Countering Domestic Violence – Vision for a Better World

Nidhi is a working lady belonging to a middle-class family. Her husband physically assaults her every day and she has to cover herself completely before she leaves home. The signs of assault have scarred not only her body but her mind too. Pushpa is all of 12 years and stays with her father and step-mother. Each day she is thrashed for not doing the daily household chores. One fine day she runs away from home to escape this ordeal. These are few of the different forms of violence that women suffer during their lifetime.

Genesis of Violence on Women

The majority of the women in this world are subjected to violence in some form or other. Violence per se is an effective weapon for subjugation, more so when the man perpetrates such violence on a woman. Not all forms of violence are physical, though. Mental and economic torture is also potent forms of violence that are often unleashed on women.

The reasons for unleashing such violence on women can range from the trivial to the major; from the urge of men to dominate a woman, to the need to punish her for some wrong, real or imagined.

Violence on women has been categorized in different forms and domestic violence or intimate partner violence is the most common form witnessed globally. Around a third of world’s women, experience some form of physical and/or sexual violence by people who are either in an intimate relationship or by people known to them and even by outsiders.

In a Fact Sheet published by WHO (World Health Organization), in November 2016, most of the violence directed towards women comes from their intimate partners. Globally 30% of women who have been in a relationship, report that they have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence by their intimate partners.

Domestic violence can seriously undermine the physical, sexual, mental and psychological health of a woman. In extreme cases, it can be fatal due to depression-driven suicides or exposure to such conditions as HIV.

As a trend, it is noticed that the intensity or instances of violence gradually decrease over the years and older women are less prone to be physically assaulted than relatively younger ones. However, in some cases, it is found to persist among older women as well.

While the figure of 30%, as reported by WHO, provides us with an index to gauge the gravity of the problem, it goes without saying that less than 40 % of women actually report such incidents and seek help for themselves. Thus the prevalence of this scourge is much more than actually depicted.

Factors Associated with Violence

Intimate partner and sexual violence are witnessed at every level – individual, family, community and even social levels. There are some factors which affect the perpetrators of violence, some those experiencing it and in certain instances, are both are equally affected.

The risk factors are-

1.     The Level of education (perpetrator as well as those experiencing it).

2.     Exposure to child abuse (perpetrator as well as those experiencing it).

3.     Exposure to violence within the family (perpetrator as well as those experiencing it).

4.     Possessing anti-social and sadistic tendencies (perpetrators).

5.     Being in multiple-partner relationship and acting under suspicion of infidelity of partner (perpetrators)

6.     Social system which is by and large patriarchal in many countries across the world where wife-beating is more of a norm than an aberration (perpetrators)

On a micro level the persistence of sexual violence is also tied to the social fabric and in the following cases it has social sanctions:

1.     Honor and sexual purity of the female in a family

2.     Adherence to regressive customs and traditions like Female Genital Mutilation practiced in countries in Africa and the Middle East.

3.     Sexual entitlements of the male members in a community

4.     Very little deterrence in the form of strong laws that discourage domestic violence and even where such laws are prevalent the enforcement of such laws remains lax.

Prevention and Response

Violence on women is not going to disappear overnight. In fact, the UN General Assembly came up with the – Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in 1993 but even today, 23 years later, 1 in 3 women experience violence in some form or other.

Various studies on the ways and means to prevent such violence are in place. Perhaps some progress, albeit slowly, has been achieved, still, a lot more remains to be done.

Some prevention strategies, which can help women, in the long run, to free themselves from this scourge, can be:

1.     Economic empowerment and awareness about gender equality.

2.     Encourage women to become educated

3.     Provide immediate help, medical assistance, and counseling for relationship related abuses and cases where physical health of women is endangered from exposure to conditions like HIV.

4.     To eliminate the regressive traditions and customs like child marriage, honor killing and female genital mutilation through the enforcement of stringent laws

5.     To promote a culture of harmony in the society

6.     Come up strongly against female feticide, which is strongly prevalent in countries like India.

Social activists in countries like India feel that certain steps could go a long way in combating domestic violence. Issues like marital rape should be treated as a crime and laws need to be framed appropriately. Dowry related issues and the threat of triple Talaq need to be addressed seriously so that the dignity of women can be safeguarded.

Conclusion

In times to come it is expected that with higher levels of education and economic independence among women, the incidence of domestic violence will diminish. Greater awareness and faster response to specific domestic related issues from all concerned will surely make a difference.