INTRODUCTION

What is domestic violence

Facts about domestic violence
Consequences
Domestic violence on women & girls
Factor that perpetuate domestic violence
Impact of domestic violence on children
Domestic violence against children
Acts on domestic violence (also NFHS-3)
Need for new act

What is domestic violence

Domestic violence can be
described as the power
misused by one adult in a
relationship to control
another.

Facts about domestic violence

21-28% women are abused by a current or former partner some

time during their lives

14-25% of ever-married women report being raped by their
current or former husbands
25% of women who attempt suicide may have suffered domestic
violence
45% to 59% of mothers of abused children are themselves the
victims of spouse abuse
Only a small percentage of victims of domestic violence are
identified in medical practice.
Never Married Women Also Experience Physical and Sexual
Violence
Most Women Do Not Seek Help When They Are Abused

consequences
Denial of fundamental rights
Human development goals Undermined
Health consequences
Physical
Mental
Fatal outcomes

Impact on children

Injury (from lacerations to

fracturesand internal organs
Depression
injury)
Fear
Unwanted
pregnancy

Anxiety Suicide
Gynaecological
problems

Homicide
Low self-esteem
STDs
including HIV/AIDS
Maternal

Sexual
dysfunction
Miscarriage
mortality
Eating problems
Chronic
pelvic pain
HIV/AIDS
Obsessive-compulsive
Permanent
disabilities
disorder
Irritable bowel syndrome
Post traumatic
stress
Self-injurious
behaviours
disorder

DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE
AGAINST
WOMEN AND GIRLS

Magnitude of problem

Physical abuse
Sexual abuse and rape
Psychological and emotional abuse
Femicide
Sexual abuse of children & adolescents
Forced prostitution
Sex selective abortion & infanticide
Traditional & cultural practices affecting the
health & lives of women.

Factor that perpetuate

domestic violence [causes]
Cultural

Gender-specific socialization
Womens economic
dependence
on men
Cultural definitions
of appropriate
sex roles
Limited access to cash and credit
Expectations
of roles laws
within
relationships
Discriminatory
regarding
Lesser legal status
of womeninheritance,
either by
rights,
use
of practice
communal
lands, and
Belief inproperty
the inherent
superiority
of males
written
law
and/or
by
after
divorce or
widowhood
Laws
regarding
divorce,
child
custody,
Values maintenance
that
give
men
proprietary
rights
over women and girls
Under-representation
maintenance
of
women
in
Limited access
to
employment
and inheritance in formal and
Notion
of
the family
as the
private
sectors
power,informal
the media
in the
politics,
Legal
definitions
ofand
rape
and sphere
domesticand under male control
abuse
Limited
access
to education
and training for
legal and
professions
Customs
ofmedical
marriage
(bride
price/dowry)
Domestic
women
taken
Lowviolence
levels ofnot
legal
literacy among
Acceptability
of
violence
as
a means to resolve conflict
seriously
women
Notions
of family being
private
and
Insensitive
treatment
of women
and girls
beyondby
control
of
the
state
police and judiciary
Risk of challenge to status
quo/religious laws
Limited organization of women as a
political force
Limited participation of women in
organized political system

Economic
Legal
political

Impact of Domestic Violence

on Children
Children who witness

domestic violence may

develop serious emotional,
behavioral, developmental
or academic problems.
children and teens who
grow up with domestic
violence in the household
are most likely to-

attempt suicide
Use drugs
become abusers
in later life
commit crimes

Domestic violence against

children
Every year, as many as 275 million children worldwide become

caught in the crossfire of domestic violence and suffer the full

consequences of a turbulent home life.
Violence against children involves physical and psychological
abuse and injury, neglect or negligent treatment, exploitation
and sexual abuse.
The perpetrators may include parents and other close family

members.
Children who survive abuse often suffer long-term physical
and psychological damage that impairs their ability to learn
and socialize, and makes it difficult for them to perform well
in school and develop close and positive friendships. The
effects of violent behaviour tend to stay with children long
after they leave the childhood home.

Act for domestic violence

Domestic violence Bill with first draft in 2001 and final draft in

2002 were heavily criticized by all stake holders due to many

shortcomings

Domestic Violence Act 2005 defines DV

Any act, omission or commission

or conduct of the respondent
shall constitute domestic violence
in case it

Strengths of this act

A new dimension to the word abuse . includes actual abuse or threat of abuse
(harassment by way of dowry demands)

All crimes in the Domestic Violence Act are non-bail able

The Act has also defined Physical Violence very comprehensively, as: Any kind of bodily
harm or injury, A threat of bodily harm, Beating, slapping and hitting.

For the first time, the law has expanded the definition to include sexual, verbal and
economic violence.

The new law is also tough on men who subject women to name calling or verbal abuse.

Another significant step has been to recognize Economic Violence. Under the Act,
Economic Violence is: Not providing money, food, clothes, medicines,# Causing
hindrance to employment opportunities # Forcing a woman to vacate her house.

A very forward-thinking and important part of this definition

NFHS-3 [national family health survey]

Almost two out of five ever-married women in India are subject to spousal violence

Women rarely initiate violence against their husband

Most spousal violence begins within five years of the start of the marriage

Most women suffer violence in silence

Acts of physical violence by the husband against his wife include:

pushing, shaking, throwing something at her, slapping, arm twisting,
hair pulling, punching, kicking, dragging, beating, trying to choke or
burn her on purpose, and threatening her or attacking her with a
weapon. Acts of sexual violence by the husband include physically
forcing the wife against her will to have sex or perform other sexual
acts that she did not want to perform.

Need for new law

DV is more than crime; it is a serious human rights violation.

Change from something centred on dowry to a more
comprehensive mental, psychological, sexual and economic
violation
A civil remedy was needed more than a criminal remedy.

Mediation in marriage usually aimed to cool conflicts, reach

agreements and maintain the institution of marriage

It insisted on maintaining family relationships inspite of

violence and sometimes recommended drastic compromises
to save a marriage.

A bill alone will not help in preventing

domestic abuse;
what is needed is a change in mindsets.