Domestic Violence against Women

What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is an act of violence or aggressive behavior wherein the victim is generally our near ones, who simply can be called as our family members. Any kind of abusing or forcing can be termed as domestic violence. Here the victims can be any person like women, men, children, aged people, disabled. In Hindi, domestic violence is known as घरेलूहिंसा. Domestic violence is also called domestic abuse, family violence. Abusive behavior includes frightening, hurt, humiliate, insult, terrorize, blame, injure or wound someone, etc.

Different ways or types of abuse

• Physical Abuse (pushing, slaps, hitting with an object, rape)

• Mental Abuse (isolation from family and friends)

• Emotional Abuse (threatening, ignoring the request)

• Economical Abuse (not allowing to access money or funds)

• Verbal Abuse (using rude words, refusing to talk)

• Sexual Abuse (using force for involving in sexual activity without consent)

Domestic violence occurs when a person uses physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation, stalking, or emotional abuse to gain or maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship. These types of abuse resulted in the women victims of domestic violence.

Reasons for Domestic Violence

• Pandemics

• Financial Insecurity or economic dependence

• Dowry demands

• Discrimination based on gender

• Drug or Alcohol addict

• Dominating behavior

• Poverty

• Lack of education

• Sexual orientation

• Patriarchal system

Impacts of Domestic Violence

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Eating and sleeping disturbances

• Health issues like headaches

• Fear of getting hurt or losing someone

• Suicide

• Harm Women’s mental and sexual health

• Dowry death

• Homelessness

• Mental disorders

These are the impacts of domestic violence or abuse that can be seen on the victim and can happen to anyone regardless of class, gender, race, age, disability. In this pandemic of COVID-19 not only India, many countries reported an increase in domestic violence. It is said that one in four women will be the victim of domestic violence each year. According to the NCW data, 1,463 complaints of domestic violence against women were received from January 2021 to March 25, 2021. COVID-19 created an additional situation for abuse which resulted in domestic violence as it forced people into lockdown and people worried about the money and health and the reasons which are mentioned above may directly or indirectly be affecting the victim in this pandemic more. Due to this trap of lockdown people especially women get victimized by the abusers.