DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Within the four walls of homes, the violence against women is quite high. Domestic violence against women is widely prevalent, but has remained largely invisible. Statistics reveal that 45% of Indian women are slapped, kicked or beaten by their husbands. (ICRW 2002) .32% had committed acts of violence against their pregnant wives. Every 60 minutes a woman dies in India due to domestic violence. Women accept violence because social norms sanction them. At the same time, cultural conditioning and economic dependence prevent the vast majority of women leaving their marital homes. Though there is criminal law to prevent domestic violence, the recent civil law “Protection of women from Domestic Violence” is aimed at providing relief, compensation and support to a woman.

Verbal and Emotional Violence

a)     Insult - not attractive, not smart, doesn't respect him/his parents
b)    Accusing/insulting your parents
c)     Name - calling
d)    Accusations on your character or conduct etc
e)     Insult for not having a male child
f)     Insults for not bringing dowry etc
g)    Preventing you or a child in your custody from attending school, college or any other educational institutions
h)     Preventing you from taking up a job
i)      Forcing you to leave your job
j)      Preventing you or a child in your custody from leaving the house
k)     Preventing you from meeting any person in the normal course of events.
l)      Threat to commit suicide

Economic Violence

a)     Not providing you money for maintaining you or your children
b)    Not providing food, clothes, medicines etc, for you or your children
c)     Stopping you from carrying on your employment
d)    Not allowing you to take up on employment or
e)     Taking away your income from your salary, wages etc
f)     Not allowing you to use your salary wages etc
g)    Forcing you out of the house you live in
h)     Stopping you from accessing or using any part of the house
i)      Not allowing use of clothes, articles, or things of general household use,
j)      Not paying rent if staying in a rented accommodation etc.

Physical Violence

a)     Slapping, Beating, Hitting, Biting, Kicking, Punching, Pushing, Shoving or Causing bodily pain or injury in any other manner

Sexual Violence

a)     Forced sexual intercourse
b)    Forced you to look at pornography or any other obscene pictures or material
c)     Any act of sexual nature to abuse humiliates or degrade you, or which is otherwise violating of your dignity or any other unwelcome conduct or sexual nature