Domestic Violence in India: 5 Exploring Strategies, Promoting Dialogue Women-Initiated Community Level Responses to Domestic Violence Summary Report of Three Studies Copyright© 2002 International Center for Research on Women Domestic Violence in India: Exploring Strategies, Promoting Dialogue Women-Initiated Community Level Responses to Domestic Violence Summary Report of Three Studies The Shalishi in West Bengal: A Community Response to Domestic Violence Anuradha Talwar Shramajibee Mahila Samity Research Team: Tahamina Begum, Asthabala Maity, Swapna Tripathi, Suchitra Mondal, Bela Adak, Alpana Das & Namita Gaine, in collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women Women-Initiated Responses to Domestic Violence in Uttar Pradesh A Study of the Nari Adalat and Sahara Sangh Mahila Samakhya Saharanpur Madhu Sharma, Kiran Jayswal, Shakuntala, Kusum Noutiyal, Anju Rani, & Kamla Rani Mahila Samakhya Tehri-Garhwal Gurmeet Kaur, Usha Chauhan, Guddi Chauhan, Guddi Rawat, Kamla Dhatudi, Rukmini Rawat, Sudha Rawat, Sarita Kudiyal & Vainu Badoni ICRW Anuradha Rajan & Nandita Bhatla Women-Initiated Responses to Domestic Violence in Gujarat: A Study of the Nari Adalat and Mahila Panch Mahila Samakhya Baroda Usha Nagar, Manjula Padiyar, Rashmika Patel, Jayshree Jaiswal, Leela Rathwa, Premila Rathwa, Shobha Malbari, Saroj Patel, Kailash Chauhan, Roopali Khani & Mamta Baxi Mahila Samakhya Rajkot Manisha Brahmbhatt, Mita Pandit, Saroj Maradia, Ila Gosai, Ila Solanki, Vijaya Meghnathi & Ratan Makwana ICRW Anuradha Rajan & Nandita Bhatla INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN Washington, DC May 2002 Funded by USAID/India Preface he International Center for Research on Women, in collaboration with Indian researchers, is pleased to Tpresent the fifth in a series summarizing research studies undertaken in India on domestic violence against women. This particular volume brings together three studies documenting and assessing the impact of three innovative women-initiated community-level responses to domestic violence. The two summary reports for Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have been prepared by Anuradha Rajan and Nandita Bhatla in collabo- ration with field research teams. The report for West Bengal has been prepared by an individual research team. The introduction and conclusions synthesizing the findings across the studies have been prepared by Barbara Burton, Anuradha Rajan and Nandita Bhatla. ICRW takes responsibility for any errors and omissions in this report. Both the research teams and the ICRW team wish to thank Sally Engle Merry for her excellent comments on a draft of this report. We also wish to acknowledge the excellent editorial support provided by Margo Young and the unstinting administrative support by Miriam Escobar and T. Venugopal in the production of this report. Finally, we wish to acknowledge the overall support of Kathleen Barnett, Vice-President of ICRW, in the final phase of this project. Nata Duvvury Project Director Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 The Shalishi in West Bengal: A Community Response to Domestic Violence ....................................................... 14 Women-Initiated Responses to Domestic Violence in Uttar Pradesh.................. 32 Women-Initiated Responses to Domestic Violence in Gujarat: A Study of the Nari Adalat and Mahila Panch .......................................................... 47 Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 66 Annexure I: Research Design ...................................................................................... 76 Annexure 2: Process Documentation of a Case ....................................................... 78 Stated References ........................................................................................................ 84 This publication was made possible through support provided by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), under the terms of Cooperative Agreement No. 386-A-00-99-00311-00. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or ICRW. Introduction Barbara Burton, Anuradha Rajan, and Nandita Bhatla omestic violence perpetrated against women by violence (ICRW 2000 and IMMIFAP 1999). In spite Dpartners and close family members has long of improvements in the formal responses of Indian been a matter of silent suffering within the four walls state and legal institutions, studies also indicate that of the home. Despite the awareness others may have reporting and prosecuting domestic violence is only of a woman’s ongoing experience of abuse, the phe- a last resort for most Indian women. Instead, the in- nomenon of domestic violence against women is typi- creasing presence of informal community-based ini- cally identified as a private concern. From this per- tiatives such as the mobilization of grassroots spective, violence is seen to be a matter of individual women’s collectives, mock funeral processions of responsibility, and the woman is perceived to be the dowry victims, public shaming of perpetrators, street one responsible for either adjusting more adequately theatre, and local methods of dispute resolution, have to the situation as dictated by cultural norms or de- been noted as some of the more effective and poten- veloping an acceptable method of suffering silently. tially sustainable responses to domestic violence in This basic understanding of domestic violence as a India. Although identified and acknowledged in pre- personal issue has limited the extent to which legal vious studies of responses to domestic violence, very resolution to the problem can be actively pursued. In little documentation of such community responses ex- most societies, domestic violence against women has ists. The following research is intended to provide not been perceived to be a crime. However, as a re- better documentation of how women-led innovative sult of feminist advocacy within the arenas of inter- responses have emerged, how they operate, and how national human rights and development, social re- successful they are in addressing the needs of women sponsibility for domestic violence is slowly being ac- facing violence. knowledged in many parts of the world. The term community is not necessarily used here to In India, for example, families and community lead- describe an idealized homogenous setting however, ers are beginning to organize together at the local level but to distinguish these efforts from state and national to re-shape community norms and attitudes regard- initiatives and to find a way to characterize and focus ing violence against women within marriage. These upon the smaller scale social mobilization that is oc- local-level initiatives are important for many reasons. curring at the village and cross-village level. The fact Research on violence undertaken in India and else- that women-initiated dispute resolution mechanisms where has shown that women turn first to their imme- have emerged independently from any wider national diate family or neighborhood for help and that infor- strategy or government directive is worthy of close mal, local-level networks are crucial in providing a attention. site of first response to those experiencing domestic 1 Domestic Violence in India: Exploring Strategies, Promoting Dialogue Collective action arbitrate domestic violence cases? Is the incidence In previous research by ICRW (International Center of violence likely to be smaller in communities where for Research on Women) documenting the range of women’s collectives or organizations exist? Does the responses to domestic violence in India (particularly structure of the alternative justice systems, the pro- Poonacha and Pandey, 1999), the practice of orga- cess of handling cases, or specific elements of the nizing and facilitating the creation of village women’s organization itself have an impact on the success or collectives, or sanghas, was noted as a unique and sustainability of these responses? What lessons might important response to domestic violence. These small be taken from these responses to other settings in In- self-governed groups of women are intended to be a dia and around the world? And, ultimately, how ex- development strategy, organized by representatives actly might collectives of women transform commu- from the voluntary sector and found in different per- nity norms underlying gender relations and violence? mutations throughout the country. In order to explore these questions and to provide These collectives are an ideal mechanism for raising additional opportunities to learn and grow with the awareness about and contending with the problem of development of these organizations, ICRW worked domestic violence. Particular approaches and beliefs closely with domestic violence activists and devel- about domestic violence appear to vary between them; opment researchers to establish a set of open-ended there is not necessarily a standard approach or re- research objectives that would depend upon both sponse mandated by a larger facilitating organization. qualitative and quantitative methods as well as par- Further, since self-reliance and locally determined ticipatory approaches to design and implementation. ideals and solutions are central to the modus oper- andi of this strategy, outside professional