DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST MARRIED WOMEN
A CASE STUDY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KERALA STATE WOMEN’S COMMISSION THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
A Dissertation Submitted to the University of Kerala in Partial Fulfillment of Degree of Master of Social Work (MSW)
Submitted By Exam Code : 91506404 Candidate Code: 09115020 Subject Code : SW.2.4.4
DEPARTMENT OF Social Work LOYOLA COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES THIRUVANATHAPURAM 2009 - 2011
DECLARATION
I, Preethi Solomon do hereby declare that this dissertation titled, “Domestic violence against married women. A case study with special reference to Kerala State Women’s Commission Thiruvananthapuram.” has not been submitted for award of any Degree, Diploma, and Associate ship, fellowship or other similar title of recognition before any university or anywhere else.
Place: Thiruvanthapuram PREETHI SOLOMON
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
Certified that this dissertation on “DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST MARRIED WOMEN. A CASE STUDY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KERALA STATE WOMEN’S COMMISSION THIRUVANATHAPURAM” is a record of genuine work done by Miss. Preethi Solomon Second year student of MSW of this College under my supervision and guidance and that is hereby approved for forwarding to the Examiners.
Recommended for forwarding to the University of Kerala
Dr. K. A. Joseph Head of the department of Social Work & Faculty guide Loyola College of Social Sciences Thiruvananthapuram – 695 017
Forwarded to the University of Kerala
Dr.Usha John Principal Loyola College of Social Sciences Thiruvananthapuram – 695 017
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Gratitude is an attitude of the heart. My heart is filled with joy and l rise my heart to the God Almighty for being there with me throughout my study.
I wish to thank Dr.Usha John, principal, Loyola College of Social Sciences for facilitating the study at this institution. I am very thankful to Dr. K.A Joseph Course Coordinator, MSW and my faculty guide Loyola College of Social Sciences for the valuable guidance and interest evinced throughout the study and without whose support this study would not have materialized.
I also thankfully acknowledge the help and support given by, Justice. Smt. Sreedevi, the Chairperson Women’s Commission, for her cooperation& giving permission to conduct my data collection
I express my sincere gratitude to all the victims of domestic violence who patiently responded to my interview guide and made this study a success.
It would not have been possible for me to successfully complete this study without the constant encouragement and support of my family members.
I could never conclude this without mentioning my dearest friends whose whole hearted support made me to present this before you.
PREETHI SOLOMON
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER
I INTRODUCTION
II LITERATURE REVIEW
III RESEARCH DESIGN
IV ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION
V FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS & CONCLUSION
Bibliography
Appendix
ABSTRACT
Objective: As domestic violence becomes increasingly recognized a widespread social problem, Judicial System and Government have begun playing larger roles in providing legal protection to the victims. The objective of the research was to study the causes, consequences of domestic violence against married women and the role of social worker among the victims.
Methods: The researcher collected data from the ten respondents and who are the victim of domestic violence. The research design was qualitative in nature. So it was case study.
Result: all most all the victim reacted to the abuse of their husband and in laws after a long period of silence. They filed petition against their husband and in-laws for the better future of their children.
Conclusion: Women’s right to housing and right to property and inheritance are critical and most fundamental for any strategy of prevention of domestic violence. Social support networks especially natal family and neighbors is also a crucial factor in reducing domestic violence.
CHPTER I
INTRODUCTION
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In the chequered history of mankind one finds that different and disparate cultures, however distant they may be in time and space have at least one thing in common and that is the contempt of women. However the Gandhian era and the decades after independence have seen tremendous changes in the position of women in Indian history.
The violence against women in home setting is becoming a serious as well as common phenomena. It is a social problem and an offense against the dignity of human being. Violence has a negative impact on women’s emotional, social and physical well being. Domestic violence is the commonest form of violence towards women in marital life. The Domestic violence bill in itself is one safeguard against violence perpetrated within the confines of the home. But in a country where legal literacy is so low, just having a bill will not serve the purpose. The consumerist culture has became a cancerous growth in Kerala’s once- golden culture. In nearly every home, there is purposeful, ostentatious display of consumerism, paving the way for an un happy, highly criminalized society with increasing levels of sexual harassment and violence against women.
RELEVANCE OF THE STUDY
Domestic violence is to be perceived not as a low and order problem. Basically it is a socio- cultural problem. A dominant socio- cultural norms of the society is the patriarchal system in which women are put in subordination. Women are getting increasingly educated and empowered and men and women have to pass into a system of mutual support. Local bodies and NGOs have a role in sensitizing not only women, but more importantly, men in this matter. The present study attempt to study the causes and consequences of domestic violence against women. Harassment of women in the domestic sphere and work place is observed to be quite common in Kerala. Therefore, the researcher undertake a study to find out the causes and other related problems behind the domestic violence. Violence against women in the context of marriage becomes more significant when a husband who is supposed to live and protect his wife denies her rights. This study tried to cover the causes and consequences of violence against women .
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
To study the domestic violence against married women
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
1. To study the socio-demographic profile of women under study.
2. To study the causes of domestic violence against married women.
3. To study the consequence of violence on women in terms of personal, familial and social levels.
4. To study the role of social worker among the victims of domestic violence.
CONCEPTS
THEORITICAL CONCEPTS
Violence against Women
United Nations General Assembly in 1993 defines violence against women as “ any act of gender based violence that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or sufferings to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life, but is not limited to, physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation, physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere; trafficking in women and forced prostitution; and physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the state, where it occurs.
.
The American Medical Association defines intimate partner abuse as “ the physical ,sexual, and/or psychological abuse to an individual perpetrated by a current or former intimate partner. While this term is gender-neutral, women are more likely to experience physical injuries and incur psychological consequences of intimate partner abuse.”
MARRIAGE
The dictionary defines marriage as “the legal union of a man and women as husband and wife.”
Malinowski Suythal defines marriage is a contract for the production and
maintenance of children
WOMEN
Adult female human being ( Collis Discovery Encyclopedia).
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Domestic violence in the context of this study is explained and studied as violence perpetrated by the male spouse or in-laws. WOMEN
Women in this study includes married between the age group of young adulthood and middle adulthood and they are the victim of domestic violence by their husband or in-laws.
CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
The problem of violence against women is not new. In the past decades, there has been research studies on violence against women across the world . A large number of studies were done in the Indian sub-continent too. In India most of the studies focused on dowry related violence and deaths ( Vindhya 2000, Waters 1999, Parameswaram 1996, Fernandez 1997) ,childlessness( Kohher –Reissman, 2000) and the gender and agency dimension of domestic violence( Hedge,1996). Wife beating alone has been the subject of research in two important studies by Jejeebhoy and Cook (1997) and Rao(1997). Indian have been victims of ill-treatment, humiliation, torture, and exploitation for along as written records of social organization and family life are available. As the cases of wife- battering , rapes, kidnapping, and abduction, intra-familial murders, dowry-deaths, eve- teasing and molestation, etc have been more frequently reported since the late 1960s and early 1970s , the issue of violence against women has been transformed from a private issue into a public problem. The Constitution of India guarantees equality, freedom, opportunity, and protection to women , and various social legislations give them several exclusive rights. Yet , they enjoy an unequal status.
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
In Western society, the most recent efforts to acknowledge, explain and challenge male violence against women coincide with the re-emergence of the feminist movement in the early 1970s. Feminist activists identified male violence against women as central to the perpetuation of women’s oppression, seeing sexual assault, rape, sexual harassment, domestic violence and other forms of male violence as part of a continuum of violence against women and children (Kelly, 1987; Radford et al, 2000). Violence against women is experienced by women of all ages and social classes, all races, religions and nationalities, all over the world. It is overwhelmingly perpetrated by men (Krug et al, 2002).
Individual characteristics and circumstances alone cannot explain why this should be the case. Feminist commentators suggest that the context for violence against women is a cultural and political framework in which women are not equal partners with men. Violence against women is both the result of gender inequality and the means by which it is perpetuated (Brownmiller, 1976; Dobash and Dobash, 1979; Radford et al, 2000). This analysis of violence against women as a reflection of the power imbalance in society has largely informed the development of work to challenge violence against women in the United Kingdom, and in Scotland, over the last 30 years.
The first Women’s Aid groups in Scotland opened refuges in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 1973 (Scottish Women’s Aid, 2002), and by 1976, the Scottish Office had provided some funding towards a national office (Cuthbert and Irving, 2001). Rape Crisis centres soon followed, with centres opening in Glasgow in 1976 and Edinburgh in 1978 (Christianson and Greenan, 2001). Since then women’s organisations and individual women in Scotland have continued to develop responses to violence against women, campaigning for recognition of the issues and for change and improvement in statutory responses to women who had experienced violence.1 On the whole, work to challenge violence against women in Scotland split early on into separate campaigns against domestic violence and against rape, although in both areas of work the links between different forms of abuse continued to be made. The inclusion of child sexual abuse, and the legacy for adult survivors, into the sexual violence agenda dates from the early 1980s, as survivors began to make contact with Rape Crisis and other support services. By the early 1990s, separate services for survivors of child sexual abuse had begun to develop (Kerr, 1990). National crime surveys have provided some extension of the data available from official statistics. The Scottish Crime Survey (SCS) has run independently of the British Crime Survey (BCS) since 1993, and was repeated in 1996 and 2000. The SCS 2000 survey included a self-completion questionnaire which asked about domestic violence. 6% of women responding had experienced either threats or force from a partner during 1999; 19% of women had experienced threats or force from a partner at some point in their lives (Macpherson, 2002). Similar self-completion modules on rape and sexual assault were included in the BCS in 1998 and 2000. A report based on findings from both of these surveys noted that 0.9% of women had experienced some form of sexual victimisation in the previous 12 months; 9.7% in their lifetime. Partners were the perpetrators in 32% of cases (Myhill and Allen, 2002).
Walby and Myhill note that reporting of violence against women in these generic crime surveys increases over time and as survey methodology is refined and developed, and consider whether the methodology applied by some of the national surveys on violence against women might improve reporting rates still further (Walby and Myhill, 2001). They identify some problems with generic crime surveys, including limited time available to build a rapport with survey participants, or to ask “nuanced questions”6 about women’s experiences of violence. They also consider whether, in generic surveys, less priority might be given to selection and training of interviewers. Finally, they raise the question of how far women see what has happened to them as ‘a crime’ and whether questions of definition influence how far women report their experiences (Walby and Myhill, 2001). They are not convinced that this is a major problem and cite the 1996 BCS survey on domestic violence, in which “significant numbers of people did in fact report domestic violence even when they said they did not consider it a crime” (Mirrlees-Black, 1999, cited in Walby and Myhill, 2001: 508).
Crime surveys tend to focus on a single aspect of violence against women, and by the nature of their perspective – violence as crime –are inclined not to consider in depth areas of women’s experience which are harder to frame as ‘crime’. They may not address the particular issues related to violence against women from marginalised groups, including black and minority ethnic women, women with disabilities, lesbian women, and women working in prostitution. Women from these groups may be subject to higher levels of some types of violence than women in the general population, and the violence they experience may impact on their lives in different ways (Barnard et al, 2001; Farley, 1998; Henderson/CEC, 1997; Johal, 2003; Kelly, 2000; Saxton et al, 2001; Siddiqui, 2003). The experiences of older women may not be considered. Although older women are deemed to be at less risk of violence than younger women and girls (Statistics Canada, 1993; VAWS, 1996; Henderson/CEC 1997), they consistently express more anxiety about their safety than younger women (Henderson/CEC, 1997; Home Office, 2003; SCS, 2002). There has been little specific research on the extent of violence against older women, and the possibility that older women are less likely to report violence cannot be discounted. The Scottish Executive has commissioned research into older women’s experiences of domestic violence which was completed in May 2003 and is due to be published in Spring 2004.
Poverty may also make women more vulnerable to violence. It limits choices and forces women into types of employment which carry more risks of violence, for example prostitution, or work in the service industries. It may also put women in the position of having to take on shift work or work which is far from home, reliant on public transport, and they may be more at risk for this reason (Barnard et al, 2001; Byrne et al, 1999; Statistics Canada, 1993). Internationally, the subject of domestic violence has moved to the forefront of research and policy. Domestic violence has become an issue of increasing importance and a number of studies have been conducted in recent decades. In the analysis of data from the 1985 National Family Violence Re-survey, it was found that there were no differences in reports of domestic violence between pregnant and non-pregnant women, after controlling for age (Gelles, 1988).
Strauss (1980) had reported that 11.6 to 12.6 percent of couples beat up each other at some time during their relationship; but he did not find long-term prevalence of violence against individuals, in the national probability samples that he examined although 28 to 30 percent of couples had experienced some domestic violence during the course of their marriage life. Generally a mean of six violent episodes were reported a year. Frequent alcohol use by the male partner has been found to be associated with increased likelihood of violence in the home.
A study in mainland China has examined the extent to which wife-abuse exits under the Communist regime. An attempt was made to delineate the prevalence of and the changing trends in wife-abuse and to establish the linkages between wife-abuse and the underlying social mechanisms. Survey data on marriage and family relations in Chengdu, not collected specifically for a wife-abuse study but contained useful information, were utilised for the purpose. The sample comprised 586 ever- married women between the ages of 20-70 years, via a random sampling procedure. Another survey of Hebei province from Baoding had a sample of 636 ever-married women. Both these samples were compared to see the prevalence of and changing trends in wife abuse. A composite index of wife-abuse, following the Strauss and Gelles model, was obtained and statistical models were used for obtaining results. It was found that urban China was not free of family violence. In the Chengdu sample, husbands were seen to have abused about 57 percent of their wives at some point of time or the other during the course of married lives. The incidence of non-physical abuse appeared more frequently than physical abuse. Patriarchal family system and gender inequality within the family are responsible for the prevalence of wife-abuse. Close-knit kinship ties and living with parents were found to be effective in lowering wife-abuse (Xu, 1995).
Ramfrez and Vazquez (1993) conducted a cross-sectional study, on the epidemiology of violence within the home against women and girls older than 12 years, in the state of Jalisco in Mexico. The findings show that 44 percent of the 1163 rural women and girls and 57 percent of 1228 urban women and girls reported being physically abused in their homes. They reported that husbands inflicted the abuse in 60 percent of the cases and parents in 40 percent. Among the demographic variables examined, low levels of education and families with seven children or more were associated with domestic violence.
In Pakistan also, domestic violence is found to have emerged as a reproductive health and rights issue. A study was carried out in three out-patient clinic facilities catering for the low and middle income population of Karachi. The criterion for selecting the respondents was: currently married; living with their husbands for at least the past one year; and permanent residents of Karachi. The results of these cross sectional study of 150 women revealed that they are subject to violence at an alarming proportion with serious consequences to their physical and mental health. Nearly one-third of the women had experienced physical violence at least once in marital life, the reasons being financial constraints, children or in-laws, although these factors were not significantly associated with anxiety/depression. The study suggests that appropriate intervention strategies should be undertaken to generate awareness about the health consequences of wife-battering (Fikree and Bhatti, 1999).
The results of the first large-scale, community-based study conducted in rural South Africa show that intimate partners has assaulted 25 percent of women. The 1306 women interviewed were randomly sampled from Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, and the Northern Province. It is estimated that during the final year of the survey, physical injury to women in these provinces cost the health system about US$4.86 million. And it is found that women appeared to contribute to their abuse by supporting patriarchal beliefs. A third of the women in Northern Province, for example, believe that being beaten by their partners is an expression of love. In the second study, interviews with 1394 male council workers in Cape Town in the Western Cape Province showed that about 50 percent of workers admitted to having physically abused their female partners in the past decade. A population-based survey was carried out in 1993 in Nicaragua on the issue of wife-abuse. The study aimed at measuring the prevalence, frequency, and severity of physical abuse of women by current or former intimate partners and to identify associated risk factors. A cross-sectional survey was performed in Leon, Nicaragua’s second largest city. A representative cluster sample of 10867 women (15 to 49 years old), was developed for a household survey on reproductive and child health was used to obtain a sub-sample of 566 women. Of these women, 488 were identified and interviewed. No woman refused to be interviewed. The findings show that one-half of ever-married women of childbearing age in Leon had experienced physical violence from a partner at some point in their lives and one out of five women had received severe beatings within the past one year. However, it is unknown whether this association and the one between violence and urban/rural zone are due to actual variations or whether they simply reflect a greater reluctance of both rural women and women of higher socio-economic status to disclose violence. The association found between violence and a history of violence in the husband’s family is consistent with research findings in other countries suggesting that violent behaviour may be learned from childhood experiences. The study concludes that wife-abuse represents a significant public health concern in Nicaragua, in terms of its high prevalence as well as its frequency and severity, and that Nicaraguan women experience the risk for spousal abuse, regardless of age and educational background.
In order to study the incidence of domestic violence against women in pregnancy, women attending the antenatal clinic of a local teaching hospital in China Tsan Yuk were interviewed by a designated research nurse in a private setting with the husband or male partner absent. Verbal consent was obtained from the woman before the interview. The questionnaire was derived from the Abuse Assessment Screen. Of the 631 women interviewed during their first antenatal visit, 113 (17.7 percent) had a history of abuse. Domestic violence occurred during the current pregnancy in 27 women (4.3 percent). About 23 women (3.6 percent) said that they were afraid of their partner: 17 of them belonged to the abused group (17.2 percent). The husband was the perpetrator in the majority of cases, 86.9 percent of the abused group as a whole, 77.8 percent of violence during pregnancy, and 96.6 percent of sexual abuse. The mean age was 29.1 years for the abused group and 29.6 years for the non- abused group. The incidence of abuse was significantly higher among the Chinese (17.2 percent) than among the non- Chinese (6.6 percent); and higher among single/ divorced/widowed women, and smokers, drinkers and unemployed women, although the difference was not statistically significant. Risk factors for abuse that were statistically significant included unplanned pregnancy (P=0.002) and women with husbands/partners who were manual workers or unemployed (P<0.05). No difference was found between the abused and the non-abused groups in terms of the number of years of marriage, parity, gestation at first antenatal booking, drug abuse, and total family income.
A similar study was undertaken in Bangladesh to examine three occasions of sexual violence within marriage – namely, violence during menstruation, pregnancy, and neonatal periods. The reference period was one year. Data for this research were collected from an intensive monitoring system known as Watch 3 in 70 villages located in 10 regions of Bangladesh. A team of 10 resident female researchers who stayed in the Study villages for more than two years conducted in-depth interviews. A structured questionnaire was used to collect detailed information of their socio- demographic characteristics and their involvement in credit operations. The interviewers kept intimate relationships with the participants as they visited the women once a month for two years consecutively as part of a larger study. Nearly one-third of the sample women were found to participate in credit- based income-generating projects, whereas the other two-thirds were not.
The study focused on the association between the participation of women in credit-based income-generating programmes and the prevalence of sexual violence in rural Bangladesh. About 27 percent reported that they had been victims of sexual violence at least once in the past year. Nearly eight percent had encountered situations in which they were forced to engage in sexual acts during their menstrual period, although the menstrual period is regarded as an unhygienic condition of a woman, from a religious point of view. The occurrences of sexual violence by socio-demographic characteristics suggest that prevalence of violence varies by age, education, and economic status. In general, sexual violence declines with age of both the spouses. For example, forced sex during menstruation and neonatal period is very high among young women (15-19 years). Marital rape during pregnancy remains high until women become 30 years old. It is interesting to note that sexual violence during pregnancy and neonatal periods drops significantly when husbands reach the age of 40 years. Older women are less likely to be abused than younger women. It is quite possible that older women achieve a respectable position in the family as a result of becoming the mother of adult children. The prevalence of sexual violence is reasonably high, and it might have already created significant health problems among women in Bangladesh. Although a negative association between the behavioural aspects of micro-credit programmes and the prevalence of sexual violence is established in this research, it is clear that credit programmes alone cannot do much to have a significant impact on reducing violence against women (Abdullahel Hadi, 2000). Using a large-scale survey among women of reproductive-age in rural Bangladesh, an attempt was made to present evidence on the prevalence of domestic violence in this population. Subsequently the determinants of domestic violence within this population were explored for the effects of both individual and community-level factors. Data for the study came from the MCH-FP Extension Project of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B). At the time of the study, the Extension Project was located in two separate areas of rural Bangladesh - the Sirajgonj area in the north-central region of the country, and the Jessore area in the south-western part of the country, adjacent to the Indian border. All currently married women aged 15 to 49 years in existing SRS households were included in the sampling frame. A total of 10,368 women were successfully interviewed over the period June through December 1993, representing over 90 percent of the sample of women eligible for inclusion in the survey. The questionnaire included a range of issues related to the household: socio-economic and demographic characteristics, health and family planning service utilisation, and women’s status and mobility. The module also included a limited subset of questions on domestic violence. With regard to household characteristics, a highly significant and strong inverse relationship between landholdings by women and the risk of domestic violence is found in both the areas. Women in non-Muslim households, those married to educated husbands, and women married for longer durations (20 years or more) all experienced significantly low levels of domestic violence. Contrary to expectations, a larger number of living sons is not protective condition for women against violence; it is only weakly associated with higher risks of violence. With respect to parental support variables, either proximity of parents’ residence or substantial assistance from parents is significantly protective against violence. In both the study areas, education of the wife was found to exert a highly significant inverse relationship with the risk of violence. In culturally conservative settings physical mobility of women into activities regarded as almost exclusively belonging to the male space’ and resulting in increased contact with men, is likely to generate grounds for conflict within the family. Higher maternal education was found to be inversely related to domestic violence in both the study areas. The presence of women’s savings and credit groups confers significant protection against the risk of domestic violence. This effect appears to operate largely at the community rather than at the individual level (Koenig, et al, 199)
National domestic violence statistics (US)
Nearly 1 to 3 adult women experience at least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood. Annually, intimates perpetrate 28% of all violence against women.
90-95 % of domestic violence victims are women; as many as 95 % of domestic violence perpetrators are male .
70 % of intimate-partner homicide victims are women.
When a woman is a perpetrator of a domestic homicide, typically the abuser was killed during an assault incident in which the woman was the victim.
17 % of those who visit emergency rooms for treatment are documented as having come as a result of being injured by an intimate .
Medical expenses from domestic violence total between $ 5 and $ 10 billion annually. Businesses forfeit another $100 million in lost wages, sick leave, absenteeism, and lost productivity.
Domestic violence is statistically consistent across racial and ethnic boundaries.
Immigrant women may suffer higher rates of battering than U .S. citizens because they have less access to legal and social services.
Immigrant batterers and victims may believe that the penalties and protections of the U.S citizens they have less access to legal and social services.
Immigrant batterers and victims may believe that the penalties and protections of the U.S . legal system do not apply to them.
Immigrant women often face extreme isolation as they have left family members and friends in their home country to join their partners in the U.S on their own.
Domestic violence cuts across class lines.
Approximately 1/3 of men counseled for battering are professional men who are well respected in their communities. These have included doctors, lawyers, business executives, professors and religious leaders.
Immigrant women who come on dependent visas are reliant on their spouses for their economic sustenance, as well as, their ability to stay in the U.S.
Each year an estimated 3.3 million children are exposed to violence by family members against their mother or female caretakers
40-60 % of men who abuse women also abuse children. Domestic violence occurs within same-sex relationships with the same statistical frequency as in heterosexual relationships .
Domestic violence in the South Asian community
Domestic violence in the South Asian context is not clearly understood as very little formal investigation has been completed in this area. However, the prevalence of this problem in our community is reflected in the growing number of South Asian domestic violence agencies established across the country. Manavi, established in 1985 in New Jersey, was the first organization in the U.S . to focus on violence against South Asian women. Currently, there are more than two-dozen agencies, predominantly in larger urban areas, where there is a greater concentration of South Asian immigrants.
Between 1981 and 2002 community papers and newspapers in the U.S reported 76 murders and murder/suicides, 12 attempted murders, and 2 deaths of perpetrators at the hands of police, bringing the total of domestic violence related deaths and near- deaths in the south Asian community to 90.
Between September 2002 and June 2003, manavi provided services to 291 women. In the past year, manavi’s transitional home Ashiana, provided shelter to 11 women and 5 children.
Our own community has not been left untouched by the issue of domestic violence. Although it remains hidden and generally unacknowledged, it continues to affect the lives of South Asian women and children living in the Greater Rochester area. Within the past3-5 years, several Indian women have had the courage to seek assistance and break free from their abusive relationships.
Unfortunately, these women had no established South Asian community support system to which they could turn. They also lacked resources and information about mainstream service providers who could help them with alternatives to their abusive situation. Our local experiences with this problem demonstrated the inability of existent service providers in the Greater Rochester area to cater to the unique cultural needs of South Asian women and our own community’s reluctance to meet their emotional, social, and economic needs. However, it is now time to face reality and for us to address this issue as a responsible community.
Over the last few months a new organization, SAATHI, formed to begin the process of understanding, educating and dealing with the issue of domestic violence. SAATHI will work towards preventing domestic violence and sexual abuse against women in the South Asian community of the Greater Rochester area. The organization’s mission is to empower women who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault, by increasing community education and awareness around this issue.
As the South Asian community in the Greater Rochester area progresses with increasing affluence towards prominence and influence in the economic and political arenas, we should not ignore the social problems that exist. In the near future, SAATHI will be holding various programs and informational events to raise consciousness about domestic violence. SAATHI asks all of you to participate in these events and join with us in pledging against domestic abuse, thus ensuring a healthy community. Conceptual Analysis
Violence is a product of social, cultural, religious and traditional values, which perpetuate patriarchal attitudes at different Level of society and restrict female empowerment. Violence against women refers to any private or public act that is likely to cause them physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering. VAW affects all spheres of a woman’s life-her autonomy, her productivity, and her capacity to care for herself and hr children and subsequently also her overall health status and quality of life. However, it is only recently that VAW has become of focus of discussion in South Asia WHO’s world Report on Violence and Health defines violence as the international use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another5 person or against a group or community, that either results in or has ahigh likelihood of resulting in insure, death, psychological harm, mal development or deprivation. Each year over 1.6 million people worldwide lose their lives to violence. Violence is among the leading causes of death for people aged 15-44 years world wide, accounting for 14% of death among meals and 7% of deaths among females, for every, person who dies as a result of violence, many more are injured and suffer from a range of physical, sexual, reproductive and mental health problems. Moreover, violence places a massive burden and national economies costing countries billions of US dollars each year in health case, law enforcement and lost productivity.
The declaration on the Elimination of violence Against women, adopted by the united nations general Assembly in 1993 defines violence against women as “Any act of gender based violence that result in or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, in clouding treats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.
Declaration states violence against women shall be understood to encompass, but not be limited to the following:
Physical sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation;
Physical sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution;
Physical sexual and psychological perpetrated or condoned by the state, wherever it occurs.
Although broad in its scope, this statement defines violence as act that cause or have the potential to cause harm, and emphasizes that these acts are rooted in gender inequality. This focus on women does not deny the fact that men experience violence.
The international communities have recognized that VAW is a violation of women’s human rights. It is also acknowledged that promotion of women rights is a means to ensure sustainable development. The convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women 1978 is the most comprehensive international agreement imposing legally binding duties eliminate discrimination against women and ensure equality between women and men. It offers a means of holding Governments accountable for structural and systematic discrimination against women. In its approach, the convention covers three dimensions relevant to the situation of women.
It brings together in single treaty body civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights;
Unlike other treaties it imposes obligations on state parties to eliminate discrimination in private as well as public life;
Finally it addresses reproductive rights and the role of cultural factors in perpetuating discrimination against women. It is worth mentioning that Kofi Annan Un General Secretary rightly observes that “Violence’ against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation. It knows no boundaries of geography culture of wealth. As long as it continues, we can not claim to be making veal progress equality, development and peace, However, assertive behavior against women may take the following forms.
Physical violence which includes all aggressive behavior inflicted on the body of victim by an aggressor such as pushing, pinching grabbing and pulling by the hair, chucking, burning, stabbing throwing acid or boiling water, shooting and so on.
Sexual violence includes physical attacks on victims erogenous organs, e.g. breast and genitals of forced sexual activity accompanied by physical violence on described earlier. Violence against the victim or a person dear to her, forcing the victim to degrade herself: excessive controlling, curtailing and or disruption of routine activities such as sleeping or disruption of routine activities such as sleeping or eating habits social relationship, access to money , verbal insult and so on.
Various violence is committed through damage or destruction of property or assault on pets or even children. Major Trends and Forms
All these various forms of violence, mentioned above many take place in private and public arena, committed by family members or strangers. Major types of violence committed against women are as under:
Family Violence
Violence committed by family members within the family home is the most serious and repugnant of all types of violence. In south Asian countries where reliable, Large scale studies on gender violence are available, more than 20% women are reported to have been abused by man with whom they live. Not only they abused by their husbands. Their mother -in-law , father, also physically or mentally tortures them in law, and sister in law, or brother in law for dowry. This is a common phenomenon in joint poor family. The women’s labor is not properly recognized not given their due share and always they are kept neglected or ignored on different pretexts. Their masters-male or female on a very trifling matter of flimsy ground also inhumanly tortures the maidservants. The tortured becomes often sever that they are succumbed to death. Wife battering is not only an event in Bangladesh it is also corn man in many African and Western World. In USA one in four and Canada one in ten women face domestic violence. Battering by intimate partners, fathers or brothers; sexual abuse of female children and young women in the household by family members; Dowry-related violence; Marital rape. Female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women. It also covers abuse of domestic workers including Involuntary confinement; physical brutality; slavery-like conditions; sexual assault.
Rape and Sexual Abuse: rape is an unlawful sexual intercourse with a female person without her consent by force or threat of force. It is the most series and frequently occurred form of violence against women. In our country everyday a huge number of women and girl are being raped. According to a report made by Ayne O Salish Kendro, from January to December,2002, 1412 women have been victimized of whom 149 have been killed after rape. In 2001 according to BNWLA source ,it is understood that as many as 605women rights organization Naripokkho documented 545 rape incidents the same year (Ialam-2004). Beside many such cases are happening behind the public screen and notice of the people. Even many known cases are not reported in the press or case filed in police station because of social stigma attached to it. The unfortunate part of the story is that the raped women is socially condemned, ostracized and boycotted, ignored and widely believed to be responsible for their own rape. A raped woman also is considered as abandoned women no place in the society, hence the raped women or relatives of that woman keep the incidents secrets. There are various form of rape in Bangladesh such as: rape in work place, rape in domestic environment, rape in police custody, child rape, gang rape, data rape institutional rape, spousal rape and rape by intimate male relations. Prostitution and Trafficking in Women: the problem of prostitution and trafficking in women seems to have increased tremendously in the last two decades. Trafficking in women and children, most often fr commercial sexual exploitation is estimated to rise up to 8 million us dollar each year, according to the international organization for migration. The huge profit reaped by the perpetrators, increasingly linked to organized crimes has tuned this trade into a rapidly growing menace. Poor women and the girls are among the target groups of traffickers, because other magnetization of poverty and limited economic resources. In Bangladesh a gang of traffickers induces the poor and wretched women and children for love marriage and also pretension of love and marriage and illegally traffic them to Pakistan, India and Middle East countries to become domestic servants and often used sexually.
It is extremely difficult to assess the actual number of prostitute currently in operation in our country. According to a report published by coalition against trafficking in women Around 200000 women have been smuggled in ten years up to September 1995. According to some estimation, the number of prostitutes in Dhaka and Narayangonj may be around 50000. Some of them are hold call girls. Acid Throwing: Acid throwing is another form of violence against women, which are increasing at an alarming rate. The young and teenaged girls fell victim of acid burn because of refusal of marriage and rejection of love proposal given by young man. Acid burns also taken as measures of personal revenge, family quarrel and quarrel in couple and also feuds between two families, kinship.
Abduction
Women are helpless and suffer from a deep sense of insecurity with the increase of deterioration of low and order situation the scale of abduction has astronomically risen particularly in industrial cities where the female workers are abundant in garments factories, the abduction case has sharply increased. Not only it is confined to garments workers only, the teen aged girls are also reported being abducted from the school premises. After abduction the criminals demand a big ransom for their release. Incase they of sex harassment, and in extreme cases they are brutally killed. In a study made by ACD Rajshahi, from 1999 to 2003, 30 women, girls or children were abducted. One has to take this point in mind that Rajshahi in relatively a peaceful city as compared to often cities and district town of Bangladesh (Rahman, undated)
Dowry Violence
Demanding giving and accepting dowry is illegal in Bangladesh. The practice, however, still prevails in many sections of the society. A major reason is the rising unemployment among young males, especially in rural Bangladesh, often the bride’s parents cannot contribute the whole amount of dowry at once. The issue of dowry is probably the most common sources of domestic violence in rural Bangladesh, where the husband along with his parents and relative, remind the urine that the remaining payment is still due. Incidents of murder or attempted murder for dowry-related reasons are regular items in the country’s daily papers.
The following case study documented by Odhikar clearly shows far such illegal demands of money can go.
Murder.
Murder is the most cruel from of women violence. The murder of women by their husband and in laws is related to escalation of dowry demands and with more general harassment and severe beating of women. Women are murdered secretly as well as openly by the gunshot by the hired terrorists. Sometimes on a very trifling cause or neglected issue or of sudden rise of anger beyond control, kill wife and children. In an ACD Report it is found that in the year 2001, 590 women murdered on different causes. Actually the above information are available and applicable for Bangladesh. Now I have also mentioned here Pakistan India and Nepal.
Violence against women in India and Nepal
As the Asian Legal Resource Centre has previously stated before the Commission, approximately 260 million people in South Asia are designated as Dalits. At the very bottom of the social structure, Dalits suffer constant discrimination and violence on the basis of descent. The Asian Legal Resource Centre has this year submitted a separate written statement to the Commission on the condition of Dalits in Nepal.
NATIONAL STUDIES
In the study conducted by Rao (1997), ethnographic and econometric methods were used to study the determinants of wife-abuse in a community of potters in the Karanataka State in South India. The study used a mix of qualitative and quantitative data to examine the inter-connections among socio- economic conditions, status of women, marriage markets, family decision-making processes, fertility, and health and nutrition. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to draw hypotheses which were then tested with survey data collected from the same population using econometric techniques. The qualitative analysis based on interviews with 70 women and 30 men revealed that wife-beating is a common practice, especially in mild forms, and that it is acceptable behaviour in the community. It is not considered a problem. The causative factors of abuse, as revealed in the qualitative survey, included excessive liquor consumption by husbands, hostilities connected with dowry, female sterilisation, and the number of living male and female children. This indicates that the qualitative results and the quantitative evidence conform to each other.
It was found that sterilisation leads to fear on the part of husbands that their wives would turn unfaithful. On the other hand, female sterilisation indicates the end of a wife’s reproductive phase and lowers the husband’s costs of sexual violence towards her. While the number of living female children has a positive but insignificant effect, the number of male children reduces the incidence of wife- beating.
Visaria (1999) found in Kheda district of Gujarat that two-thirds of the women had undergone some form of psychological, physical or sexual abuse. Each form of abuse cut across all ages, castes, and education all levels. The most frequently reported types of violence against women were abusive language (80 percent), beating (63 percent), forcing women back to their parental home (52 percent) and threats to thrown them out (51 percent). Women from Scheduled and other backward castes reported much higher incidence of physical abuse than others. The causes for violence were related to complaints about meal preparation and childcare and economic stress. An important finding in this study is that women living in nuclear families reported more violence than women living in extended or joint families and that higher proportions of women married for long periods of time reported more episodes of physical violence than newly married women.
A study on women’s autonomy conducted in 1993-‘94 in two districts, each in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh addressed issues closely related to wife-beating, women’s decision-making authority, personal freedom of movement, and wife-husband relations. A total of 1842 rural women aged 15-39, constituted the sample. The respondents consisted of both Hindus and Muslims. Wife-beating was found to be widely prevalent in all settings, the most often stated cause of beating being ‘disobedience’ of the husband’s orders, or failure to meet husband’s expectations. Violence was justified because it was husband’s ‘prerogative’. The study held the state accountable for its failure to punish perpetrators (Jejeebhoy and Cook, 1997).
It is also found from various studies that close relatives, especially members of the husband’s family play important roles perpetrating violence against women (Devi Prasad, 1990; Fernandez, 1997). In a vast majority of cases, the perpetrator is the husband, assisted by the mother- in-law. Other members of the husband’s family such as brother-in-law and sister-in-law also are found to actively participate and abet the violence (Devi Prasad, 1990). In an enquiry which made 15 case studies in Bombay during 1985-‘99 it was found that domestic violence by extended family members in India constituted interplay of gender and generation. A young daughter-in-law is subordinate not only to men but also to older women in the family as well. Mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law contribute to the violence. The study concludes that Indian women’s experiences with violence vary by their generations or life cycle stages, social class, caste, and region.
A study by Sen (1998) examined violence in intimate relationships, namely women’s experiences of male violence at the hands of husbands (or male partners) in the city of Calcutta. Information was collected from 52 relationships by interviewing women about their histories including educational experiences, migration patterns, paid employment, and physical and sexual violence. It was found that in general, women suffered extreme physical abuse and for long durations. Employment of women was not found to be unassociated with violence, indicating that irrespective of whether a woman is an earning member or not, she faces hostility and violence. An important dimension that has not been explored adequately is domestic violence against childless women. An attempt in this direction was made by Kohler-Reissman (2000) by analysing married women’s experiences and the processes of resistance and stigma. Childlessness is marked by profound psychological trauma and the role of the family and the community in the creation of such trauma is important. Rohler-Reissman interviewed 31 childless married women in the age group of 22-27 years in the State of Kerala. The narrative method was used to collect the data. Women described their experiences as shameful and distressed and considered their fate of childlessness abominable. They did not have a respectable status within the family; and it was difficult for them to attend family gatherings or festivities with humour. They are discriminated against in all social forums. Poor women become all the more detestable. But the strength of resistance to discriminatory behaviour is found to be more.
Domestic violence is also seen to be associated with the state of health of women, especially their reproductive and sexual health. The data come from a community-based survey in two culturally distinct sites of rural India, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The results suggest that wife-beating is deeply entrenched habit and that attitudes uniformly justify wife-beating. It was found that health consequences of domestic violence in terms of infant and foetal mortality are considerably high. The women who have suffered beatings appear to be significantly more likely than other women to have experienced foetal wastage or infant deaths irrespective of religion or residence. The association between wife-beating and foetal and infant mortality are found to persist, even after controlling for other factors. The results also suggest that wife-beating and mortality levels are higher in Uttar Pradesh where women are actually powerless than in Tamil Nadu where women have some measure of autonomy, and as a result of marriage and residential patterns, some support from kinsfolk.
In a large multi-site household survey INCLEN recently estimated the intensity of domestic violence in India and its correlates and outcomes. The community, family, and individual factors associated with family violence were examined. A uniform sampling strategy was drawn and families in which at least one woman aged 15-49 (years) and who has at least one child (<18 years of age) living in the household were considered. A woman was randomly chosen from all eligible women within the household irrespective of whether she was currently married or not. The participation rate was 90 percent in the rural stratum and 76 percent in the urban slum and 67 percent in the urban non-slum. About 50 percent of the sample reported as having experienced at least one of the behaviours outlined above at least once in their married life. About 44 percent reported at least one psychologically abusive behaviour and 40 percent reported experiencing at least one form of violent physical behaviour. Dowry harassment was seen to have been one of the major precipitating factors of violence within the marital home. The gender gap in employment status emerged as an important risk factor for violence. More than half (58 percent) of the women respondents reported that the members of their immediate family were aware of the violence. In addition 41 percent of them reported that their neighbours also knew of the violence. However, only less than 10 percent had left their husbands; surprisingly, more than 55 percent of the women perceived violence as a normal part of marriage life.
A similar study by Martin, et al, has examined relationships between men’s reports of wife- abuse and reproductive health issues in Uttar Pradesh from the PERFORM survey in 1995-‘96. A total of 6632 married men aged 15 to 65 years who lived with their wives and completed all survey questions for the study variables were considered. The main measures used were physically and sexually abusive behaviours toward wives, sexual activities outside marriage, sexually transmitted disease (STD) symptoms, contraception use, unplanned pregnancies, and socio-demographic characteristics. The results indicate that 54 percent of men reported not having abused their wives; 17 percent reported physical but not sexual abuse of their wives; 22 percent reported sexual abuse without physical force; and 7 percent reported sexual abuse with physical force. Abuse was more common among men who had extramarital sex. Similarly, men who had STD symptoms were more likely to abuse their wives. Unplanned pregnancies were significantly more common among wives of abusive men, especially sexually abusive men who used force. The study concludes that wife-abuse appears to be fairly common in northern India and that abusive men were more likely to engage in extramarital sex and have STD symptoms. It also suggests that the men who have STD symptoms might have acquired them from their extramarital relationships, and placed their wives at risk of STD acquisition sometimes via sexual abuse. These abusive sexual behaviours also would result in increasing the number of unplanned pregnancies (Martin, et al, 1999a and 1999b).
A study of domestic violence against women based on an investigation of hospital casualty records in Mumbai was undertaken by Daga, et al (1998). Data on all women whose cases were recorded in the emergency police register of the JJ Hospital during the year 1996 were examined. As many as 23 percent women came under the category of victims of domestic violence. They had either suffered assaults by a family member or a known person or, in a minority of cases, attributed the burns they suffered to their husbands or other family members. Another 44 percent women appeared to have been victims of violence; 19 percent refused to name the perpetrator of the assault; 9 percent attributed the burns they suffered to accidental stove burst; 16 percent were clear cases of attempted suicide. An important finding is that over one-fifth of the injuries took place during the late hours of the night, raising doubts about reports of accidents. Most women were of the 20-34 years age group. The results do indicate that violence is an invisible public health problem.
The National Crime Records Bureau has recorded an increase of 40% in the case of social harassment, and 15.2% in cases of dowry deaths. The steady decline in the sex ratio noted for over a century in India from 972 females for 1000males in the population in 1901 to 927 females in 1991 and the prevalence of female foeticide in at least ten states of India are critical indicators of the issue of violence against women.
Female foeticide and female infanticide are basically a Socio-cultural problem and not law and order problem alone. UNICEF reports that 4050 million women are missing from Indian population due to foeticide. (The World’s Women –1978-1990 Trends and Statistics, United Nations, New York, 1991).
A study carried out in a private clinic in Bombay shows that, of the 80,000 abortions done after the parents determined the sex of the foetus only one was male foetus. Violence towards women starts from the foetal stage and continues to spread to other parts of India at an alarming rate.
Another study on female infanticide conducted by Adhiti, a nongovernment organisation in 1995 reports that in Tamil Nadu fresh female babies were murdered by covering their faces with wet clothes, feeding them poisoned herbal milk etc. 35 Dais in a town called Kathihar in Bihar testified that each of them killed 3 to 4 babies per month. Adhiti pointed out that there are at least 5,30,000 Dais in the state. These cold-blooded murders take place in private hospitals also with connivance of doctors.(Ref. Usha Rai, Indian Express, dated 0306-1995)
‘Economic Times’ reports that after Latur incident there was a rush to the hospital by women to recanalyze the fallopian tubes. This is consequent to the ultimatum given by some husbands to produce male heirs to replace the ones lost in the disaster.
National Crime report of 1991 reveals that in every 33 minutes one Indian woman is being abused by her husband. It also reveals that in 1989 one dowry death occurred in every 125th minute. In 1990, 91,92 and 93 the figures were 109th, 102nd, 106th and 90th minute. This shows a great leap in the increase of dowry death.
Rapes within marriage, wife battering, incest, overwork etc. are other areas of gross violence on a woman’s body. Incest and forced sexual relationship usually had frozen the child with fear and guilt after the traumatic experience. Studies have shown that in 70% of the rape cases of children, the rape is done within the child’s own home in the absence of parents and that the culprits are close relatives, friends, neighbours etc.
A woman works inside home in the multiple capacities as mother, cook, tailor, laundry person, nurse, housekeeper etc. Performing excellently in all the roles is a strenuous task, which affects her health adversely. India ranks medium risk in terms of women’s health and reproductive health. India has a reproductive risk index of 39.5 worked out by looking at several factors including the number of births per women, abortions, policies, anaemia and other illnesses and maternal deaths. While maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births in 1980-1992 is 8 in U.K., the figure is 460 in India. This figure is comparable to the figure of 400 in U.K in 1928 (UNDP report 1995). 80% of the women are anaemic in India. It needs special mention that out of the 5 million abortions performed in India 4.5 million is performed illegally (The Hindu dated 7.1.1996). About 61% of abortions in India are induced abortions and it is well known that most of them are instances of female foeticide. (The Hindu dated 02.06.1995). The threat to the backbone of the society-the girl child-is vivid from the fact that of the 15million girls born every year almost a quarter do not live to see their 15th birthday.(World Youth 1996 – extends by Ms. Pameela Philipose in Indian Express dated 03.10.1996)
Within the last few decades, gradual improvements in women’s status due to women’s activism in various parts of the world has helped slowly to increase the visibility of domestic violence as a social problem. Despite this, violence against women within the family/home, until very recently has received little attention as either a social or public health issue. The sensitivities and stigma associated with domestic violence, the perception that it is primarily a judicial and legal issue, and the lack of data on the dimensions of abuse, have hampered understanding and the development of appropriate interaction (Heise et al. 1994), Research to address these obstacles has begun to make a difference.
Within the public health literature, epidemiological studies have largely focused on estimating the prevalence of physical violence. In a 1986 study, nearly 30 percent couples in the United States reported experiencing at least one violent episode in their marriage (Strauss and Gelles 1986). In 1990 family planning survey in Kenya, 42 percent of women said their husbands had beaten them. (Human Rights Watch Global Report) in China, Xu (1997) found conclusive evidence of wife beating. The Nepal maternal mortality and morbidity study reported that 4 of 132 maternal deaths were suicides. Almost of 16% of the deaths in pregnancy were caused by domestic violence according to a community and hospital based prospective study, India conducted during 1993-1995. In terms of economic loss due to domestic violence, a Canadian study showed that the total cost to abused women and to government due to domestic violence was more than $3.2 billion in 1993 (Greaves, Hankisky, and Kingston – Richers 1995) Women in India are subject to violence not only from husbands but also from members of both the natal and marital home. Girls and women in India are usually less privileged than boys in terms of access to material resources. Nevertheless, there are regional and community variations. Women in the north have relatively less autonomy than their counter parts in south, and experience fewer opportunities for control over economic resources (Karve 1965). Although there are some difference in reporting by region-women in the south report fewer beatings than their counter parts in the north –in depth qualitative studies have found considerable under reporting in the data (Rao 1997) Research into the determining factors underlying the existence of domestic violence remains meagre, but points repeatedly to the lack of women’s autonomy as the key.
Spouse disparity in educational attainment level or marital age, lack of autonomy within the home, dowry pressure, child hood abuse, unemployment, alcoholism and poverty are all linked to high rates of domestic violence in India (Jejeeboy 1998, Ahuja 1987, Mahajan and Madhurima 1995)
The role of dowry in the abuse of women adds to the complexity of domestic violence in India. Despite the dowry prohibition Act of 1961, research indicates there was a 169.7 percent increase in dowry related deaths from the year 1987 to 1991 and a 37.5 percent increase in acts of cruelty by husband and relatives (National Crimes Record Bureau 1995) In India comprehensive household data on the prevalence and costs of domestic violence were lacking. The multi-site study by the International clinical
Epidemiologists Network (INCLEN) is a pioneering effort to estimate comparable rates of violence within and across for countries: India, Chile Brazil, Egypt and Philippines. The multi-site household survey conducted by INCLEN was a part of the 3 year research programme conducted by the International centre for Research on Women (ICRW) on Domestic violence in India (19972000) in partnership with researchers from a range of Indian academics and activist orgarnisations.
In India the study by INCLEN was undertaken between 1997 and 1999 at seven diverse and regional sites: Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, Lucknow, Nagpur, Thiruvanathapuram and Vellore. According to this study the overall figure of domestic violence for India is 36.9% physical violence and 35.5% psychological violence, while for Kerala it is 62.3% and 61.61% respectively. In the rural areas the overall figure is 51.7% of physical violence and 49.7% of psychological violence, while the Kerala figure 68.8% physical violence and 68.9% psychological violence.
The study tried to determine what women consider to be the precipitating factors for the violence. Women identified lapses in fulfilling their responsibilities (Cooking, attending to household, looking after children and in laws) as key factors influencing the occurrence of violence. These findings reiterate that violence is mechanism for enforcing the gender roles and expectations within the family. Moreover, mother-in-law too reported these same factors as precipitating violence in their own marriages. Not in frequently, women attributed violence due to infidelity or suspicion of infidelity of either of the spouses. Another area of conflict was dissatisfaction with the dowry.
Gender based violence including rape, domestic violence, mutilation, murder, sexual abuse-is increasing on an alarming rate across the globe. Often this represents a hidden obstacle to economic and social development. By sapping women’s energy, undermining their confidence and compromising their health, gender violence deprives society of women’s full participation.
Violence against women can be identified in 3 areas a) violence within the family b) violence occurring in the community and c) violence perpetrated by the state.
Violence within the family refers to violence occurring within the private sphere of the women’s life. This include marital rape female genital mutilation, dowry related violence, battering etc.
Violence occurring in the community include sexual violence including lurid comments, staring, stalking and rape at he level of the community, sexual harassment at he workplaces, forced prostitution and trafficking of women.
Violence perpetrated by the state included verbal or physical abuses in custody, sexual or physical torture and violence such as rape in situations like armed conflict or against vulnerable, marginalized refugees or internally displaced women.
As violence against women is increasing several theories are also on the board to understand the violence committed by individuals. Ahuja (1998) and Sharma (1997) highlight a common approach in some of the theories that focus on individual aggressors. There are two kinds of explanations focusing on individuals. One includes psycho-pathological explanations that focus on personality characteristics of victims and offenders. These theories provide pathological explanation for violent behaviour focus ing on brain structures chemical imbalances, dietary deficiencies, hormonal factors as well as evolutionary theories and genetic characteristics to explain violent behaviours.
This model thus links mental illnesses and other intra individual phenomena suc h as alcoholism and drug use to violent behaviour.
The socio-psychological model on the other hand argues that violent behaviour can be understood by careful examination of the external environmental factors that have an impact on the behaviour of individual leading to stressful situation or family inter-actional patterns.
Feminist analysis of violence has been based on power relations between men and women that deny women equal access to power and resources thus making them more vulnerable to violence from men. The cause of this violence can be traced to patriarchy -the ideology that bestows on men power and authority over all aspects of women’s lives including her bodies.
Ahuja proposes an integrated model that includes a combination of the above factors to explain violent behaviours among individuals. The model proposes the influence of four factors on violent behaviour among individuals. They are : Social norms and social organizations that socialize the individuals personal characteristics; Intrapers onal characteristics of the individual that include his or her relations and interactions with other individuals and family; economic and environmental factors that influence the behaviour of individuals.
Heise (1998) proposes a clearer and interrelated ecological framework for understanding violent behaviour among individuals. This framework includes a range of physical, social, emotional and psychological factors at the personal community and societal levels. In this model, the causative factors are represented in the form of four concentric circles. The innermost circle includes the personal history of the man and the woman who are in the relationship. For example, this includes factors influencing their personalities such as being male, child hood experience of marital violence in their families, childhood experience of abuse. The second circle represents the micro system factors that influence familial relationship and include the immediate context within which violence takes place such as male dominance in the family, control over money and decision making at the household level by men, low status of women such as daughter –in –law within the family, use of alcohol, marital conflict situations. The third circle represents the exo system representing he social systems and structures at he micro level or community level such as poor socio-economic status, unemployment, poor social surroundings leading to delinquent behaviour, lack of access of women to economic and other resources, and lack of support structures leading to powerlessness. The macro system represents the broader societal norms that serve to create a favourable environment for the other three factors to act. These include: the general societal acceptance of power structures that represent dominance, aggression and control of men over women, of rigid gender roles, of acceptance of niter personal violence.
KERALA STUDIES
How safe are women in their homes in the state? . According to police reports , nearly half of the women in the state suffer at the hands of their own relatives and family members. The number of cases relating to various atrocities against women – including molestation and domestic violence – has reached alarming proportion. Out of 10,781 crimes reported against women in 2010, their husbands and relatives are culprits in as many as any 4,788 incidents. The situation was no different in the previous years. While 3,976 women complained of attack from their husbands and relatives in 2009., the number was even higher in 2008 with4,135 cases. Crimes against women in 2009 and 2008 were respectively 9,354 and 9,706.Malappuram district tops in cruelty by husband/ relatives . According to the data compiled by the police department , 652 cases were registered here from January 1 to December 31. This year too the ratio of crimes against women is showing no signs of declining , according to the State Crime Records Bureau. Kollam district follows Malappuram in the number of atrocities against women by husband/ relatives. The least number of domestic violence cases was reported from Pathanamthitta and Wynadu. In all , 10,781 cases of torture were reported from the state in 2010 . Of this , 4,788 cases were registered purely on complaints against the cruelty of husband and family members towards women . As many as 2,939 cases of molesting and 617 rape charges were registered within this period . Besides , 175, kidnapping cases , 539 eve- teasing incidents and 1,702 other offences were registered from across the state. According to Women’s Commission member P K Sainaba , the basic cause of domestic violence is the ‘un controlled dowry system’ (THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS ,Thiruvananthapuram Saturday 28 May 2011-Women Unsafe in Own Homes, KM Sree).
The State of Kerala is held as an example for other regions to emulate, of how a comparatively high quality of life could be achieved with relatively low level of income. Kerala has done exceptionally well in terms of all human development indicators: very low level of infant mortality rate (11 per 1000 live births); high longevity of males and females (69 years for males and 75 years for females); below- replacement level of fertility (1.7 children per woman); near universal literacy rates of males and females (94 percent for males and 88 percent for females); and high levels of health and nutritional status of women and children. Researchers and policy makers have been engaged in evaluating these remarkable achievements, the so-called Kerala model of development (Dreze and Sen, 1995; Heller, 1995; Kannan, 1998; Lieten, 2002).
The reasons for this enormous human development in Kerala are many. The implementation of comprehensive redistributive land reforms in the early 1970s transformed the agrarian relations and facilitated social change in Kerala. The conferment of ownership of land titles to hutment dwellers, small artisans, and agricultural labourers liberated them from feudal subservience and enhanced their bargaining power and human dignity. Local level struggles and broad-based social mobilisation struggles from below provided the erstwhile deprived sections institutionalised bargaining power to claim their rights for minimum wages, fair working conditions, social protection and other welfare entitlements including food subsidies. Legislative and institutional changes in the labour market through responsive government interventions paved the way for wage and employment security. In fact, Kerala has a comprehensive pension and social security regime, especially in the informal or unorganized sectors, which include agricultural labourers, head load workers, construction workers, toddy tappers and widows, to name only a few. Political mobilisation and collective action around educational reforms played a major role in creating an enabling environment for mass literacy. The liberal policies followed are also linked to advancement in the status of women especially of the socially and economically deprived groups.
The social movements of yesteryears also played significant roles in enhancing the status of women and creating a liberal attitude towards girls’ education. And the system of matriliny in powerful and influential communities such as the Nairs where women controlled the property and other important duties of the household, had an influence on the society in their appreciation for women’s high status (Agarwal, 1994). The enlightened educational policies pursued in the erstwhile Travancore and Cochin States, contributed in many ways to the development of the health sector and the utilisation of available health services.
The twentieth century witnessed many social movements that benefited women in diverse ways such as supplying them with information and education on the various oppressive tactics used by upper castes and the elite in society against the poor, the landless and the lower castes. The radical political traditions in Kerala and the mass mobilisation of the backward castes for affirmative action also had their influence on the creation of the stage for voicing their rights. Women’s status was, in the process, enhanced with growing participation in these movements, increasing exposure to education, rising assimilation of progressive ideas, and rising appreciation of their own rights.
The question here is “are these tendencies and the struggle for rights and the images of the emancipated woman of Kerala true”? “Are they visible today?”
Poverty and unemployment levels that have risen sharply consequent on the introduction of economic reforms appear to have rendered poor women much poorer. Commercialisation of agriculture tends to reduce female labour and many women are reportedly thrown out of the work force. Even those who are employed are reportedly paid lower wages than are paid to men in comparable jobs. Reductions in public spending on social services are also found to affect women. The gender relations do not seen to have improved much despite progress in education and health sectors.
Overview of status of women in Kerala
An overview of the situation of women in Kerala presents a paradoxical picture. Laudable achievements in the socio-demographic realms notwithstanding, such as favourable sex ratio, and high levels of literacy, unseen in other parts of the country, issues of economic impoverishment, low participation in political activity, malnourishment and low labour force participation rates are rampant among women in Kerala. Harassment of women in the domestic sphere and the work place is also observed to be quite common in the State. What are the causes for this malady and what has happened to the Kerala model of development? Why are women conspicuously absent at the centre-stage of development, in spite of high social development?
The paradox of social development and economic backwardness was documented about two decades ago. What is not often discussed is the “gender paradox”, where women have high levels of education but low levels of participation in the labour force and in the political activities. For example, women’s work participation is lower than in other south Indian States with less than 25 percent of women in the work force. Researchers are unanimous in their view that women’s education, access to resources, health care and food, high age at marriage, and low fertility levels are requisites for high status of women. Yet in Kerala overcoming of the constraints in these aspects has not led to a situation in which women have a controlling “space” of their challenging of patriarchal attitudes. There is obviously an “invisible” crust within the public domain that operates in an obnoxious manner to keep women away from bargaining (in terms of power and influence) and also avoiding confrontation between men and women, for another “kind” of development. Therefore to enable and to create an identity amongst women and for recognition of their rights, several women’s organisations have emerged and are actively addressing the issues of gender imbalances in Kerala society (Devika and Kodoth, 2001).
In the context of rising domestic violence and harassment of women at the workplace and in public places, a renewed vigour is in evidence in recent years in attempts to understand and foreground “gender subordinations” (of all hues) alongside caste and class. The movements of yesteryears were based on caste and class and power relations defined in those terms. The gender perspective was not on the agenda of the movements. The gains that accrued to women were the indirect fallout of the movements against class and caste oppression.
Some critics point out that the so-called Kerala Model of Development has virtually ignored the gender dimension (Saradamoni, 1994). The fact that women’s health and education indicators in Kerala are good has led to a certain complacency, blinding scholars and activists alike to the increasing marginalisation of women from traditional sources of employment, the disappearance of matrilineal family forms that had buttressed the status of women in the household, the steep rise of dowry practices, and the decline of other forms of women’s inheritance. We argue that considering the possibility of violence against women in Kerala from such perspectives might shed useful light on a little explored but very important dimension of women’s status.
Domestic violence in Kerala: Prevalence and correlates
In recent years, domestic violence is being increasingly recognised as a human rights and social and public health concern. Although the estimates of prevalence of domestic violence vary widely, prevalence rates generally range from 20 percent to 50 percent (Heise, et al, 1999). In the current literature on domestic violence, different explanations have been given for its occurrence: (1) cultural systems legitimise violence, legal authorities fail to protect women, economic structures subordinate women, and political systems marginalise women’s needs (Heise, et al, 1994); (2) marital violence is more prevalent in societies in which patriarchal systems are strong and women have few options outside of marriage due to divorce restrictions and low access to economic resources, and where violence is an accepted means for conflict-resolution (Levinson, 1989); (3) violence against women is a reflection of the power relationships between
spouses (Strauss, Gelles, and Steinmetz, 1980); (4) violence against women is linked to woman’s lower self-esteem, severe depressive symptoms with minimal personal resources, and little institutional support (Strauss, 1980);
(5) society encourages husbands to exercise their rights to dominate and control wives (Dobash and Dobash, 1992).
In India, domestic violence is emerging as a major social problem. However, until recently, the documentation on the prevalence and correlates of domestic violence against women has remained scant. In a landmark study, the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) in partnership with the International Clinical Epidemiologists Network (INCLEN) has provided reliable estimates on the prevalence of domestic violence as well as its correlates (INCLEN, 2000). The study is based on a survey of 10,000 households across seven sites in India, encompassing rural and urban slum and urban non- slum areas. Respondents were women of 15-49 years of age with at least one child less than 18 years of age currently living with them. The measured violence outcomes were discrete physical behaviours (such as being slapped, kicked, hit, or beaten) and psychological abusive behaviours (such as being demeaned, threatened, abandoned, insulted or having the husband being unfaithful). The data were collected for two time-periods, lifetime and current. Lifetime violence includes behaviours which women experienced throughout their married life. Current violence includes behaviours, which women experienced during the 12 months immediately preceding the date of interview.
The results suggest that about 50 percent of women experienced at least one of the behaviours outlined above at least once in their married life; 43.5 percent reported at least one psychologically abusive behaviour and 40.3 percent reported experiencing at least one form of violent physical behaviour. The study also documents the multiple forms and frequency of occurrence of violence (INCLEN, 2000). As regards the correlates of domestic violence, the study found that the lifetime experience of both physical and psychological violence was negatively associated with socio-economic status of the household, education and employment levels of the women and their husbands and social support. However, gender gap in education (wife more educated than husband) and better type of employment are positively associated with the lifetime experience of both physical and psychological violence (Duvvury and Varia, 2000; Duvvury and Allendorf, 2001). Domestic violence was positively associated with women’s childhood experience of family violence and alcohol consumption of husband.
Regarding the prevalence rates of domestic violence in Kerala, the figures vary. The recent National Family Health Survey 3 seems to suggest that domestic violence affects only 16% of families. But according to an ICRW-INCLEN (International Centre for Research on Women and International Clinical Epidemiologist Network) study (2000), Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, ranks first among five cities in India in prevalence of domestic violence. Violence in Thiruvananthapuram is about 64% in urban non-slum areas and 71% in rural areas, as shown in the graph. This is higher than Bhopal, Lucknow, Nagpur and Vellore.
Another study on gender-based violence in Kerala, undertaken by Sakhi in 2004 for the Kerala government?s department of health, revealed that 40% of respondents had experienced violence in the home at some point in their lives. There are several theories on why people resort to violence. Some focus on the individual aggressor, with psycho-pathological explanations that hinge on personality traits; others take the socio-pathological view that argues that the external environment plays a large role in an individual?s behaviour. Feminist analyses of violence point to power relationships between men and women that deny women equal access to power and resources thereby making them vulnerable to violence at the hands of men. The cause of violence here is traced to patriarchy -- the ideology that bestows on men the power and authority over women?s lives and their bodies.
Domestic violence takes place within the four walls of the home, and women are conditioned to accept this as part of their lives. They are conditioned to believe that their husbands have every right to beat them or punish them. In the Sakhi study, 36% of women admitted as much, and it?s a view shared by most people in India.According to the third National Family Health Survey, covering the period 2005- 06 and released during the second week of October 2007, about 40% of ever-married women have experienced violence, and over half the sample believes that ?wife-beating? is justifiable. So if a woman goes to a police station complaining about violence by her husband, she is told to ?adjust? and that the occasional beating could not be called violence. Or that she must have done something wrong to justify the violence!
The true facts about domestic violence emerge only when the interviewers in a study have the right attitude and perspective and are able to establish a good rapport with the women. In fact, they require special training and sensitivity to be able to understand the various dimensions of the problem.
In most families, it?s the head of the family who meets the interviewers. Or the women have to speak in the presence of other family members. This often forces them to give inaccurate answers. Sakhi found that one of the main hurdles in conducting the study was to speak to the women alone. When they did get the opportunity, the women were extremely willing to share their problems.
What is clear from all these studies, however, is that there continues to be a high prevalence rate of gender-based violence in Kerala. The state government?s Economic
Review 2004 admits that atrocities against women in the state have increased 300% in the period 1991-2001.
Why this huge increase in a highly literate state?
Most people have a glorified image of Kerala as a matrilineal society that boasts several positive social indicators. However, the matrilineal system existed only among the Nairs and a few other communities. And none of the social or political movements that contributed to great change in Kerala (class, caste, etc) ever took up gender issues or upheld the dignity of women, as did Periyar in Tamil Nadu or Jyotibai Phule and others in Maharashtra.
Literacy and education do not change mindsets. In a deeply patriarchal society, education teaches women to be good wives and mothers. This attitude has been supplemented by missionary education, which brought with it a Victorian morality.
In this context, one must remember that Kerala is at the forefront of suicides in the country; around 36% of them are a result of family or marital problems. One would assume that large-scale migration out of Kerala to other countries has resulted in a change in attitude. But most people from this state go to work in the countries of the Middle East which are extremely traditional in their outlook towards women.
The women of Kerala are organised by political parties that have their own agendas. So, although there are a number of mass-based women?s organisations, specific gender-related awareness- building and leadership-building is taking place only very slowly. There is little autonomous political space for women to organise around their own issues, and the autonomous feminist movement in Kerala is weak.
But change could happen fast in Kerala, thanks to high levels of literacy. Greater awareness, redressal mechanisms etc could help women move forward, as has been seen in recent times. The State Women?s Commission is flooded with cases and, in one year, 1,028 cases have been filed under the PWDVA. If strengthened and made to function, panchayat-level jagrutha samithis (vigilance cells), initiated by the government through the State Women?s Commission, have the potential to act as a community response system to address the problem of violence against women.
The PWDVA is a powerful tool in the hands of women as it affords them protection and the right to continue to live in a shared household. The first and immediate impact of domestic violence is dispossession -- throwing the woman out of the house and taking custody of the children. Now, a woman can get a protection order to stay in the same household, whether it is rented or owned by her husband or his relatives. She can claim immediate maintenance, compensation for any loss to property, etc.
The annual review meeting highlighted the lack of support mechanisms, like shelters, under the law to effectively offer this protection. It also showed up the need for greater gender sensitisation of all stakeholders such as the judiciary, the police, lawyers, bureaucracy, etc. In the end, however, it is women themselves who have to take measures to protect their human rights. ( Info Change And Features, November 2007- Aleyamma Vijayan, A Social Activist ). Dr. Raj Mohan of R-CERTC and Dr. M.K.C Nair of Child Development Centre, Trivandrum states that overall 45% of women reported at least one incident of physical violence in their lifetime. Psychological and physical violence were reported in higher numbers by women who have less social support. Despite the violence more than 95% of women remained in their marriage. The study also analyzed that if the gap between husband and wife’s education and employment status (especially if the women is more educated and better employed than her husband) is greater, the possibility of Psychological and physical violence is greater. A violent episode results in an average Rs.2000 of lost wages and health care for their injuries. Violence against women spans all geographical region, economic strata, education levels, and age and employment status. It could be seen that despite the total literacy and global model of development, Kerala tops the list in Domestic Violence, according to the survey conducted by ICRW.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:THEORETICAL MODELS
Feminist
The feminist model views domestic violence and all types of violence against women as a misuse of power by men or the majority.
This misuse of power is resorted to in order to bring about conformity and compliance. The powers given by society to men are abused by them to oppress women and subjugate them . within this framework, intervention is seen in terms of an egalitarian relationship between therapist and client. Feminist therapy looks at r e-empowering the survivor through reframing problems so that the survivor becomes guilt-free helping women to become financially independent, participating in political activism and specific skill- training like assertiveness.
Trauma
When women are constantly exposed to violence and threat, there are bound to be negative physical and psychological implications even in those women who were mentally healthy prior to the violence when under stress people tend to either fight or flee from the distressing situation. But this condition results in psycho physiological arousal which is harmful to the mental and physical well –being of the person. Similarly, women victims of domestic violence will experience these conditions of arousal and will tend to look for danger even in times where there is no danger. Should the victim continue recalling the traumatic incident over a period of one month, the condition would be termed posttraumatic stress disorder, which needs to be treated through special therapeutic methods .
Risk and Resiliency Model
In the united states, the community mental health model (since1960), which has become part of the public health model, suggests that the implications of any violence or other trauma including domestic violence depends on a combinations of the strength or resiliency of the woman prior to the victimization and the earlier risks she may have experienced. Social policies have advocated that all potential women victims be empowered. This process of empowerment includes helping women reframe their problem by understanding that they are not responsible for the violence, and does not allow them to succumb to depression and isolation: here coping strategies are understood as inner resources available to the survivor. The women are also made to understand the love and anger dichotomy they experience in a violent relationship which results from the Love and Violence cycle theory. Incorporated into the US public health system, this model has three areas of intervention for both the battered woman and for the perpetrator of violence, ranging from a short stay in hospital for the battered woman and a rehab centre visit for the perpetrator if he is an alcoholic or drug addict to community programs while in prison .
Stress
In the physiological and medical sciences stress refers to the changes in physiological functioning in response to some stimuli. In psychophysiology, stress refers to any stimulus that produces a strain in the organism and results in abnormal behavior (Selye,1956).
Selye (1950, 19560)showed the role-played by the endocrine as well as the autonomic system in the occurrence of stress. He defined stress as a condition, which occurs when normal homeostatic regulatory mechanism of the body fails to adapt to a situation.
Selye’s studies revealed the effects of certain hormones released in the event of stress. In the first stage of alarm reaction, when stress is experienced severely, the organism goes into a stage of shock and the body resistance to stress drops. At this stage, there is a release of hormones such as nor- epinephrine from the adrenal medulla and corticoids and adrenocorti cotropic hormones (ACTH). These releases weaken the immune system and if the stress is too severe, the organism may die. Following the stage of immunosuppression is the countercheck or alarm reaction phase in which the typical stress syndrome is seen. At this point, there is shrinkage of the thymus lymph nodes, ulceration and adrenal enlargement that occurs due to the ACTH and corticoid response.
The second stage is Known as the stage of resistance .At this point, the stress response I not necessary and the corticoid activity to normal when the local adaptive responses of stress break down and the organism enters the stage of exhaustion.
French, Rodgers and Cobb(1974) developed a subjective measure of the person-environment (P- Environment) fit, where the person is asked what level of qualitative workload he prefers and relates his response to the demand made upon him by his work role, by supervisors or by other aspects of the work environment, to determine what was least stressful to the individual. Ivanivich and Matteson (1984) further defined stress ikn terms of person-environment relationship, where a misfit between a person’s capability and the environmental demand was supposed to result in stress.
Coffer and Appley (1964)defined stress as the state in which an individual’s well-being is perceived to be endangered and she thinks it necessary to divert all her energies to protect herself.
Kahn et al (1964)drew research attention to a form of stress Known as role stress. Role stress for Kahn et al (1964) was supposed to have consequences on variables such as job-related conflicts. Role stress resulted from the specific demands or nature of the role. Role overload or excessive demands on role expectations, perceptions, self-role congruence, all fall into this concept of role stress which is also considered as part of organizational stress (Speisman, 1964).
Paine (1982)developed the concept of the Burnout stress syndrome (BOSS). The stages of BOSS are: Honeymoon stage where feelings of euphoria, excitement, enthusiasm, challenge and pride are present. In the next, the fuel shortage stage, feelings of loss fatigue and confusion are noticed: the result of the individuals drawing on energy reserves for adaptation. In the chronic symptom stage, fuel shortage is followed by physiological symptoms, such as chronic exhaustion, physical illness, anger and depressions.
In the crisis stage, the individual suffers from high blood pressure, peptic ulcers, chronic backache, and headache, in the hitting – the – wall stage of BOSS, total exhaustion of one’s adaptation energy occurs which may mean that recovery is not always possible. The stage marks the end of one’s professional career,
Lazarus and Folkman (1984) examined the cognitive, cultural and social factors involved in stress. Stress was understood as a process occurring in tow phases: the first or primary stage, where the individual becomes aware of the stresses, and experiences stress through his /her social cultural, religious and other cognitive filters. In the second stage of appraisal, the individual responds to the stresses. The role of belief as a cognitive variable in stress appraisal, both as mediator and moderator, has been explored with the help of Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) model of stress, with coping, taking place at the secondary stage of stress appraisal. Stress has been measured by assessing life event changes in a person’s life (Holmes &Masuda, 1974, Masuda &Rahe,1967). Stressful life events serve as predisposers or predictors of illness. Holmes and Rahe (1967), schmalo and Engel(1967), Grant et al (1974) have shown through their studies the strong and positive relationship between stressful life events and illness. Shejwal and Ram(1983) studied the no sex differences in the perception of stressful life event in a sample of 40 accident cases.
Lazarus and others(1981,1984) presented another approach to stress measurement. This focused on upsets in an individual’s life on a daily basis, i.e. irritating, frustrating, and distressing incidents that occur in our daily hassles
Daily hassles are indicators of psychological stress, which is an experience that involves feelings, attitudes, motives and expectations(Folkman & Lazarus, 1984) Major life events are known tgo impact health through the experience of daily hassles (Eckenrode, 1984,Kessler, Price and Wortman1985) In accordance with the identity theory (Simon, 1992, Stryker, 1987) it is married mothers who experience more psychological stress than men (Simon, 1992) a result of their multiple demanding roles. Marriage for women is a very prominent feature which result in greater commitment (Simon, 1992)
Eckenrode and Gore (1991) proposed a model for stress processes, which considers stress spillover between work and family. The model gave insights into the role played by stressors in daily life and the social context in which an individual finds himself.
Pestonjee(1992) described how in ancient Indian thought, psychological stress was considered to be caused by the emotional states of lust, greed, fear, jealousy, and depression. Conflicts, competitiveness and aggression are known to cause situation of stress which mainly occur as a result of unhealthy interpersonal transaction and natural calamities. Extremes of temperature, storms, and so on cause environmental stress to the individual . in Indian psychology stress is personal in nature and is called adhyatmik, situational stress is termed adhibhotic and environmental stress is called adhidevik. Physiological stress is caused by an imbalance of the three fundamental physiological constituents classified within Ayurveda, namely, vata, kapha, and pitta.
Rao (1983)has discussed the origin of stress in Indian thought and has shown that , in Sanskrit, words such as klesa mean stress. Klesas are according to patanjali’s Yogasutras, ego-involvements or strong likes and dislikes which are considered afflictions (palsane, Bhavsar, Goswami & Evans,1999) the false ego-involvement with matter in the form of one’s own body and other beings or objects around oneself is due to ignorance of one’s true self. This ignorance causes unfulfilled desires to lead to frustrations, depression and anger (Paalsane, Bhavsar, Goswami, &Evans, 1999)
Health
Until recently, health was associated with physical well or ill being, however the term has now extended to even mental well – being
Research in the area of stress-related diseases is also looking at the positive influences of stress on health (Selye, 1974, 1977). Lazarus and Launier (1978) constructed the Daily Uplifts Scale as against the Daily Hassles Scale, to consider the effect of such variables on the health of the individual. The function of the brain is essential in understanding how psychosocial factors cause bodily changes. Though the brain is the primary identifier of threats and performs the tasks of altering, appraising and coping, all parts of the body experience stress when coping breaks down. Some regions such as the hypothalamic, pituitary, endocrine ,immune system, reticular activating system, involuntary and strained muscle system and the affective integrating centers of the brain .
Theories in sociological perspective
To understand the nature and extent of domestic violence against women, to identify the major social factors associated with domestic violence and to suggest measures to control and minimise the occurrence of violence against women different theoretical models have been developed and used by the social scientists and the psychologists. However, since the present study is concerned more with sociological aspect of the problem, we would restrict our analysis to the sociological perspective only. The sociological perspective deals with both microscopic as well as macroscopic levels of analysis. It is for this reason that different theoretical frameworks used by domestic violence researchers are mentioned here selectively.
Resource Theory rests on the notion that decision-making power in family relationships depends to a large extent on the value of resources each person brings to the relationship. Violence is used as a last resort to regain status quo ante.
Resource theory has been revised and it has come to be called as Status Inconsistency Theory.
It suggests that violence is more likely to occur when a man perceives his status inconsistent with his traditional power in the family, which has been eroded due to increased power of women. However, when used in empirical research it produced inconsistent results.
Social Control Theory of domestic violence proposes social control model of domestic violence. According to this theory interfamilial relations cannot be broken off easily. Consequently, when family members perceive injustice in daily interaction they resort to violence.
Symbolic Interaction Theory of Domestic Violence explores the different meanings of violence people hold and consequences of such meanings in situational setting. This theory has not been used by the researchers for understanding the phenomenon of domestic violence against women.
Subculture of Violence Theory suggests that some subcultural groups develop norms and values that emphasize the use of physical violence to a greater extent than is seemed appropriate by dominant culture. Patriarchal Perspective of Domestic
Violence states that domestic violence against women tends to occur more often in either wife- dominant or husband-dominant families but occurs more frequently when husband controls the family decision making.
General Systems Theory explains the domestic violence as a product of system rather than of individual pathology. It is now clear that the sociologist are seriously addressing themselves to the problem of domestic violence in general and such violence against women in particular.
Unfortunately, no theoretical framework mentioned above adopts a holistic approachwith the help of which the problem of domestic violence against women at individual level and at the socio- cultural level could be explicated. However, recently a new conceptual framework known as Dependency Framework has been evolved and is being used to understand the phenomenon of domestic violence against women. In the present study we have used dependency framework for understanding domestic violence against women in the Indian context.
Different authors have defined dependency differently. Some of them have taken into account economic, social or physical dependency while others have identified three degrees of dependency i.e. inter-dependency, survival dependency and excessive dependency. Dependency designates certain conditions over which the victim of domestic violence has no control. These conditions may be her economic dependency or social dependency which forces her to trace out her identity through her husbands which makes her more committed to marriage. The dependency approach has been used to explain domestic violence against women in another way also. Marital dependency is not treated as a cause of wife abuse but as a condition which forces abused women to continue living in abusive and violent conditions. Lack of alternative support system and habitual tolerance of violence force the victims to remain in the spouse’s family. Thus dependency framework suggests that domestic violence against women is rooted in many factors.
CONCLUSION
The review of the existing literature on domestic violence against women helps in guiding future research on the subject. However, these research studies in no way could be used as a model for the present study for a number of reasons such as in almost all the research studies the holistic approach to domestic violence against women is missing.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
TITLE
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST MARRIED WOME
A Case study with special reference to Kerala State Women’s Commission, Trivanndrum
RESEARCH DESIGN
The present study is qualitative in nature which aims to acquire knowledge about a particular situation. Hence case study is adopted. This study is an in- depth study of the causes and consequences of domestic violence against married women.
UNIT OF THE STUDY
The unit of the study consist of each of each women who are the victim of domestic violence and filed a petition against their husband and in-laws in Kerala State Women’s Commission Thiruvananthapuram.
SAMPLING METHOD
The sample consist of ten respondents from Kerala State Women’s Commission, Thiruvananthapuram . Purposive sampling was used . The researcher attended the Adalath and Counseling session in the Women’s Commission. And identified the respondent using purposive sampling.
SOURCE OF DATA
PRIMARY DATA
The researcher collected primary data directly from the respondents from Women’s commission and the short stay home of Women’s Commission.
SECONDARY DATA
The secondary data were resorted in the form of books, journals, newspapers and internet.
TOOLS OF DATA COLLECTION
Interview guide was used for data collection for three objectives. As the research is in the form of case study, to make the data collection more efficient and focused.. the researcher formulated an interview guide.
PRETEST
The researcher tested the interview guide with one respondent. Many questions were included which suited the objectives.
DATA COLLECTION
The data was collected using interview guide and through observation and in-depth interview.
DATA ANALYSIS
The researcher collected data from 10 respondents. Analysis was made made as case study method.
CHAPTERISATION
CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER II : LITERAURE REVIEW
CHAPTER III : METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER IV : DATA ANALYSIS
CHAPTER V : FINDINGS, SUGGESTION AND
CONCLUSION
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The main constrain faced by the researcher is the time limitation to collect the data. The research is a case study. It is an in-depth study. More time is require to collect the data. The researcher collect it with in the time limit of three months. Other major constrain faced by the researcher was the availability of the respondent The researcher collected the data through the counseling session with the victims and through Short stay home visit. The victims didn’t come in every session of counseling process due their personal reason. And the availability of the respondent were very few in the short stay home due to their job. Majority of the victim in the Short Stay home work as domestic servents in high class families.
CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS
CASE PRESENTATION
CASE I
CATEGORY (EXTRA -MARITAL RELATIONSHIP)
Mrs. X is 24 years old and Mr. Y is 32 years old. Mrs. X and Mr. Y have been married for 2 years. Mrs. X is Mr.Y’s second wife .They have a daughter Z aged one and half years old .The couple are from middle class Muslim families and their marriage was an arranged one .They live in Mr.Y’s house within the city limits . They are living with Mr.Y’s parents and brother’s family .
Mr .Y is a Welder .He studied up to pre-degree. He has no regular income. Mrs.X is house wife. She passed SSLC
Mr.Y divorced his first wife and married X. Mr.Y went abroad by the cash of Mrs.X and came back. He sold Mrs. X’s ornaments and bought 10 cent property in the name of his brother. Mrs.X questioned it. He battered her and said that she has psychological problem. Mrs.X went to her own home when she was pregnant. Mr.Y started extra marital relationship with his first wife. Mrs.X came back to his husbands house after giving birth to her child . Mr. Y did not allow Mrs .X and her daughter to wear gold ornaments. He commented that his first wife and children didn’t wear it. And his brother’s wife make conflict with Mrs. .X and verbally abused her.
The couple had led a unhappy life. when Mr. .Y started extra marital relationship with his first wife. Mrs. .X confronted Mr.Y on this issue. He became furious and battered her. She requested her husband to avoid the relationship with his first wife .The couple picked up frequent quarrels on the issue of Mr.Y’s affair .His brothers family supported him and verbally abused Mrs. .X .He even stopped giving financial support to Mrs.X and their daughter. He went abroad again and She went back to her own house .After few months later he came back and battered his wife in front of her family members.
The marital discord has affected Mrs .X badly. She feels cheated by her husband .She is anxious about her future and that of her daughter. Now she didn’t want to live with her husband. She is planning to file a petition in the family court against the conduct of her husband and for maintenance .She complained it to the Commission and waiting for the result.
CASE II
CATEGORY:ALCOHOLISM
Mrs. .A (38) and Mr. B (48) got married in 1996. Both of them are from Hindu family and belonged to Nair Caste . The marriage was arranged marriage. Mrs.A’s parents had given a dowry of 15 sovereigns and 10 cent property.
Mrs. A and Mr. B studied up to SSLC . Mr. B is a driver in a private firm in contract ways. He earns 7000 rupees per month as salary. Mrs. A is house wife. The couple have three daughters, P (11), Q(5), R(3) respectively. Mrs. A and family live with her mother in law and sister in law.
Mrs. A’s married life was relatively happy during the first few weeks. Although her in laws were not happy with the dowry . Problems started when Mrs. A realized that his husband is an alcoholic. He misused the dowry for consumption of alcohol .After this, he would frequently come late to his home and beated her regularly. Her mother in law and sister in law , it seems had a latent grudge against her, too joined her son in inflicting physical violence on her. Her mother in law sister in law made her work hard all day. She was forced to do all the household chores. She was given little time to rest. Mrs. A would wake up at 4am and work hard till late in the night .Her mother in law beat her for even minor mistakes.
Mr .B sold his wife’s gold and property. He used that money to drink. He did not like the attachment of his wife’s parents towards her. One day he chocked his wife, banged her head against the wall, slapped her left and right on her checks, twisted her hand and also exert her wrist watch on her mouth. She ran away from that home and reached at the neighbors house .They tried to help her. After this incident, her mother in law stopped violence against her but sister in law do not and her brother brought her to home. Her brother had thought of approaching the women’s cell .Now Mrs. A staying with her brother’s family. They complained it into the Women’s Commission and the counseling session is going on. She enduring all the pain with the hope that things would change for the better in future.
CASE III
CATEGORY: ALCHOHOLISM
Mrs. P (36) and Mr. Q (48) have been married for 21 years .They both belong to the Hindu Nair community and Mr. Q is her MURACHERUKKAN . They have two children. Miss. R aged 20 and Mr .S aged 18. they are studying in final year Bsc degree and first year B.Tech respectively.
Mr .Q is working as a cook in an engineering college at present. He earns 7000/- rupees per month. He is an alcoholic addict. He misuse his income . He do not give the money properly to home .He has one Reshan shop . He had the license to run the shop. He could not succeed in that business due to alcoholism. He lost his license and he was under financial crisis. Debt was the result from that shop. So another person called Mr. S (26) came and took the shop for rent . Now he runs it well and also give the rent regularly to Mr .Q.
Considering the early marriage life, they started their life happily. They know very well to each other. Problems cropped up when Mr. Q consume alcohol regularly. This was after the few month of their marriage. She tried to forgive it in the initial stage. He became an addict. He spent his earnings on alcohol. At that time he worked in a five star hotel as a cook .He earned 10000/- rupees per month. He spent a few amount of money ( around 2000/- rupees) for the family. Mrs. P started to work as a domestic servant in a high class family. She earns 3000/- rupees per month. The working hours is 8am- 2pm. His husband has another behavior that he didn’t go for work regularly. So he lost his job .He spent his hours in home with liquor . It created so many problems in that home .He did not allow the children to study. He attacked her wife sometimes and verbally abused her. Mrs. P manages the family affairs on her meager income.
The children are good in studies. They are grew up with a feeling of insecurity in their life. Mrs. P said that her daughter do not want to marry a person. The children are in a state of depression . So Mrs. P planned to complaint it to the Commission. She loves her husband very much. Her aim was to help her husband to withdraw from alcoholism and maintain a good environment in home. She used the strategy of pressure through Women’s Commission. She complained it to the commission, that action made changes in his life. He is afraid about the action from the commission. He stopped alcohol consumption.
CASE IV
CATEGORY: MENTAL ILLNESS AND ALCHOHOLISM
Mrs.C(36) and Mr.D (45) married 12 years before. Both are from Nadar Christian families. Mr. D is from a high class family. Mr. C is from a middle class family. They have two children Master. G and Kumari. F. They are studying 6th and 4th standard respectively. Mrs. C completed her graduation and Mr.D was educated up to pre-degree. They are living in the Urban area.
Mrs.C married him by the force of her own sisters. Mr. D’s family members were not interested in his marriage especially his sisters.. They are belong in Hindu religion. He is converted Christian. The reason was that he was abroad before marriage. He helped his family a lot and he earned so much money . His sisters verbally abused his wife and tried to destroy their relationship through some religious puja against his family. At that time they lived in his home. Mrs. C believed that the puja was the source of her family. She realized that her husband was some psychiatric problem. He had the problem in his young age. His family did not treat him in a healthy manner. Mrs .C spent A lot of money for his treatment. He worked as a painter before treatment. He recovered from severe condition through two years continuous treatment. He had a wish that to build a new house. They started house construction without any capital investment. .They finished house construction after a long periods of time. He became an alcoholic addict after house construction due to debt. He didn’t go for work regularly. If he went for work , he hadn’t complete it in a proper way. He stopped work and rest at the time of work. Nobody called him for work due his behavior. He became a hungry person due to the effect of medicines. His family has no regular income. They could not meet their basic needs. Mrs. C’s family supported their as they can. He became violent when he consume alcohol and physically abused his wife very rudely. That caused health problems and mental depression in his wife.
He behave very badly to his children also. He didn’t allow them to take food . They are good in studies . They didn’t able to go to school regularly due to their father’s attitude toward them Mrs. C’s sisters helped her as they can. She couldn’t get any relief form her husband’s behavior. Sometimes He sexually abused her in un healthy manner. She filed a petition in Women’s Commission. They called for counseling. Through the counseling she realized that all problem immersed in his illness and drunkenness. She withdraw her complaint and he changed to an extent. He sopped alcohol consumption and go regularly to a petrol pump on daily wage. Her sister was find that job for him. She has only the prayer that all that for the better future.
CASE V
CATEGORY: SUSPICION
Mrs. E (44) and Mr. F (50) married 17 years before. They are Christians and Their marriage is an arranged one. They have a daughter aged 16 and a son aged 15. They are studying in +1 and ITI respectively .Her family gave 25 sovereigns and 10 cent property in the main city centre. The property is registered in mutual ownership. Mrs. E and Mr. F lived with Mrs. E’s mother in the city . Mr. F is working in abroad in the construction field . Mrs. E and Mr.F are from high class families. She was educated up to pre degree and his husband up to SSLC. They lived very luxuriously.
Her husband is a paranoiac. After 10 years of their marriage the issues raised in between them. He brought a car and appointed a driver and went back to gulf. The car is used as a taxi .He started to argue the relationship between his wife and his driver. The driver is a 28 years old guy. Mr. F is an alcoholic also. He didn’t like his mother in law. He tried to avoid her from house. That was a shock for his wife. He went back to home and consume alcohol with his friends. He invited his friends in to his house and said his wife to treat them . that incidents were very painful to his wife. He physically and mentally abused her in front of his friends. He didn’t go for job regularly. They brought the car with the help of bank loan. They couldn’t pay the loan regularly. The interest increased day by day and it became a big amount.
Mr.F like his daughter and didn’t like his son . He always raised complaints against him. That was also painful to Mrs. E. He didn’t enough money for his son’s education. That created a negative effect in his son’s life. His son tried to keep a distance with his father and became more attached with his mother. He gave more importants to friendship and engaged in some anti social activities. Mrs. E became a patient due to the physical violence of his husband and she admitted in hospital. His mother is completely in a self distracted situation. After all these incidents Mrs. E planned to sell her property for recover from debt. Her husband didn’t allow her for sell. It was registered in mutual ownership. His husband took his opportunity and economically abused her. He sent some his friends to his home and asked money as they give money to his husband .She filed a petition against his husband due to his violence. Her aim is to sell her property and get relief from his violence. She was not really want to live with him. He didn’t come for the first day counseling session. He came in second session with the help police. The counseling session is going on and Mrs. E want justice from his husband.
CASE VI
CATEGORY: SUSPICION AND EXTRA-MARITAL RELATIONSHIP
Mrs. G (34) and Mr. H (38) married 14 years before. They are from Hindu families and their marriage an arranged one. They are educated up to SSLC. Mr. H is an auto driver and he has his own auto. His wife is house wife. He earns Around 500 rupees per day . They have three children. They are studying in 8th , 6th and 1st standard respectively. They are living in the city boarder. His mother is also with them. She was verbally abused Mrs. G.
The husband had an extra marital relation ship with his brothers wife before marriage and has a boy child on that relationship. Mrs. G realized that after three month of her marriage. That was a well known news within the family. Mrs. G forgive to him and they enjoyed their marriage life. The family problem started after the birth of the their third child. He is very fair and handsome child . Mr. H and his mother argued that the child was not his. And She has some extra marital relationship with other men. Mrs. G became depressed. She was ready to forgive his husband’s affair with other women. She felt her husband suspect her virginity. He started conflict with her. His mother also supported him. She tried to spread the news inside and out side the family. Mr. H started physical and mental violence against him.
Mrs. G’s relatives came and tried to solve the problem. Her husband and mother didn’t allow them to enter into the home. All the incidents affected their girl children. They are average in studies. Mrs. G and her children run away from home and came to the Women’s commission on a evening. She filed a against her husband and his mother and requested the commission to help to bring their luggage especially the children’s study materials. The Commission sent the police with her and collected the luggage from home. She went to her own home with her children .
Her children went to school from his mother’s home. The Commission started the counseling session . Mr. H recognized his negatives. His mother also warned by the Commission. Mrs. G expressed her deep love with her husband in front of the counselor. She has a great wish to live with her husband and children. The boy children is very good attachment with his father. The counselor explained it remained him about that. On the last day counseling session the couple came with their children. All are very happy.
CASE VII CATEGORY: SUSPICION
Mrs. M (25) and Mr. N (28) married nine years before. Both of them are from Muslim families. Their marriage is an arranged one. Both of them are from middle class families. Mrs. M was educated up to SSLC and his husband was educated up to pre degree. He is a vediographer and working in a private studio. His monthly income depends upon the work that receive by the studio. It is approximately 4500- 5000 rupees. They are living in a village area with Mr. N ‘s Family. It include his father, mother and grand mother .It is a joint family . His brother ‘s house is very close to his house. Mrs. G and Mr .N have two children aged 8 and 4 years respectively.
Mrs. M and her mother in law couldn’t adjust with each other. They prepare food separately after the birth of her first child. Her husband physically abused her at the pregnancy period. Mrs. M ‘s father was a regular visitor at that time. Her mother in law argued some relationship between Mrs. M and her father. That was a grate shock to her. She complained it with her husband. He didn’t respond. He also took food from his mother and didn’t take food from his wife at that time. He allowed his wife to bring limited stationeries from the shop.
One day her father in law said her child to switch on TV. The child had exam on coming day. She didn’t allow him to on TV. That incident made angry in her brother in laws mind . He tried to beaten her and tied the churidar shawl on her neck. She begged for help. Nobody support her. Her husband take it in a simple matter.
Another incident was her husband beat her very rudely. His father called the police and admitted her into the medical college hospital. The police supported her husband. On this issue the most of the neighbors came there and spent there as a viewer. Mrs. M went to her home with her children from the hospital. The didn’t takeany dress. The children was in their school uniform.
She filed case against her husband, mother in law and brother in law with the support of her relatives. Her request was allow her to live with her husband in another house. It may be rented or not. The commission called all her husband’s family members and said them the consequences of domestic violence against women. And the commission granted three months time to Mr.N to identify a rent house for his wife and him. Mrs.M was willing to share the rent with the help of her income from stitching work .She had another request that to give opportunity to her children to study. The Commission sent her children with her husband.
CASE VIII CATEGORY: SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISPARITY
Mrs. R (33) and Mr. S (33) have been married for two years. Mrs. R is from Hindu SC family. Her husband belongs in Hindu Nair community. Their marriage was love marriage. Mrs. R is a lab technician in a private hospital. Her husband is a private school manager .They fall in love with the support of their friends. Their affair started five years before. They got married without the support of their families. She run away from her home and they registered their marriage. Her family was well known about their relationship , but her husband’s family did not. Her husband has mother only., father died few years before. After the marriage the couple stayed in a rent house.
Mr. S go to his home every week end .After the marriage he had gone to home in monthly .His mother started to search for a good lady for her son. Her so tried to avoid the attempt. So One day his mother came there . She shocked with the presence of Mrs. R. That was the starting point and turning point of Mrs. R’s life. Her mother in law didn’t like her due low caste. And her husband was her only son. She started to torture her daughter in law. She praticesed some tricks to avoid her daughter in law.
After one year later Mrs. R gave birth to a handsome child. Her mother in law tried to convince her son that the child was not his . His face cut is different. Continuous interaction of mother made a change in the life of Mr. S. One day he said wife to go back to her home and return back after the reduction of its effect or impact. Mrs .R felt that her husband also suspect virginity. She did want to make any depression in her family. She went to the short stay home of Women’s Commission . She stay with her child . She didn’t want to file a case against him. She loves him so much. Her family didn’t support her. She lost her job. Now she is working as a servant in a high class family and earn 3000/- rupees per month. Her husband phoned her often. He is in the full control of his mother. His mother search for marriage proposal to him. Mrs. R believes that he will come and bringer and her child to home.
CASE IX CATEGORY: ALCHOHOLISM
Mrs . U (38) and Mr. V (50) have been married for 16 years. Both of them are from Hindu Nair community. Mrs. U is the only one daughter in her home. She has three brothers also. She is from a high class family and her husband is from a middle class family. Her family gave 50 sovereigns and 50000/- rupees and 15 cent property as dowry. Mr. V is transport mechanic and he is educated up to pre degree. Mrs. U is house wife and she is educated up to SSLC. They have two children . Kumari. J and Master Q . They are studying 9th standard and 5th standard respectively. The girl child is good in studies and the boy is average. He has hearing impaired ness.
Mr. V sold his wife’s sovereigns after three years of marriage and bought 50 cent property on his ownership. He became an alcoholic addict due to the high income. He has real estate business. He got so much profit from the business. He depends his wife for collecting money from money lenders. She immersed in debt. He gave a few amount of money back. He has the ability to impress his wife. She actually loves him.
After 15 years of marriage he forced to bring 10 lakhs rupees from money lender. She bought it. After few months the money lenders came to home and ask for money. She remained it to her husband. He took it as simple matter. One day he came home .He consumed alcohol. He beat her wife very brutally . At that time their children were not there. It was a rainy day. She run away from home and reached to the police station. She complained it. The police to took him to the station and sent her and her children to the Short Stay home. Her mother and brother came there and filed a case against her husband .in the family court. They filed case to get back her dowry and give back the amount that he received from the money lenders.
She started to work as a servant in a high class family and earned 3000/- per month. One day her husband came and bring her girl child to his home. She was on work at that time. She filed another case to get back her child back. He married another women with out legal sanction. Mrs. U is facing another problem that she couldn’t able to keep her son in the short stay home. There is an age limitation up to 12. S she want to take a rent house and stay with their children.
CASE X
CATEGORY: ECONOMIC DISPARITY
Mrs. C (55) is a widow. She lost her husband after two years of marriage. He died due to blood cancer. She was pregnant at that time. His husband was his muracherukkan. She didn’t marry another person. She live for her son. Now her son has 30 years old. He is working as an engineer in techno park. Mrs C is working as a part time sweeper in General hospital. She earns 7000 rupees per month. She has very good attachment with her son. She has 15 cent property in the city. She belongs in Hindu Nair community.
She arranged marriage for her son . The daughter in law is from a high class family. She is their only daughter. After few month of marriage she became pregnant .she went to her home .After the delivery she made comment that her mother in law should sell the property and give to her and come to live with her family. Mrs. C was not ready. Her son couldn’t accept that. His wife didn’t come back to his home. After few months she filed a divorce case against her husband.. He tried to solve the problem. She didn’t accept. They got divorce.
One year later one women came and proposed her son .She was aware of the all situation. She is from a middle class and Scheduled community. Mrs .C’s son married her with the support of his mother. Three months later same incidents repeated. She stand for the property of Mrs.C. Her husband didn’t allow that. She commented that she will commit suicide if she didn’t get the property.. Mrs. C didn’t want the breakdown of her son’s life. She reported it to the Commission. And stay in the short stay home with the permission of the commission.
I ) TO STUDY THE SOCIO- DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF
WOMEN UNDER STUDY.
AGE
In this study the researcher tried to incorporate respondents from various age groups. Out of ten respondent the age of the respondents varied from 24 to 55. The age of the respondents are 24, 25, 33, 34, 36. 38,44 ,55 respectively.
RELIGION
The religion of the respondents are six belong in Hindu religion, two from Muslim religion and two from Christian religion.
EDUCATION
The educational qualification of the respondents six are educated up to SSLC, two women are educated up to pre degree and one is educated up to degree.
OCCUPATIONAL STATUS
Nobody have Government job among the ten respondents. Four of them work as domestic servants. The remaining six of them are unemployed.
PLACE OF RESIDENCE
In this study majority of the respondents are from urban area. That is eight respondents are from urban area and the remaining two respondents are from rural area.
FAMILY TYPE
Majority of the respondents belong in nuclear family. Six respondents are from nuclear family and four respondents are from joint family
TYPE OF MARRIAGE
In this study nine respondents marriage were arranged one and the remaining one respondents had love marriage.
MARITAL STATUS
From the ten respondents four of them live with their husband. Five of them separated from the husband. One respondent is widow.
The socio- demographic profile of the respondents helped the researcher to collect their existing situation and the factors supported for domestic violence against the ten respondent.
II) TO STUDY THE CAUSES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST MARRIED WOMEN.
CASE I
Mrs. X and Mr. Y are from a Muslim families .Mrs. X commented about the causes of violence against her. She is her husband’s second wife. He has two children in his first wife . Mrs. X said that her husband promised that he didn’t any relationship with his first wife and children. He continued that relationship after the marriage with Mrs. X. That created a lot of problem in Mrs. X’s family life. Mrs . X gave birth to a girl child. She came back to her husbands home with her child. Her parents gave sovereigns to her child. Her husband said that “ My first wife and her children didn’t wear ornaments. So you and your child don’t wear ornaments”. That statement remained Mrs. X that he has a strong relationship with his first wife and her children. To hide that secret he mentioned that his wife has some psychiatric problem .He always abused her physically and mentally.
Other reason for violence is that Mr. Y’s family members are very supportive to him. He sold his wife’s dowry and bought property in his brother’s ownership. His brother’s wife always tried to abused Mrs .X verbally. Mr. Y has strong attachment with his family. Mrs. X opinioned that Extra marital relationship was the predominant reason behind the violence, and strong attachment with his family was the supportive cause from the above mentioned situation.
CASE II
Mrs. A and Mr. B are belong in middle class family. They live with Mr. B’s mother and sister. Mr. A has a strong attachment with her parent’s and brother. He didn’t like that relationship. His mother and sister abused her physically and mentally. They forced Mrs. A to do all the household work. She has no time to rest .She works in the whole day. Her husband didn’t take any action against that. Her parent’s gave i5 sovereigns of gold and 10 cent property as dowry. Mrs . X said that “ after three months of my marriage, I realized that my husband was addicted in alcohol. He sold my ornaments and used the money for bring liquor. His mother and sister were always take his side .One day he did an attempt to kill me when he was full of liquor. He was not in the conscious stage.”
She also added that I have three daughters. I have a lot of worries about their future. But my husband has any concern for their future. Alcoholism was the main cause for violence. His mother and sister had a bad involvement in the life of him. They didn’t allow Mrs. A to do any approach to stop his alcohol consumption.
CASE III
Mrs. P and Mr .Q are belong in a middle class Hindu Nair family. Mr. Q is Mrs.P’s muracherukkan. They know very well each other at the time of their childhood. Their parents were very interested in their marriage .Mr. Q was a nice still the birth of their children. She said that “ we were very happy in the first few years of marriage. I have always a thought that he is my husband and my aunt’s son. He has a Reshan shop. In the early years of marriage he run the shop. After the birth of their he drunk continuously. He was not daily drunker. The situation changed. All his income is squandered on drinks and he does not bother to buy even essential goods for consumption in the household. He faces financial problem and he lost his reshan shop registration. I was ready to forgive every thing. Because I loves him very much. I tried a lot of initiation to stop his drunkenness. I requested help from my father and brothers. They take it as silly matter. They also drunk regularly. An youngster came and took the reshan shop for rent. At that time my husband work as a cook in a Hotel as a irregular labor. He lost that job due to his irregularity. Today he is working as a cook in an engineering college. My children is studying in graduation. My husband creates a lot of problem in my house. He always uses abused words. It became irritable to the children and me. Due to the irresponsibility of my husband I was force to do domestic work in a high class family”. I forgave to my maximum extent. I do not want divorce from him. I need some official help to stop his drunkenness. So I filed a case against him.
CASE IV
Mrs. C and Mr. D are belong in Nadar Christian family. Mrs. C ‘s family didn’t have the same financial status of Mr. D. Mrs. C is fair and pretty. Mr. D is not fair and not good in looks.. She was not able to accept such a person. Her sister’s forced her to marry that fellow. They considered his family stability. She married him with the force of her sisters .But there were a contradiction. Mrs. C said very emotionally that “My life was not a success. My husband’s family didn’t like their marriage . My husband was abroad before marriage. He helped his family. So they feared that they don’t get any benefit after the marriage. They tried to break our relationship through puja. Another tragedy came in my life at that time. My husband was a psychiatric patient. I didn’t know about his condition . He became violent at that time. I spent a lot of money for his treatment .I was very frustrated and depressed at that time. My parents and sister’s were only the supporters to me .He recovered from the critical situation after two years continuous treatment . My husband had a wish to build a new house for us. We had not any investment. I and my husband borrow money from money lenders and took loan from bank. We built our house after a long period of hardship. We became under financial crisis. My husband became an alcoholic . I gave birth to two children . My husband do not give them a proper care. He didn’t go for regular labor. If he go for work, he could not able to complete in a proper manner. He became out of mind. Nobody call him for work. We immersed in poverty. We couldn’t meet our basic needs. My husband do not allow the children to take food. He throw the food and beats them. He become a night mare to my children. I blamed my sister’s at that time”. She started to cry . She want to recover from the situation . She approached the commission for the solution .Now she is working as a warden in a hostel to meet their essential goods for consumption.
CASE V
Mrs. E and Mr. F are belong in a high class family .Mr F is working abroad in the construction field. They live in a luxurious life. They have a son and a daughter. Mrs. E’s mother is living with them. Mrs. E expressed the cause of violence. “my husband bought a car and appointed a driver. The driver is a youngster. The car is used a taxi. To make matters worse, my husband suspected that I was having extra marital relationship with the driver. My husband tried to impose the all the reason on me. We bought the car with the support of bank loan. He said me to repay with the support of the income from taxi. I didn’t get the espected income from it . My husband came back to home and he sent the car driver back and he took the in charge of car .He is an alcoholic also . He didn’t give me the cash for meet the basic goods for consumption. He do not like his mother in law and his son. He commented that they were supported the relationship between me and the driver. He came with friends and drunk within home. He insulted me in front of his friends. He abused me verbally and emotionally. The loan became a huge amount due to the failure of repayment. I have 10 cent property in the middle of city. It is in the mutual ownership of me and my husband. I planned to sell that property and willing to recover from the financial constraints. My husband do not agree. He enjoyed my situation and tried to impose other constraints on me through sending his friends to home , they asked me the amount in the name of my husband.” I want a complete relief from my husband. I do not want to live with him. I suffered my maximum.
CASE VI
Mrs. G and Mr. H belong in middle class Hindu families and their marriage was an arranged one. They live along with their three children and Mr. H’s mother in law within the city boarder. Mrs. G said that “ we had led a happy life even if I know the truth. My husband had an affair with his brother’s wife and has a child on that relationship. The truth was very familiar within the family. They hide it from my parents and he married me. I realized the truth after three month of my marriage. I was ready to forgive that incident and love my husband very much. The problem started after the birth of their third child. He is fair and handsome. My husband and mother in law spread that the son is not my husband. I have extra marital relationship with somebody .My husband and in laws inflict psychological violence on me. The marital discord has affected me badly. I became depressed. I feels cheated my husband. I worries about my children’s future. Because I have two daughters and a son”. I want to change the atmosphere of my home. I has filed a petition in the Commission against the conduct of my husband and in laws. I want to live along with my husband and children”.
CASE VII
Mrs. M and Mr. N have married for nine years. Both of them are from Muslim families and their marriage was an arranged one. They have two son. They live along with Mr. N’s family. It is a joint family Their marriage was a happy one during the first six months. Mrs. M said that I was not able to adjust with my mother in law due to their behavior. My father has a good attachment with me. My mother in law said it as unhealthy relationship. I tried to avoid such dialogues from her . She didn’t stop it. I requested my husband to move from that home. He is not ready to leave from the home. He has a strong attachment with his parents. He interacted with his mother without any prejudice. My in laws were bent on turning my husband against me. With this idea in mind they spread word that I having an extra marital relationship with my own Father. I became depressed. My husband avoid me from common functions. One day my brother in law inflicted physical violence on me. I was taken to the hospital. The matter was simple. My son had exam on that day . my father in law asked him to switch on TV. I didn’t allow him to switch on TV. My husband was not respond on that incident . I have worry about my children’s future. I went back to my own home with my children without taking any dress. I requested the Commission to order my husband to take a rent house for stay. I am also willing to share the rent through the income from stitching.
CASE VIII
Mrs. R and Mr. S fell in love with each other and married without the support of their parents .Mrs. R’s parents know about the relationship. They gave warnings their daughter. Mr. S belongs in high class , Hindu Nair community. She belongs in low class, Hindu pulaya community. She ignored everything . Mrs. R explained very emotionally “ I come out from my house and marry Mr.S. He has mother only. She didn’t know about the relationship. He went to home every weekend and come back on Monday. He is working as a manager in a private school. I was working as a lab technician at that time. After three month of marriage I became pregnant and resigned my job. My husband go to home every month. His mother searched for good marriage proposal for his son. He tried to avoid the proposals. One day his mother came to his rent home with a good proposal. He became with my presence, problems started from that movement. My mother in law couldn’t accept me. His mother was against our relationship. My community and low economic status was the reason for her objection .Besides she inflicted abuse words against me. I gave birth to a son. My mother in law said that he is not his grand child. I have some relationship with somebody. I became depressed completely. She continuously brain wash her son. He changed his approach due to the force of his mother. He said me that go back to home and will come after the reduction of his mother’s complaints. That was a shock to me . I went from his home and staying in the short stay home of the Commission. I do not want to file case against him and his mother. I believe that he will understand me and get me and my child to home.”
CASE IX
Mrs. U and Mr. V have been married for 16 years Both of them are from Hindu Nair community. Mrs. U is from high class and her husband is from middle class families .She is the only one girl child among three children . Her father had an heart attack. So he tried to do his daughters marriage as soon as possible. He gave huge amount as dowry. Mrs. U said that” my marriage life was a success in the early stage of their life. My husband is transport mechanic . He also have real estate business. He has so much attachment to money than me. He has no each and every technique to impress me. I had a good belief on his love. We have two children ,a girl child and a boy child. My son has hearing impaired ness. My husband consume alcohol .It do not affect our life in the early life. He sold my ornaments and bought a plot on his ownership. He always used me to bring money from money lenders and take that money for the business purpose. He earned profit from that business. He didn’t repay the cash. The money lenders came to home and ask for money to me. I was feared and convinced it to my husband. He took it as silly matter. He requested me to buy 10 lakh rupees from money lenders. I collected the money . He didn’t repay it . One day he came to home, he drunk . He inflicted physical violence on me. It was very brutal. My children were at that time . I depend on police station. They bring me and my children to Short stay home. My brother and mother came and filed a case against my husband. I realized that I was cheated by husband. I filed a case against him for get the maintenance and divorce. One day he came and bring my daughter with him. That was a shock to me. He married another women. Now I am waiting for justice from the court.
CASE X
The story of Mrs. J is different from other women. She is a widow. She lost her husband when he was pregnant. She didn’t marry another fellow. She live for his son. Now her son is working as a IT professional in Techno park. Mrs. J is working as apart time sweeper in General Hospital. She has 10 cent property within the city limit. Mrs. J mentioned to the researcher that me and my son have a very influential attachment. He loves me so much. I choose a good marriage proposal for my son .My daughter in law from a high class family. She is their only daughter. My son married her. Their life was happy. She became pregnant after two months of marriage. On the 7th month she went to her home. Then the situation changed. Her parents forced her to own the property of me. She gave birth to a boy child. She forced her husband to sell the property of me and said him to force me to live with my daughter in laws home. My son didn’t accept it . That conflict ends in divorce. My son do not blame me. One year later another girl came in to his life . She knows everything about him. She is from a low class family. I accept her. Few months later same situation happened. She stand for the property of me and my son didn’t accept it. She said that she will commit suicide if she do not get the property. I do not like another tragedy in my son’s life. I moved from home and Stayed in the short stay home of Women’s Commission.
III) TO STUDY THE CONSEQUENCE OF VIOLENCE ON WOMEN
INTERMS OF PERSONAL, FAMILIAL AND SOCIALM LEVELS.
CASE I
Mrs.X commented the of the researcher with full of tears. Her husband Mr. Y . Her husband married her secondly. He had married a women before marrying Mrs. X and he has two daughters in that relationship. He divorced her and married Mrs.X. Mrs. X ‘s family have known about the relationship. After the marriage he over thrown the promises .He sold her ornaments and bought property on his brother’s ownership .He treated with her utter cruelty, and often bashed her up .Often , the physical abuse resulted in injuries and bruises .His in laws also inflicted her on abused words. Mrs . X said very emotionally that “ my husband told every one that I have psychiatric problem. I gave birth to a girl child. My husband do not allow me and my child to wear ornaments . He said that his first wife and my children do not wear ornaments. I heard that my husband has extra marital relationship with his first wife. Though I finds it not worth living with him. My relationship with the neighbors is not warmth or intimate .I believe that the neighbors are much blame for my husband’s relationship with other women. My parents and relatives are very supportive to me . They came to my husband’s home and tried to console the situation. My husband and in laws insulted them beat me in front of them. My mother started to cry. My husband said an abused words against her . I manages a good rapport with my girl child. My husband shouted to her when she cries. I feared that is it affect my child’s behavior”.
CASE II
Mrs. A and Mr. B have three daughters. Mr. B’s mother and sister stay with them. He is only the earning member in the house. After two years of marriage he became an alcoholic. She has no role in that house. Her in laws forced to do all the house hold work.
She believes that her in laws , who keep finding fault wither, are at the root of all the tension created between her and her husband. Neighbors are quite sympathetic towards her. They supported her as they can . Her husband always look for some reason to harass her. She gets beaten up by her husband result in physical injuries .There were times when she thought of even ending her life. It is only because of her children that she wants to continue. Her husband inflicted physical violence on the behalf of her children. She feared that is it affect their children’s mental health. On day her husband immersed his watch on his mouth and tried to torture her . She escaped from that and depend on her neighbors home. They helped her. She went back to home with their children .Her husband forbade her from meeting her relatives. She believes that a cordial relationship would be possible with her husband if he gets de addicted. She filed a case against him in the Commission with the support of her brother.. she dreams of a better tomorrow when every thing would turn fine.
CASE III
Mrs. P and Mr. Q are relatives. They know each other from childhood. So their marriage life was better in the early stages of life. Her husband had a reshan shop. He lost its license due to his alcoholism. Mrs. P forgave to her husband. She loves him very much and he is also her aunt’s son. He do not go regular employment .They have a daughter and a son . They are studying in post graduation. She could not meet the essential goods fro consumption and maintain her children’s education. She starts to work as a domestic servant. She always keeps a distance from her friends and neighbors though all they like her and she like them too. In all, these 18 years of marriage, she experienced only humiliation. Her husband uses abused words toward her. She is worried about the way her children especially her daughter would be affected by the unhealthy environment in home. They are good in studies .Her daughter she do not marry a person. She hatred marriage life. He believes that every men are like her father. That comment inflicted a strong pain in Mrs. P’s mind . She approached her parents for help. They said that it is quite natural. Her father and brothers also an alcoholic addicts. She tried to recover her husband from alcoholism with the support of the Commission.
CASE IV
In the case of Mrs . C and Mr. D , Mrs .C’s relatives are very supportive especially her sisters. She married Mr. D by the force of her sisters. Her husband is a psychiatric patient and an alcoholics. He do not go for regular work. His relatives do not support them. Mr. C have no attachment with her neighbors. They do not take care of the situation faced by her. She has a son and a daughter .Her husband do not like his children . He thrown away the food taken by his children. He do not allow them to take at his presence. He became the nightmare of his children. It was shock to Mrs. C. She became depressed. Her sisters supported her at that time. Her children are good in studies. They can not got to school properly .She feared that it will affect their studied. Her sisters helped her as they can. They find out a job for her husband on a petrol pump and sent her to a counselor to recover from the situation.
CASE V
Mrs. E and Mr. F are belong in high class family. Mr. E is always suspicious about his wife . He argued that his wife has extra marital relationship with their car driver. His mother in law stay with them. He do not like her. He has a daughter and a son. He do not like his son. He argued that his son and his mother in law are the supporters of his wife’s relationship with his driver. That was a shocking news to Mrs .E . She maintain a good relationship with their children. But the attitude of Mr. F negatively affected their son. He always engages in phone and friends. He come late to home. He became bad in studies. Mrs. E’s mother become so depressed in her daughters situation. She has no choice to ask for help. They have no relationship with neighbors. She has some friends. They do not come to her home due to the fear of her husband.
CASE VI
Mrs. G and Mr. H have three children. Two daughters and a son. Mrs. G’s husband had an affair with his brother’s wife and has a child on that relationship. It is a popular news among the family members. She married Mr. H without knowing that news. She knew the news from his family members. She was ready to forgive it. She didn’t tell it to her parents. Her children do not know about the fact. Mrs. G very attached with her children. The issues started from the birth of her son . He is handsome and fair. Her mother in law and husband said that the child is not him. She has some extramarital relationship with other person. She broke up their words. Her family supported her a lot. Her daughters gave inspiration to her. She feels that her children are move away from her .She has another feared ness that their children become bad in their behavior especially her daughters .She didn’t get any support from her neighbors. They enjoyed her condition with her in laws. She move away from her husband’s home with her children on night and depend on Women’s Commission. The Commission supported them with the help of police and counseling process. She could able to over come all the constraints she faced. Her husband realized his mistake and get back her to home.
CASE VII
Mrs. M and Mr. N are belong in a Muslim family .They live along with Mr. N’s parents and grand mother. It is a joint family. They have two son. Mr. N has a good attachment with his parents and bothers .His brother is staying near to his house. Mrs. M’s mother in law has no healthy relationship with her. She always spread that her daughter in law has un healthy relationship with her own father. Mr. M’s husband and in laws inflicted violence on her. The neighbors and the local people are the viewers. They didn’t her . She admitted medical college hospital with the help of police due to violence of her husband. Their children are the victim of every incident. She is from a middle class family. Her parents could not have the capacity to care her and children. So they always tries to convince and beg to her husband. He didn’t take any consideration to that. His family became in a frustrated situation. Finally she went with her parents. Her children could not able to go to school. Her house is far away from her husband’s home. Her parents tries to join her life with the help of Commission.
CASEVIII
Mrs .R and Mr. S have a son .Their marriage was love marriage . They registered their marriage without the permission and support of their parents and relatives. Their friends supported their marriage. Mrs. R went away from her home and married Mr. S. Mr. S’s has mother only . She didn’t know about the relation until three month after their marriage. The couple have a lot of support from their friends. Their relatives are keep a distance from them . Mr. S’s mother knew about the relation when Mrs. R was pregnant. She strongly opposed that relationship .After the birth of the child , Mrs .R’s mother in law convinced her son that the child was not his . His wife has some extra marital relationship with other men. Mr .S changed to an extent by his mother words and said his wife to that you should go to your home and come back after some months. Mrs. R became frustrated. She know that she couldn’t get any help from her home. So she went to the Short Stay home with her child. Her parents came and requested her that gave up her child to her husband and come back to home. She couldn’t accept that. She is very sensitive. She started to cry. Now these days his husband know her news through their friends. Their friends tries to rejoin them as soon as possible.
CASE IX
Mrs. U and Mr. V have a daughter and a son. Mrs. U is from a High class family and her husband is from a middle class family. Her husband is working as a mechanic in transport and he has real estate business also . He is highly influential by money. Mrs. U is the only daughter among the three children. She is a pet in his home .Her family gave a huge amount of money as dowry. Her husband was happy with the dowry. Their son has hearing impaired ness . Mr. V forced her wife to take huge amount of money from the money lenders for his real estate business. He didn’t repay it. The money lenders came to home and ask for money. They know that she bought money actually for her husband. They sympathized with her. She became out of mind. But her husband cheated her and physically abused her. She show her marriage photo to the researcher. The researcher shocked with that photo. She was very fair and beautiful. Now she changed in her physical appearances due to the violence of her husband. She depend a police station due to her husbands violence. They helped her and take care her and children to the short stay home. Her mother and brother gave her full support and encouragement to fight against her husband. They filed a case in family court for divorce and maintenance. Her children were her strong force to fight against her husband. One he came and took his daughter to home in the absence of Mrs, U. Mrs. U became down and her son feel loneliness. He became isolated from his sister. Another major problem they faced that , She could not get the permission to care her son in short stay home after 12 years. She became frustrated day by day. Her husband take this opportunity and start to bargain with the amount. She didn’t accept it with the strong support of her relatives especially her brother.
CASE X
Mrs. J is a widow. She live for her only son . She lost her husband after two years of marriage. Her son loves her very much .He is his strong support and inspiration. Now he is working as a IT professional in Techno park . He married a beautiful girl with the blessings of his mother. She gave birth to a a child . She stands for the property of her mother in law. Her husband tried to avoid her nuisance. The issue ends in divorce. Mrs. J ‘s so loves her even if he lost her mother. He married another girl same thing happen after three months of marriage. Mrs. J became feared that same thing will happen in her son’s life. So she was ready to leave from home and stay in the short stay home with the support of her son . Her son was ready to avoid his second wife for his mother. His mother didn’t like such situation again in her son’s life. The incident affect the family life of her son also.
.
IV) TO STUDY THE ROLE OF SOCIAL WORKER AMONG THE
VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
1. Counseling to victims of domestic violence with the intent to eliminate the trauma and psychological stress.
2. Counseling about harmony and harmony in the family to prevent an occurrence of violence.
3. Identify and prioritize victims fears, dangers and needs.
4. Give effective referrals.
5. Brainstorm the client a list of people who might help with any one or number of tasks. 6. Identify and deal with family and associates who have turned hostile to the victim.
CHAPTER V
FINDINGS
SUGESSTION CONCLUSION
FINDINGS
The findings derived from the data gathered from ten women victim of domestic violence who are filed case against their in laws and husbands on Kerala State Women’s Commission thiruvananthapuram. The findings are scripted below .
1.The majority of the victim in the age group of young adulthood and middle adulthood.
2. The main causes of domestic violence are extra marital relationship ,alcoholism, suspicion ,property disputes, socio-economic disparity and dowry. The most predominant causes of domestic violence are alcoholism and suspicion of husband.
3.The domestic violence has consequences in personal, familial, societal and cultural levels.
4. The violence in the family affects the relationship in multiple way. It affect the intimacy with husband, intimacy with child, education of the child, interaction among family members, home environment, and also the meeting of basic needs.
5.The violence affect the victim physically, psychologically, and economically. The psychological impact will long lasting than other impacts.
6.The violence in the social level affect the relationship with neighbors, friends and the behavior of the colleagues society towards the victim.
7.In general, it may be noted that, the consequences of victimization at the societal level are not so marked as those at the personal and family levels.
8.The violence shatters the equilibrium of family life and the children became the major victims. Absence of a healthy relationship between the parents and their children are the characteristics of such families.
9. Most of the spousal violence begins with in five years of the start of the marriage.
10. Most of the women suffer violence in silence.
11. Men in all sphere of their life dominate the women.
12. The victims is considered as a neglect person of the society as social stigma.
SUGGESTIONS
1. A situational analysis including case study and quantitative method. of domestic violence against married women will more effective than a case study. But there is the support four or five case studies to study the topic in depth.
2. Future research could be examine the traditional gender- role beliefs among women from different economic and socio religious strata of society so as to provide proper interventions.
3. Future research could compare the prevalence and impacts of domestic violence in the rural and urban area.
Conclusion
Women’s right to housing and right to property and inheritance are critical and most fundamental for any strategy of prevention of domestic violence . empowerment of women is the key to prevent gender based violence. Social support net works especially natal family and neighbors is also a crucial factor in reducing domestic violence.
Across cultures, the family, weather natal or marital, is often associated with love, support and bonding among members. Though this characteristics are often present, it has become evident through resent research that the home is also frequently the site of violent human relation ships. Violence against women persist in all region in all region of the world as a pervasive violation of human rights and a major impediment to achieving equality. The study identifies the main types of violence which were related to alcoholism Dowry, financial crisis Extra marital affairs, Rape , personality disorders , intrusion in-laws, marital maladjustment, property disputes, and divorce. The study of suggests that educating of girls should aim at strengthening their inherent abilities and utilizing them for their own development as well as for the society’s development. This empowerment will help improving the status of women and raising voice against atrocities and harassment.
From what has been presented above it is clear that violence against women is endemic Kerala. The reason is women in the country are highly vulnerable because of poor quality of life indicated by rampant poverty, lack of education, high under five mortality, poor health status, high fertility rate and high maternal mortality rate. Also contributing to the violence against women is societal mindset about women that has not changed much. Violence is perpetrated on women both inside and outside her home.
The government and voluntary organisations are making efforts towards ending/minimising violence against women. The efforts of the government are in the shape of enacting relevant legislations, issuing orders and launching various women welfare schemes. But their implementation remains tardy, as the lower level government functionaries are not gender sensitive. On the other had the voluntary organisations are taking both preventive as well as reactionary measures. But efforts of the voluntary organisations suffer from paucity of funds and infrastructure. Yet in this rather bleak scenario, many voluntary organisations have devised several innovative strategies to combat the menace and been successful in wiping tears of hopless women.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
JOURNAL
1.Dr. Naina Rao Athalye (2008), Stress and Health Implications Of Domestic Violence, Vikasini,Centre for Women’s Development, AIACHE, New Delhi .Page No; 17-26.
2. Sunny Celine (2003), Domestic Violence Against Women-Report on Situational Analysis in Ernakulam District, Social Change, Vol. No.33(issue no.1),Page no. 26.
3.Eliyamma Vijayan(2001), Gender Based Violence in Kerala, A Report, Sakhi resource centre for women , thiruvananthapuram.
4.Swapna Mukhopadhyay(2006), The Enigma of Kerala Women :Does high literacy necessarily translate in to high status, Institute of Social Studies, MIMAP gender network project phase III, sponsored by international development research centre Canada.
5.Dr.Celine Sunny(2005), A Situational Analysis of Domestic Violence Against Women in Kerala , Centre for Women’s Studies and Development.
6.Pradeep Kumar Pande(2004), Domestic violence Against Women in Kerala, Kerala Research Programme on local level Government, paper no:86.
7. Daga A S Jejeebhoy, Shireen J , Rajagopal Shantha (1999),Domestic Violence Against women : An Investigation of Hospital causality records, mumbai mily ,Journal of Family Welfare,Vol.no:45 (issue no:1).
8.Ahlawat Neerja(2005), Domestic Violence against Women: Emerging Concerns in Rural Haryana, Social Action, Vol. no:55
BOOKS
9.Ahuja R (1987), Crimes Against Women, Jaipur, Rawat Publication.
10.Renzetti, Raquel Kennedy, Bergen (2005), Violence Against Women, Mary land, Rowman and Littlefeild Publishers.
11.Shalu Nigam (2008), Domestic Violence In India, The University of Michigam, We the people Trust.
APPENDIX
TOOLS USED
INTERVIEW GUIDE
1.Age.
2.Religion
3.Education
4.Occupational status.
5.Place of residence
6.Family type
7.Type of marriage.
8.Marital status
9.How much dowry was given.
10.What is your opinion about love marriage and arranged marriage
11.What was the attitude and behavior of your husband and in laws towards you
12.What are the major causes for the violence at home
13.Who inflict violence violence or aggression on you.
14.What mode of violence you faced from your husband and in laws
15.What is the impact of violence on personal, familial and societal level.
16.How do you react with such situation