Neha
Chudhary
Research
Scholar, Department of Sociology, FSS, B.H.U., Varanasi
Feminism is a new definition of new womanhood. It is a
philosophy that is based on historically and culturally concrete realities and
level of consciousness, perception and actions. A feminist therefore, is one
who believes in women movement which aspires to : equality in employment,
provision for a day care of children, reproductive freedom, safe and voluntary
assistance for day care so as to facilitate the better functioning of work and
motherhood, right to control their own bodies, right to living free from the
violence and the right to decide whether a pregnancy should or should not be
terminated.1 For the practices of feminist and government;
globalization becomes the era of women empowerment. By Indian government year
2001 was declared as women empowerment year. Search for identity has taken
speed. Women stood against men as challenge. At home as well as at work place,
they play their role very well. Now it is said that the women enjoy great
freedom and prestige.
In global scenario
people celebrate; women’s day, mother’s day, daughter’s day but the ground
reality is totally different from these facts because women are still exploited
socially, economically, physically and sexually everywhere in the name of
traditions and some times by social sanction. They are subjected to face
domestic violence which penetrates all aspects of women life. The aim of the
present paper is:
1.
To show the
situation of domestic violence in women’s life; and
2.
To seek remedy
from domestic violence by them themselves and feminists.
Domestic violence refers
to violence against women especially in matrimonial homes or in their parental
homes. It is not limited to her harassment as a young wife for more dowries.
The issues deal with all forms of violence against women in the entire role
they play in society that is as a daughter, sister, wife, mother,
mother-in-law, daughter-in-law or sister-in-law. According to Black’s Law
Dictionary, “Domestic violence between members of a household, usually spouses,
and assault or other violent act committed by one member of a household against
another”.2 Sociological studies indicate that the acts are like a
means of controlling the victim’s thoughts, feelings and behavior.3
Violence includes abuse of all kinds. It may be physical, sexual, economical or
psychological. It reflects threat or aggressive behavior towards woman not only
to her physical being but towards her self-respect and self-confidence.
In the male dominant
Indian society, domestic violence against women begins even before birth. In
many cases if the unborn foetus is determined as female by amniocentesis,
abortion follows immediately. Dr. Agnihotri pointed out that in India the sex
ratio is highly masculine, there are only 933 women per 1,000 men, according to
the 2001 census. Another noticeable trend is the urban-rural factor. The female
sex ratio is lower in urban areas. Sadly, instead of raising the status of
women the urbanization has caused their elimination. Urban areas have superior
medical technology like sex determination tests and abortion, and thereby they
are contributing to declining ratios. Ironically, there have been cases of male
foetuses being aborted on the pretext of being female.4 In Bombay
centre out of 8,000 abortions’ 7,999 were those of female foetuses. Pt.
Jawaharlal Nehru of revered memory had said “ I am proud of the women of India.
I am proud of the beauty, grace, charm, modesty, intelligence and spirit of
Indian women. Only they can do it, not the men”5 Alas! In spite of
all these beautiful phrases, the Indian girl is born to be but a blossom in
dust. If girl child is luckily enough to be born, she experiences
discrimination in her infancy. Girl Children are fed less and for shorter
period and are not given foods like butter or milk, which are reserved for
boys. In the year 2004 one Jyoti was harassed by her step-mother and brother.
She is now in a state of mental injury. (Hindustan : 15/2/2004, Varanasi)
Sexual exploitation of
girls and women in families is common, but rarely reported. In New Delhi, Times
of India (4/4/2004) reported that 20-yr-old woman alleged rape by brother. An
analysis of Delhi police records for the year 1996 shows that 76% of the
recorded rape cases occurred within the family, 82% rapists were Known to the
victims, 30% of those raped were little girls in the age of seven and tem.
Almost 40% of the reported cases of rape took place in the women’s own home.
About 70% rape cases remain unreported or unregistered.6 A recent analysis
done by the Crimes against Women Cell, Delhi Police, points out that out of the
143 rape cases registered between January and June 1992, 107 or almost 75
percent were in the age range 7-18 years. Forty of the rapists were immediate
neighbours and seven were relatives. (Karlekar, 1999:11).7 Shakshi
N.G.O. in Delhi surveyed 357 school girls, and found that 63% were sexually
exploited, 22% have faced eve-teasing and 26% were subjected to misbehaviour.
It is shocking that in 30% cases the victimizers belong to victim’s family.8
In June 2007, father-in-law tries to rape his daughter-in-law (Dainik Jagran,
Varanasi). The November 2000 Department of Justice report is full of the
prevalence, incidence and consequences of intimate partner violence against
women. The survey on National violence against women finds that the 22% of
surveyed women were physically assaulted by a current or former spouse,
cohabiting partner, boyfriend or date in their lifetime.9
Overall, one-third of
women in age 15-49 have experienced physical violence and about 1 to 10 has
experienced sexual violence. In total, 35 percent have experienced physical or
sexual violence. This figure translates into millions of women who have
suffered, and continue to suffer, at the hands of husbands and other family
members.10 National family health survey-3 analysis that 40% married
women are victim of domestic violence.11 International centre for
research on women (ICRW) report says that family members kill more women each
year than cancer or accidents.12 Such attitude towards domestic
violence have been narrated by the victims themselves. It is surprising that
nearly 51% of the 75,000 Indian men surveyed think hitting or beating their
wives is acceptable for certain reasons, particularly if she disrespects her
in-laws. A Smaller number think bad cooking or refusing sex as reasons for
physically assaulting their wives.13 In Varanasi from June to
December 2007 Dainik Jagran News paper reported that 914 cases of domestic
violence, 372 cases of dowry death and 1476 cases of exploitation for dowry
were registered in the state women commotion. In Times of India (17/1/2004, New
Delhi) a victim says that in-laws wanted son so they harassed her. In Meerut a
man cuts his wife and child’s fingers and beats the child with a car wiper for
2 lakh rupees in dowry continues to be the signature of marriage. Rainuka Dagar
says, “It is taken as a normative custom and dowry harassment as a part of
family life”. Divorce is another part of domestic violence. It is a considered
shameful admission of a woman’s failure as a wife or daughter-in-law. In 1990,
divorced women made up a miniscule 0.08 percent of the total female
population.”14
These are the examples
of exploitation of common women. Today, women play different roles in different
fields: doctor, engineer, scientist, astronaut etc. They are well educated and
form part of glamour’s world also. In spite of all these achievements they are
still being subjected to domestic violence. Famous model Alicia Rawath and T.V.
actress Shweeta Tiwary are burning examples. They have been exploited by their
husbands.
Even elder women do not
get-rid-of violence. Generally the younger generation does not have any respect
for their elders. They see them as useless things to be thrown out. According
t6o Help Age India, a leading Delhi based NGO that works for the elderly; four
out of 10 elders are victims of abuse. Shockingly, a staggering 47.3% of the
perpetrators of such abuse are own kith and kens. Often, even grandchildren are
found guilty. In fact, 8.6% of the abusers are grandchildren.15 In
2007 Dainikjagran reported that a son with the company of his wife threw acid
on his own mother for the cost of property. Victimization of elder women is
less noticed by people because their physical and mental strength become less
and they totally depend on their family. They hesitate to report about
exploitation also. The increasing number of cases of abuse and neglect towards
elders is alarming Indians can longer boast of being proponents of traditional
family.
Conclusion:
The present report by
its different aspects suggests that, in global era the main cause of domestic
violence is rooted in. Geeta Rao says “Domestic violence occur due to cause of
economic costs because,..................................... .”16
Besides the economic causes the evaporating human nature also, increases
violence in the society. Married and unmarried women both are victim of
domestic violence. Anindita Sengupta is a writer, journalist and poet based in
Bangalore, India. She is also the founder and editor of Ultra Violet a
collablog of young Indian feminists. “Like in other countries, violence against
women cuts across class and economic status in India too.”17 She has
observed.
Remedy
Domestic violence is a
burning problem in all over societies. There are numerous factors such as
socio-cultural, structural, economic, pathological and psychological for
domestic violence. A new law “Domestic Violence Act 2005” has been brought into
existence. But legislation can only be a part of the solution to a problem
which is deeply rooted in social and cultural attitudes towards the sexes. It
is not enough to provide legal means to the wormen or the ensure that they can
be economically independent. On the face of the said affairs there is a need to
set up women’s organizations in every area to fight this aspect of women
oppression. Feminism is an awareness of women’s oppression and exploitation in
society, at work and within the family, and a conscious action taken by women
and men to change this situation. For example [1] A man, who watches the new
bride next door being harassed for dowry by her in-laws can follow this by
making a police complaint or by informing the girl’s parents about harassment
[2] A women by refusing her marriage into a family demanding dowry. The two
operative words here are awareness followed or accompanied by conscious action.
The point that women are
often their worst enemies should not be forgotten. So they should not poison
the ears of their sons and brothers respectively and antagonize them against
their wives. Women must help themselves and each other. The government cannot
do anything. It is the people concerned who must be sensible. Changing social
norms and values, socialization process and the gaining of the awareness for
changing traditional thinking of men and women make possible the dream of sweet
and safe home.
Reference
1.
Chatterji, soma. A; The Indian Women
in Perspective; Ajanta publications, New Delhi; 1993
2.
Black’s Law Dictionary, VIIth Ed.,
1999, p. 1564
3.
Dutta, Nirmal; Domestic Violence
Tolerating the Intolerable”. Lawyers Collective, january 1999, pp. 1-12, at p.1
4.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/
thehindu/mp/2002/12/09/stories/2002
5.
Mascarchras, Dr. Maries. M; Feminism
hijack down the slippery slope: Foeticide to infanticide; S.sood: violence
against women; Arihant publishers, Jaipur; 1990
6.
Yadav, Sushma and Anil Dutta Mishra;
Patterns of gender violence; Radha publications, New Delhi; 2002
7.
Saravanan, Sheela; Violence against
Women in India: A Literature Review; Institute of Social Studies Trust (ISST);
March 2008
8.
Gathita, Josef; Bharat me Balika:
Dharma, Hinsa, Chamta evam Parivartan; Concept publishing company, New Delhi;
2002
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Google search: Impact of domestic
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violence.pdf
11.
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Oct, 2007.
12.
Yadav, Sushma and Anil Dutta Mishra;
13.
Google search/broken home or broken
people open Democracy News Analysis.htm; by Anindita Sengupta; 29/22/07
14.
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india.htm, Chronic Hunger and the status of Women in India; Carol s. Coonrod,
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Bahuguna, Nitin Jugran; Victims of
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