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Domestic Violence

If you are facing Domestic Violence

Within the four walls of homes, the violence against women is quite high. Domestic violence against 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.

Your husband or partner commits any of the following acts of violence against you or your child

Verbal and emotional violence

  • Insult –not attractive, not smart, doesn't respect him/his parents
  • accusing/insulting your parents
  • Name – calling
  • Accusations on your character or conduct etc
  • Insult for not having a male child
  • Insults for not bringing dowry etc
  • Preventing you or a child in your custody from attending school, college or any other educational institutions
  • Preventing you from taking up a job
  • Forcing you to leave your job
  • Preventing you or a child in your custody from leaving the house
  • Preventing you from meeting any person in the normal course of events.
  • Threat to commit suicide

Economic Violence

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

Physical violence

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

Sexual Violence

  • Forced sexual intercourse
  • Forced you to look at pornography or any other obscene pictures or material
  • 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

Remember the Govt recently enacted Domestic Violence Act.

Salient features of the DV Act are:

  • PWDVA seeks to cover all those women who are or have been in a domestic relationship with a man including live-in relationships, bigamous marriage and fraudulent marriages.
  • The Act gives the women right to reside in the shared household.
  • Protection orders can be given by the magistrate immediately to stop violence.
  • It provides counseling for both parties singly or jointly.
  • The act stipulates that within 3 days the case has to be registered and in 60 days all requisite relief measure to be given.

    • Whom to report domestic violence incident

  • Nearest Police station
  • Protection officer (Project director women and child welfare department of the Dist) Contact your local protection officer
  • Service provider (appointed by the State Government)
  • Magistrate

    • If you don't have shelter

  • Nearest protection office or service provider to provide shelter in a shelter home. List of Shelter homes

    • For medical facilities

  • Nearest protection office or service provider to provide any medical aid

    • Obtaining orders or relief

  • Application to Magistrate
  • For payment of compensation or damages
  • Right to reside in a shared house hold
  • Protection order
  • Prohibiting committing any act of domestic violence
  • Aiding or abetting
  • Entering the place of employment
  • Or she is a child its school
  • Attempting to communicate in any form including personal, oral , written, electronic or telephonic contact

Alienating any assets

  • Operating bank lockers, bank accounts used or held or enjoyed by both the parties jointly with her or single Stridhan
  • Causing violence to the dependents to her relatives or any person
  • Any other act
  • Residence orders
  • Monetary relief
  • Custody orders
  • Compensation orders