WE (PVCHR) heartily welcome the order given by
the Hon’able Supreme Court of India as published in the various newspaper that, “Daughter-in-law should be treated as a family member
and not housemaid, and she cannot be "thrown out of her matrimonial home
at any time". The Hon’ble court
said while expressing concern over instances of brides being burnt and tortured
in the country. It is a matter of grave concern and shame that brides are
burned or otherwise their life-sparks are extinguished by torture, both
physical and mental, because of demand of dowry and insatiable greed and
sometimes, sans demand of dowry, because of cruelty and harassment meted out to
the nascent brides, treating them with total insensitivity, destroying their
desire to live and forcing them to commit suicide, a brutal self-humiliation of
life. [i]
WE every day receive two to three cases of the
domestic violence in our office. The cases are not only related to the dowry,
physical and mental violence but many cases are of sexual violence, branding
daughter in law as witch craft and violence for giving birth to female child.
We found that one of the main causes why domestic violence prevails and
continues is the lack of alternatives among the victims due to patriarchy. Due
to which Women and children are economically dependent on abusers. In almost
all cases they generally feel, it is better to suffer in silence than to be
separated from loved ones. They keep hoping for improvement, but it is normally
observed that, without help, violence gets worse.
The survivors does not provide all information
because feel ashamed of the poor quality of the relationship. Abusers may fear
the consequences of seeking help, unaware that continuing as before may be even
more dangerous.
Every day my husband show me a photo of the girl
with whom he is going to second marry. Hearing this I had many sleepless nights
in my inlaws house and after completing household work I have to work in the
field. Looking my deteroting health condition my inlaws gave pain killer
and took me three times to ojha and sokha. Day by day my condition become
worst than they send me to my parents house. In my parent house I always
remember about my husband and my marital life. Slowly - slowly I even forget
my own identity and started to roam in my village as a mad woman. I was
diagnosed as a patient of mood disorder, Says Munni (name changed). This is not only single story of
Munni but many women in India are facing same type of consequences.
We provided the legal remedies under the
Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and psycho – social support through testimonial
therapy and it is used for the Intervention to the concerned authorities and
medical treatment. Being in a continuously violent relationship the survivors
faced many psychological effects s incredibly isolating, anxiety and low
esteem. Due to which survivors seek for the fast remedy in the case or look of
the immediate settlement in the matter and punishment to the abuser.
The survivors faced apathy from the various
concerned authorities and police due to the patriarchal understanding. Their
attitudes towards such crimes are a “private matter” is most plain with regard
to police treatment of criminal offenses involving domestic violence, for which
police are empowered to make an arrest without a warrant. The Protection of
Women from The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act of 2005 of 2005
was enacted to augment women’s immediate protection from violence through
emergency relief, including access to temporary protection orders and domestic
violence shelters. But due poor implementation of the law, women facing
imminent and life-threatening violence remain almost solely reliant on police
aid.
In most of the cases due to the lengthy justice
process and no economic and social protection to survivors result extra – legal
comprise involving few people from both side as witness. Poor and hapless women who don’t have money to travel
to the district office to file complain or do follow up of the case. Even
in District Probation office they have to pay to 10 Rs each time to get the new
dates and even also during the time of the mediation of the both parties. Survivors
are again sent to their husband house as the matter to test the relationship as
abuse/violence will not revise again.
Shabnam’s in-laws took her back
again to Pratapgarh and then she went to Lucknow, where she spent 5 months with
her husband and got pregnant. After five months they
sent me back to my parent’s house. I with the heavy heart hiding my tear
and pain went to my parent’s house. Several time I tried to contact my husband
but he changed his mobile sim. I waited for my husband call for several months
and I was in very confusion what to do. In Asha hospital I delivered Aadil.
Everyone in the family was happy with his birth. I came to know he got
complication in his back and his operation was urgently needed otherwise its
poison will spread over his entire body. Anyhow my family managed the expense
of his operation.
Children witness the domestic
violence in a variety of ways. For example, they may be in the same room and
may get caught in the middle of an incident, perhaps in an effort to make the
violence stop; they may be in another room but be able to hear the abuse or see
their mother's physical injuries following an incident of violence; or they may
be forced to take part in verbally abusing the victim. Children are completely
dependent on the adults around them, and if they do not feel safe in their own
homes, this can have many negative physical and emotional effects. All children
witnessing domestic violence are being emotionally abused, and this is now
recognised as 'significant harm' in recent legislation.
Children
will react in different ways to being brought up in a home with a violent
person. Age, race, sex, culture, stage of development, and individual
personality will all have an effect on a child's responses. Most children,
however, will be affected in some way by tension or by witnessing arguments,
distressing behaviour or assaults - even if they do not always show this. They
may feel that they are to blame, or - like you - they may feel angry, guilty,
insecure, and alone, frightened, powerless, or confused. They may have
ambivalent feelings, both towards the abuser, and towards the non-abusing
parent.
“I was a branded as
a witch and they asked me to leave the house along with children and they
dragged me out. I started crying and asked my mother in law that where I would
go with children. My sister in law said there was no space for evil spirits inside
the house. I had to spent days without food and whenever I got something I
shared it with my children. One day my sister in law dragged me on road from
near the house and I came to my mother’s house with children. Upset and in
tension my husband climbed up a Guava tree. I don’t want my husband to climb
down the tree which he is living on due to my mother in law and my sister in
law. I don’t want to stay with my in laws and once my husband gets down I will
bring him to my parents house. My children are crying for their father and I am
crying for my husband. Until I am able to live with my husband and children I
will not get relief. I fear what my husband might be eating and when I try to
eat something I cry”, Says Tara
WE are making the survivors of domestic violence economically
empowered and Self- reliant through helping them to getting job and
getting higher education. Shabnam will the tear of happiness
said, after the wedding, my world changed, I don’t know I have to see this day
but now I am self – reliant. I have my own dream and I will give
proper upbringing to my both son. Her dream is to to become nurse and
serve the people.
In span of 3 years WE received the few fake
cases of Domestic Violence because women are also violent in patriarchal
society due to patriarchal socialization, but their actions account for a small
percentage of domestic violence.
Our two founders (Lenin Raghuvanshi and Shruti Nagvanshi) faced
the malicious prosecution in charges in Varanasi (99/13 under section 342, 348,
498 of IPC) and during advocating the case of the domestic violence.[ii] Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi and Ms. Shruti
Nagvashi were invited to resent paper WOMAN ACTIVISM AND POLITICS IN SWEDEN AND INDIA on 20th –
21st June, in Karlstad, University, Sweden Reality of grass root on women rights in
Northern India and Masculinity and India.[iii]
Documentary “The Punishment” about women facing violence in India exhibited in the LUMIX
Festival for Young Photojournalism Hannover, Germany: 15-19 June, 2016 [iv]
WE does not received any specific funding for
the working against the violence against women but WE believe that Violence
against women and girls as functioning on a continuum that spans the life-cycle
from the womb to the tomb. WE (PVCHR)
created the awareness among the people on the Domestic violence Act, 2015 and
created local cadres (Aguwas) including responsible men in 250 villages in
Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Koderma district of Jharkhand.
“Women need to be empowered
through the strongest tool – education. They don’t need to be subservient to
anyone, but at the same time, men must change their mindset towards women. If
they are more respectful towards them, then things will change at the
grassroots level. It will happen slowly, but everyone has to move together.
Madhuri Dixit
Link:
·
Interface
with different stakeholder on women rights
Shirin
Shabana Khan is professional socialworkers, graduated and post graduated in
social work. She joined Peoples’ Vigilance committee on Human Rights
(PVCHR)/Jan Mitra Nyas (JMN) in 2007 during the time when organization was
transforming from activist to professional organization. She committed her life
for the social cause after coming in close connection with the problem faced by
the marginalized section in the society. Now she is program Director of the
organization and leading the initiative “Healing and Empowering marginalized
communities in India” with specific focus on creating torture free model
villages.
[iii] https://www.kau.se/sites/default/files/Dokument/subpage/2016/03/program_indienkonferens_pdf_38577.pdf
[iv] http://fotofestival-hannover.de/en/festival/multimedia-stories/exhibition.html?tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=240&cHash=45106b7bfc45ac4e1102c4a69d913f2e
