Editorial Analysis – Still a nightmare for domestic violence survivors

Syllabus – 

Prelims: Current events of national importance(Different social service Schemes, PWDVA 2005, NFHS etc

Mains GS Paper I & II: Laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of vulnerable sections of society etc

Source – The Hindu

In News – 

The brutal murder and mutilation of a young woman by her partner has brought attention to intimate partner violence, which is also recognised under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 (PWDVA) as a type of domestic violence, just ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of All Forms of Violence Against Women (November 25).

Domestic Violence – 

• Violence or other abuse that takes place in a domestic environment, such as a marriage or cohabitation, is referred to as domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence). 
• Domestic violence, which can occur in relationships or between ex-spouses or partners, is frequently used as a synonym for intimate partner violence, which is committed by one of the people in an intimate relationship against the other.
• Violence against women, in particular, is typically predicated on gender in DV. “Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life,” is how the United Nations defines violence against women.
• According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, one in three (35%) women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual IPV or non-partner sexual violence at some point in their lives.

Domestic Violence in India – 

• Various surveys show that the extent of DV in India is wide. 
• According to Indian law, domestic violence is a crime that is punishable. It violates people’s rights. 
• However, the most recent National Family Health Survey, or NFHS-5 (2019–21), shows that domestic violence against women is still a problem in our society, with 32% of women who have ever been married and are between the ages of 18 and 49 reporting having been the victim of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse at the hands of their husbands. 
• Women in rural areas are more likely than urban ones to report having experienced domestic violence. The prevalence of violence by other family members is not even adequately represented by this.
• The Progressive Women’s Domestic Abuse Act (PWDVA), introduced more than 17 years ago, promised a coordinated strategy — incorporating both civil and criminal protections — to support and shield women against domestic violence, not just from husbands. 
• However, despite the law’s existence in theory, women still primarily lack access to it in practice. 
• The National Family Health Survey-5 (2019–21) finds that only 14% of women who have suffered domestic abuse have ever sought treatment; this number is significantly lower in rural regions. 
• This is the most depressing statistic given that nearly one-third of women are victims of domestic violence. 
• Why do the majority of women who experience domestic violence never seek help in a country where it is illegal and where there are numerous laws intended to protect women from assault?
• Women had faith that things would improve, that they could influence their husbands’ actions, and that he would pay attention to them. Most importantly, women didn’t want to be a “burden” on other people, especially their families.
• Social standards about gender disparity are so deeply ingrained that according to NFHS-5 data, women are more likely than men to defend a scenario in which a husband beats or hits his wife.
• For many survivors, improving their circumstances required securing their financial independence through the pursuit of new skills and employment prospects.

Role of the police –

• Women who went to the police after experiencing violence were pessimistic about the outcome. 
• Despite the fact that a tiny percentage of those we spoke with reported favourable encounters, most felt that the police added to the issue rather than helped to resolve violence.

Way Forward – 

• Although the law is still mostly inaccessible to women in practise, it does exist on paper.
  • For the majority of Indian women, its promise and provisions are inconsistently executed, unavailable, and out of reach.
• Only women with independent resources and connections or those sponsored by specialised non-governmental organisations had a real chance of accessing legal justice through the courts.
  • Increasing awareness and help is a positive step.
• In the states where they are already in place, protection officers are under-resourced, under-skilled, and overworked, which makes their job untenable.
  • The development of service providers’ and law enforcement personnel’s abilities to manage situations of violence against women
• Although the legislature acknowledges that domestic abuse is a criminal and that protection orders provide civil remedies, survivors and families are nevertheless responsible for dealing with the aftereffects of domestic violence.
  • Enhancing women’s access to paid jobs will promote financial independence.

Question for Practice – 

Explore and evaluate the impact of work from home on family relationship.(UPSC 2022) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)

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