http://globalvoicesonline.org/2006/10/26/india-domestice-violence-act/ The world is talking. Are you listening? Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:04:52 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://globalvoicesonline.org/2006/10/26/india-domestice-violence-act/comment-page-1/#comment-862163 Sreeja N Fri, 16 Mar 2007 22:29:56 +0000 http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2006/10/26/india-domestice-violence-act/#comment-862163 It’s such a pleasure to know that India has now acknowledged that our Indian women are being forced into doing many things against their will. As any steps like refusing to marry against one's will or taking up a job against parents/husbands will, willing to use money earned by oneself or even getting a hair cut done without permission is considered a shame by her relatives and defiance on her part and the woman is considered rebellious. The law that has now been enforced would now at least stop domestic violence to some extent but to how much is still a question mark. The law offers protection against verbal abuse, physical abuse, mental torture etc. But how would the law expect us to prove verbal abuse? And if a woman even thinks of approaching law, how well would she be able to protect herself from the verbal abuse and isolation that she would face from her parents/husband/in-laws unless she decides to quit living with the person/s concerned. Even if the woman gathers courage to approach law, officials themselves try and evade the situation by asking the woman to use the word 'adjustment' to save the relationship. Right from the parents who considers girl-children as a burden (getting the burden off by getting her married, killing female fetuses etc), husbands who hit or abuse and questions the integrity of a woman, in-laws who considers woman as the one would steal their sons from them, and officials who should enforce law all are equally responsible for this condition of Indian woman today. It is good that they have considered 'live-in relation ships' in this law as well, which acknowledges the changing faces of today's relationships, but unless the law enforcement machinery –police and local judiciary- would not be sensitive to crime against woman, the conditions would remain as it is in India. It’s such a pleasure to know that India has now acknowledged that our Indian women are being forced into doing many things against their will. As any steps like refusing to marry against one’s will or taking up a job against parents/husbands will, willing to use money earned by oneself or even getting a hair cut done without permission is considered a shame by her relatives and defiance on her part and the woman is considered rebellious. The law that has now been enforced would now at least stop domestic violence to some extent but to how much is still a question mark. The law offers protection against verbal abuse, physical abuse, mental torture etc. But how would the law expect us to prove verbal abuse? And if a woman even thinks of approaching law, how well would she be able to protect herself from the verbal abuse and isolation that she would face from her parents/husband/in-laws unless she decides to quit living with the person/s concerned. Even if the woman gathers courage to approach law, officials themselves try and evade the situation by asking the woman to use the word ‘adjustment’ to save the relationship. Right from the parents who considers girl-children as a burden (getting the burden off by getting her married, killing female fetuses etc), husbands who hit or abuse and questions the integrity of a woman, in-laws who considers woman as the one would steal their sons from them, and officials who should enforce law all are equally responsible for this condition of Indian woman today. It is good that they have considered ‘live-in relation ships’ in this law as well, which acknowledges the changing faces of today’s relationships, but unless the law enforcement machinery –police and local judiciary- would not be sensitive to crime against woman, the conditions would remain as it is in India.

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