VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN BY JERUSHA D’SOUZA DIV- A, ROLL NO. 16 4TH YEAR BLS.LLB Many centuries have come and gone, man has evolved, technology has developed, the world has grown and people have changed, but violence against women still seem to be prevalent across the globe. Women continue to be discriminated, exploited, oppressed, degraded, humiliated and have often been treated as second class citizens. Violence is a behaviour which involves using of a physical force with the intention of causing hurt, or to damage something or someone, or to kill. Violence against women is a prevalent and widespread and it is one that crosses geographic, economic and racial lines.
Domestic violence has attracted much attention of the sociologists in India since the decades of 1980s. Violence affects the lives of millions of women, worldwide, in all socio- economic and educational classes. It cuts across cultural and religious barriers, impending the right of women to participate fully in society. Domestic violence occurs in all cultures; people of all societies and classes. In earlier times, violence against women was a result of the prevalent atmosphere of ignorance and feudalism.
Women in Asia and Africa are the best example for this phenomenon. Therefore, this study will discuss violence against women including causes of violence against women, effects of violence against women, examples of countries where women suffer from violence and ways to overcome and avoid violence against women and ways to treat this problem. The paper will also discuss what people think about violence against women and whether if it is existed. In fact, many people think that violence against women is existed due to many factors. First, some men have inferior complex and they think that violence against women is justified for them in order to control women.
Since the strongest predictive factor of violence against women is male has a high level control of the socioeconomic decision-making, abused women difficult to leave abusive relationships are directly related to the lack of employment and lack of self-financing (McDonough 2010). There is a relationship between economic and social disadvantages that result in high risks of violence and crime in intimate partners in western’s studies (People 2005). Nevertheless, the early experiences of violence are also shaping the child 's personality development, may suppress behavior control, adaptive social skills, compassion (Lacey, Saunders & Zhang 2011). The children 's experiences and the relationship between the witness and commit violence between adults may reflect a process of cultural transmission that learnt from generation to generation. Therefore, women may shape that men violence women are acceptable due to their experience of childhood.
India has always been a patriarchal society therefore most women have faced humiliation, torture, exploitation, or some sort of harassment. Atrocities cause mental as well as physical harm which can leave permanent damage or can majorly affect the health of the victim. There is an immense amount of discrimination which women face whether it is in regards to household matters, education, society, politics,
Emancipation does not decrease but increases violence against women, because men react with violence to challenges of their authority by female claims for autonomy. Violence against women is institutionalized through family structures, social and economic arrangements and traditions so that in many cases not even women see violence against women as wrong which in term leads to impunity. A widespread form of violence against women is domestic violence: Social, cultural and economic power differences, as well as differences in physical strength, put women at risk. Historically, religion and juridical systems contributed to domestic violence: For centuries, Catholic scholars demanded female subordination and provided theological legitimization for male violence and domination while laws throughout Europe approved of domestic violence against women. While women are more frequently victims of severe physical violence, men get victimized in romantic relationships, too.
This study seeks to understand international law and domestic violence with focus on the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Domestic violence is very prevalent in Afghanistan with majority of targets being women and children. However the main focus in this research would be the women. Domestic Violence against women can be called domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering and family violence, furthermore it is a serious concern because not only is it a violent act committed against women, it also violates their human rights. Tjaden & Thoennes (2000) defined domestic violence as rape, assault and stalking perpetuated by current and former dates, spouses and cohabiting partners. The Office of Violence against Women (2007) defines domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.
Violence can happen in any relationship irrespective of culture, class and ethnic group, in many societies domestic violence upon women in seen as a normal detail. Women living in relationships which involves mental and physical abuse is frequently exposed to sexual violence. This affects the woman’s identity and self-image, the most frustrating part is that these abuses are done by none other than their husbands whose duties are to protect and respect their wives (Garcia Moreno et al, N.D). According to an article of ‘domestic violence on women’, female faces terrible circumstances within the family itself as female babies were murdered and abandoned. In some families, girls were considered as a burden.
INTRODUCTION In a country like India, where goddesses like, Saraswati - the goddess of learning, Parvati - the goddess of power, Laxmi – the goddess of wealth, are worshipped, one would expect women in India to be placed on a high pedestal and treated with respect and equality. But that is not something which has been practiced by menfolk of the country. Rather, women have to go through a lot of hardships right from the moment they are in the womb itself– sex-selective abortion, when they are born – infanticide, and even if they make through childbirth, sometimes they don’t receive education and health benefits as much as their male counterparts do. Also, parents marry their daughters off so as to dust their hands off of them and the bridegrooms and their families demand dowry, which on non-fulfilment will sentence the innocent bride to a duration of torture mentally and physically, often resulting in death. There is another grave matter to contemplate about and that is, male violence against women.
However these goals are far realized in a country like India. In fact often women in India are deprived of their fundamental right to leave alone the question of gender equality. The present paper explores the questions central to women’s right in India that is fundamentally in nature. The article attempts to grapple with the few challenges faced by the women in India like the dowry, female foeticide, denial inheritance. The objective of the paper is to evolve strategies to empower women who are as beings as men are.