Preeti Dwivedi

Sociology Department,

Mahila Mahavidyalaya (P.G.) College, Kanpur,

India

preetidwivedi70@yahoo.co.in

“Pattern of abusive behaviour in any

relationship that is used by the partner to

gain or maintain power and control over

another intimate partner” is known as

Domestic Violence.

(U.S. Office on violence against women)

Women are placed in an esteemed and

honoured status in the Indian religious

scriptures. On the other hand sati pratha,

polygamy, restriction on widow’s marriage

were some aspects of female victimization

shows that they were subjected to a variety

of exploitation, violence and aggression by

the hands of their parents, siblings, relatives

and society at large scale since years;

domestic violence is one of them.

Domestic violence takes many forms within

household and in most of all cases victims

are women and perpetrated by male.

In India, women are subjected to violence

either unmarried or married from members

of both natal and marital home as well as

before birth in the form of female foeticide

and infanticide.

Married women are more likely to experience

physical, psychological or sexual violence by

their husbands than by anyone else.

Wife – beating is found as the most common

practice of domestic violence, while

humiliating words used by their husbands and

relatives, forced women to go back to their

parents, threats to thrown them out were

also frequently reported types of violence

against women in India.

International Clinical Epidemiologists Network(INCLEN), 2000, found domestic violence as aproblem that cuts across age, education, socialclass and religion in India. It was also found that40% women had experienced at least one form ofphysical violence in their married life.

According to National Crime Record Bureau(NCRB) 1991, at every 33 minutes one Indianwomen is being abused by her husband.

According to a community and hospital basedprospective study, conducted during 1993 – 95 inIndia, 16% of the deaths in pregnancy werecaused by domestic violence.

National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3)

reported that only one in four abused women

have ever sought help to try to end the

violence they have experienced. And only 2%

of the abused women have ever sought help

from the police.

WHO reports in 2007 that the proportion of

women who had ever experienced physical or

sexual violence or both by an intimate

partner ranged from 15 – 71%.

Domestic violence has serious consequenceson women’s mental and physical healthincluding their reproductive and sexualhealth. According to WHO (2001) batteredwomen are subject to twice the risk ofmiscarriage and 4 times the risk of having ababy that is below average weight.

National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3)report concluded that the prevalence ofspousal physical or sexual violence is muchhigher among women from the pooresthousehold (49%) than among women in thewealthier household (18%).

National Family Health Survey III, carried out in29 states during 2005 – 06, has found that asubstantial proportion of married women havebeen physically or sexually abused by theirhusbands at some time in their lives. The surveyindicated that nationwide 37.2% of womenexperienced violence after marriage.

Bihar state was found to be the most violent,with the abuse rate against married womenbeing as high as 59%. It was followed byRajasthan (46.3%), Madhya Pradesh(45.8%),Manipur (43.9%), Uttar Pradesh (42.4%), TamilNadu (41.9%) and West Bengal (40.3%) (NFHS III).

o Present study is an attempt to investigate

the problem of domestic violence against

women in India, its causes and

consequences. The study is an empirical

work and is conducted in Allahabad city of

Northern Indian state Uttar Pradesh. For the

same purpose 120 married women who are

victims of domestic violence are selected as

a sample through snow ball sampling

method. Data are collected through in –

depth interviews of the victims.

More than half of the respondents (68%) are inbetween 16 – 35 years. Thus younger women aremore prone to the violent attacks than the olderone.

Caste – wise distribution shows that domesticviolence is prevalent in all caste categories evenin the minority group in India.

Most of the victims of domestic violence areeither house – wife (47%) or engage in the worksof low social status like labour (20%) or maidservants (14%). It shows that women who areeconomically dependent or lower socio –economic status have been found to be stronglyrelated to the risk of domestic violence.

Educational level of the victims show thatilliterate as well as highly educated women bothare experiencing violent atrocities behind theclosed doors, but still is more prevalent inilliterate (31.7%) or primary educated women(20.8%).

From the economic status of the respondents, itis found that about 41% of the respondentsbelong to Lower Economic Class and 20% arefrom Lower Middle Economic Class. Only 11% ofthe respondents are from Upper Economic Classand 10% of them are from families belong toUpper Middle Economic class. Thus those womenbelong to lower economic status are more proneto frequent violent attacks.

Physical Violence (57%)

Emotional Violence (21%)

Sexual Violence (8%)

Economic Violence (14%)

Physical attacks are most frequent form of

domestic violence in India (57%) and

experienced by most of the women belonging

to Lower Economic Class or Lower Middle

Economic Class.

Emotional violence are experienced by most

of the women belonging to Upper Class or

Upper Middle Class families.

Husband (39%)

Mother –in-law (22%)

Sister – in – law (16%)

Brother – in – law (9%)

Father – in – law (8%)

Relatives of husband (6%)

Daily (18%)

More than one times in a week (19%)

More than one times in a month (15%)

More than one times in a year (16%)

Not certain (22%)

Occasionally (10%)

Alcohol addiction of husband is prominent

cause of domestic violence against women

informed by 30% of the victims.

18.3% of the respondents told that their

husbands or in – laws batter them if they

disobey either to their husband or their in –

laws.

Dowry (13.3%), suspect about extra marital

affairs of the victims (10%), unemployment

of male partners (8.3%), dissatisfaction with

household roles played by respondents (9.2%)

are also access as prominent causes of

violence.

10.8% of the respondents informed that they

experience violence due to their infertility

problems (6%) or give birth female child only

(4.8%).

All the victims of domestic violence do notprefer to seek help from any source and try todeal their violent situation with its own strategyin the first instance.

When the situation goes beyond their control50(41.7%) of the victims approach to theinformal sources with a hope that such sourcewill be better equipped to face the abusivesituation.

Out of 50(41.7%) of the victims 24(48%) prefer toseek help from their parents, than their closefriends 17(34%). Only 9 (18%) of them approachto their relatives to take the help of them.

It is also found that out of 50 (41.7%) of therespondents most of them (70%) are suggested toadjust even in such abusive environment. On theother hand 7(14%) of the victims are advised fordivorce, while 8 (16%) of them are advised fortaking help from formal agencies like police,NGOs, judiciary body etc.

It is very interesting to note that out of 50(41.7%) of the respondents, only 6% of them seekhelp from formal agencies. They seek help fromformal sources, when they fail to getappropriate help from informal source and hasno other alternative other than to seek helpfrom formal sources.

64% of the respondents informed that due to

economic dependence upon husbands they

live in such environment. They further

reported that they have no other place to go

and thus there is no option left except living

in such abusive environment.

On the other hand 24% of the respondents

live due to sake of their children.

12% of the victims informed that stigma is

associated with divorced or separated

women in our society. Thus due to fear of

loss of their self – image and also for

reputation and dignity of their parents, they

are living with their husbands or in – laws

even after experience of numbers

humiliating attacks.

The root cause behind domestic violence isthe concept of patriarchy, where inclusivepowers and all rights are given to males andwomen victimize as less to no power. In suchsociety male possessiveness and womensubordination is accepted as a social norm.

In patriarchal society like India women arepositioned in lower status than men in theirfamily and confine to the domestic dutiesonly and refrain from decision makingprocess. On the other hand male avail alleconomic and social power.

Different values, norms, beliefs and behaviorall are internalize through socializationamong girls since their childhood inpatriarchal society. Through socializationfemales are to internalize the concept ofdependency, obedience, powerless and shynature.

Patriarchy, different socialization, gender –inequality all are interrelated andresponsible for subjugation of women andgive the enjoyment of social and economicpower in the hands of men.

Wife beating, bride burning, sexual assault

by husband and sometimes ultimate leading

to female suicide are common incidents in

such society.

Where male dominance is strong, wife

battering is likely to be more frequent . Thus

through domestic violence a woman becomes

an instrument through which systematic

inequality is maintained.

Dowry is considered as one of the patriarchal

practices that contributes to the inferior

position of women in India and also

contributes to wife abuse.

Economic dependence upon husband is also

the reason for violent beating of the wife.

Domestic violence against women shows that

there is only theoretical constitutional

equality for men and women but in practice

women are not considered as equal as men in

the patriarchal form of society like India.

Most of the victims of domestic violence do

not approach to seek relief under different

legislations. Weak enforcement of

punishment mechanism under the legal

provisions in India is most frequent cause for

avoid to seek help from any formal sources.

Legal provisions against perpetrators ofdomestic violence are strictly enforced sothat no one can leave without punishment.

Most of the victims of domestic violence livein the marital home even after experience offrequent violent attacks as they have noother place to go due to absence of supportof their family, relatives or friends.

The central and state government shoulddevelop, enlarge and strengthen socialsupport service programmes for that womenwho are victims of domestic violence.

The experiences of violence withinhousehold’s boundary are big barrier ofwomen’s empowerment and ultimatelychallenge the socio – economic developmentof a country.

Thus educating the women and make themeconomic independent should be encouragedas it may be deterrent to domestic violence.

Problem of domestic violence is deep –rooted to the socio – cultural practices whichlead to gender – discrimination and gender –inequality.

There is need to transformation of society

based on gender – inequality and different

socialization among girls and women. In this

respect media, social activists, NGOs,

different government agencies can bring a

massive awareness towards gender – equality

and empowered them socially and

economically.

Gender – equality gives an esteemed and

honored status of women as stated in our

traditional religious scriptures.

THANK

YOU