The National Commission for Women (NCW) On Domestic Violence In India
Relevance: Prelims/Mains: Sociology: violence against Women & G.S paper I: Society and social issues: Women Issues: G.S paper II: Governance & Essay
CONTEXT
The National Commission for Women (NCW) launched a WhatsApp number on Friday to report cases of domestic violence, which have seen a rise during the coronavirus lockdown period.
The NCW said the WhatsApp number –-7217735372 — is in addition to the online complaint links and emails which are already operational.
This is an emergency number for women facing domestic violence complaints only.
The NCW urged people to report such cases through WhatsApp on the number so that the agency can provide support and assistance to the women in distress or experiencing domestic violence.
The number has only been launched for the period of lockdown till normal offices resume.
The announcement comes amid a rise in domestic violence cases due to the ongoing lockdown. It was found that many women who are victims of domestic violence are more vulnerable during the lockdown period.
NEWS IN DETAIL
The National Commission for Women (NCW), which receives complaints of domestic violence from across the country, has recorded more than twofold rise in gender-based violence in the national Coronavirus lockdown period. The total complaints from women rose from 116 in the first week of March (March 2-8), to 257 in the final week (March 23-April 1).
“Domestic violence cases have doubled than what it was before the lockdown. The cases of domestic violence are high in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab,” says NCW chief Rekha Sharma.
She says the main reason for the rise of domestic violence is that the men are at home and they are taking out their frustration on women and they refuse to participate in domestic work. Women are also confined within the four walls of the house and they cannot share their grief with anybody.
The victims are also scared of complaining to the police because they fear that harassment will increase. Sharma says, “Most of the complaints are coming via email. My team is working 24/7 and we are shifting the victims to hostels or help them to reach their parents’ home.”
NEWS ANALYSIS
Domestic violence/abuse or Intimate Physical Violence (IPV) occurs within a relationship that affects women and men, adults and children, married and unmarried, current spouses and ex-partners, pregnant and non– pregnant, emotionally stable and mentally challenged, educated and uneducated, rich and poor, Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight individuals.
No race is exempt. IPV can be isolated, repetitive or even span generations. Physical or sexual abuse is one of the components of domestic abuse which also encompasses social, emotional, economic and spiritual abuse.
One in every third woman (30%) in India has experienced domestic abuse since the age of 15. One in 10 Indian women has experienced sexual violence. Thirty-six per cent of Indian women have physical injuries such as bruises and cuts, 9% have eye injuries, were burnt or were the victims of acid attacks and 7% have deeper injuries. Only 2% of abused women have reported abuse to the police. The social framework of dowry contributes to increased domestic violence in India.
The incidence of domestic abuse among Indian men is rarely reported. A study from the state of Haryana estimated that 51.5% of men suffered abuse at the hands of their wives or partners. The incidence of domestic abuse among the LGBT Indian community is unknown, but is deemed to be very high.
Men, women and children who face domestic abuse experience emotional and psychological issues including anxiety, depression, increased fearfulness, lack of memory retention, low self-esteem, poor social skills, aggression, apathy, nightmares, substance or alcohol abuse, sleeping and eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosomatic disorders and suicidal tendencies.
The sequelae of domestic physical abuse includes fractures, broken bones, injuries to the head, eyes, ears, abdomen and internal organs which can be severe, life-threatening and even result in the death of the victim.
The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 in India includes marital rape and dowry harassment demands as forms of abuse. The act does not protect men against domestic abuse.
Domestic Violence Act – 2005
Domestic violence means
- Causing hurt, injury or danger to life, limb, health, safety or well-being, whether mental or physical.
- Causing harm, injury, or danger to the woman with an intention to coerce her or any other person related to her to meet any demand for dowry.
- “Physical abuse” includes hurt of any kind. Assault, criminal intimidation and criminal force.
- “Sexual abuse” such as conduct of a sexual nature such as forced sexual intercourse, forcing the aggrieved person to watch pornography or other obscene material. Forcibly using woman to entertain others, any other act of sexual nature, abusing, humiliating, degrading or otherwise violative of one’s dignity.
“Verbal and emotional abuse” such as Accusation/aspersion on character or conduct. Insult for not brining dowry, Insult for not having a male child. etc. Forcing to not attend school, college or any other educational institution preventing one from taking up a job repeated threats to cause pain to any person in whom the woman is interested. Preventing from marrying a person of your choice.
- “Economic abuse” such as not providing money for maintaining woman or her children.
- Not providing food, clothes, medicine. etc, Forcing woman out of the house. Preventing from accessing or using any part of the house, preventing or obstructing one from carrying on employment Non-payment of rent in case of a rented accommodation, selling or pawing stridhan or any other valuables without informing and without consent. Forcibly taking away salary, income or wages etc. Non-payment of other bills such as electricity, etc.
Who is covered under the Act?
- The Act covers all women who may be mother, sister, wife, widow or partners living in a shared household. The relationship may be in nature of marriage or adoption. In addition relationships with family members living together as a joint family are also included. However, no female relative of the husband or the male partner can file a complaint against the wife or the female partner, for e.g. the mother-in-law cannot file an application against a daughter-in-law, but she can file an application against her daughter-in-law for abetting her son to commit violence against her.
Who can file a complaint?
- Any woman who alleges to have been subjected to any act of domestic violence by the offender or any person may file a complaint on her behalf
- A child is also entitled to relief under the Domestic Violence Act. The mother of such a child can make an application on behalf of her minor child (whether male or female). In cases where the mother makes an application to the court for herself, the children can also be added as co-applicants.
Against whom can a complaint be filed?
- Any adult male member who has been in a domestic relationship with the woman
- Relatives of the husband or the male partner
- Includes both male and female relatives of the male partner
- To whom can information be given or complaint be made?
- Information may be given arid complaint can be made to a police officer/Protection Officer/Service provider (an NGO) or Magistrate.
For more such notes, Articles, News & Views Join our Telegram Channel.
Click the link below to see the details about the UPSC –Civils courses offered by Triumph IAS. https://triumphias.com/pages-all-courses.php