A home is often believed as just a heaven, a safe place where all family members live peacefully, but facts reveals that many times it also become a center of violence and becomes a dangerous place for the family, especially for female members live in anxiety, terror, stress and in great danger in their so called own house. Their human rights are violated and the couples live by facing threat of sexual, physical and psychological violence occurring against women which include epidemic and disaster-related tension, insecurity and fear, along with social exclusion and movement constraints, which is a matter of concerns due to increase in gender-based violence resulting large number of cases of break in the family. Domestic Violence’ includes any act that causes harm to women by her intimate partner or a family member affecting women physically as well as mentally.
The United Nation Declaration defined domestic violence as ‘any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to a woman. It has become a public health menace for society which never sees the caste, religion and nation. While discussing the role of home in an individual’s life,home has been considered as the safest place for everyone: the place from which an individual can expect love, care, affection, and psychological peace. On September 14, 2005, the Ministry of Law and Justice of the Government of India enacted the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 in response to the rising cases of domestic violence against women in India, which came into force on 26th October 2006. According to information, almost 18 years have passed since the implementation of this Act but the cases of domestic violence are fast increasing day by day thus causing excessive cases of family break and divorces in the present society.
A study also reveals, domestic violence within the four walls of homes, the violence against women at present is quite high. Domestic violence against women is widely prevalent, especially those living in rural areas, but has remained largely invisible. Statistics reveal that 45% of Indian women are slapped, kicked or beaten by their husbands, whereas in nearly 32% cases it was found that male partners had committed acts of violence against their pregnant wives. Information also reveals, 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. Most of the females are unaware, 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 women.
As genarally seen, the prime reason for domestic violence include the verbal and emotional Violence, not attractive, not smart, doesn’t respect him/his parents, accusing or insulting the parents, often accusations on character or conduct, insulting for not having a male child, insulting for not bringing sufficient dowry, preventing from taking up a job, preventing from meeting any person in the normal course of events and frequent threat to commit suicide. There are also several reasons for the economic violence like not providing money for the maintenance or the children, not providing food, clothes, medicines etc as per the requirement, not allowing to use salary wages etc.
As usually seen, physical violence by the male partners include slapping, beating, hitting, biting, kicking, punching, pushing or causing bodily pain or injury in any other manner. There are also other reasons for the domestic violence, such as sexual violence comprising of forced sexual intercourse, forcing you to look at pornography or any other obscene pictures or material and 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.
