or she may also recommend you to an expert who specializes in
cases related to domestic abuse.
Being confused as you
may be, you may not be in a position to make a rational and intelligent
decision on your own. Therefore it is vital that you seek external
help—the sooner the better.
Legal Support
To prevent violence against women and to protect the rights of aggrieved
women, the legislation ‘The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence
Act, 2005’ was passed by the parliament. According to this act every
women who have been deprived of their right to life by the act of
husband or relatives of the husband, can file a complaint to the
protection officer, police officer or magistrate in the form of
‘Domestic Incident Report’ (Similar to FIR). Complaint can be filed by
the victim /aggrieved person or relatives, it will be considered as the
prima-facie evidence of the offence. Every ‘Domestic Incident Report’
has to be prepared by the Protection Officer which will assist in the
further investigation of the incidence. The protection officer will pass
certain orders i.e. protection of the women, custody of respondent and
order of monetary relief to the victim.
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