The world has entered into a new millennium, but from the dawn of civilization till date, the woman of the patriarchal society lives on to be oppressed and ill-treated. Domestic violence is a motif of coercive control that the dominant gender exercises over the self-effacing one. Domestic violence occurs in millions of households every day, and a huge number of these incidents go unreported. Some national studies manifest that up to 70 percent of women have experienced physical and / or venereal violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. It is estimated that there are currently 650 million women and girls suffering from domestic violence worldwide .Domestic violence is a paramount contributor to the poor health of women. It not only causes physical injuries but also undermines the social, mental, psychological, spiritual and emotional well being of the victim, the perpetrator and the society as a whole. It has serious consequences on women’s mental and physical health, including their procreant and progenitive health. These include intramural injuries, gynaecological problems, or permanent disabilities, dysthymia, depression and even leads to suicide in inexorable cases. These physical and mental health outcomes have distinctive social and emotional sequel for the individual, the family, the community and the society at large. Nearly 90% of batterers saw violence in the household as kids, and many were victims of it themselves.
Circumstantial evidences suggest that certain characteristics of women, such as social acclimatization, sexual orientation, disability status, infirmity, indisposition, impertinent ethnicity and some contextual factors, such as humanitarian crises, including conflict and post-conflict situations, trauma, desolation and depression may increase women’s vulnerability to domestic violence. Many forms of verbal and psychological abuse appear relatively harmless at first, but expand and grow more menacing over time, sometimes gradually and subtly. As victims adapt to abusive behaviour , the verbal or psychological tactics can gain a strong ‘foothold’ in victims’ minds, making it difficult for them to recognize the severity of the abuse over time. Nearly 144 countries in the world have passed laws on domestic violence to ensure the safety of the women within their families. However, even when these laws already exist and strict criminal rules are framed , that doesn’t signify they are always compliant with international standards and recommendations or necessarily implemented. Every year, millions of such cases are left unnoticed while no strict action is taken against the offender. Thereby, this evil in a social set up is not at all coming to a standstill.
In conformity with estimations, out of all women who were the victims of homicide globally in 2012, almost half were killed by intimate partners or family members, compared to less than six per cent of men killed in the same year. According to an official survey from 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in the year 2017, a total of 2,554 women were victims of femicide. One in every 10 women in the European Union report having undergone through intimate partner violence (IPV).
In Kashmir, the scenario is no different. According to the research, 40% of women have been victims of domestic violence, physical as well as verbal. Abuse by the husbands and / or the in-laws. Prototypical causes chiefly include dowry; marriage settlements, misunderstandings and misapprehensions between the couple, perfidious behaviour towards spouse, maintenance, birth of a girl child, divorce and child custody . Such vindications ultimately lead to untimely matrimonial dissension and thereby intensification to the domestic violence. The prevailing turmoil and the endless season of deaths, as well as the political unrest in the Valley also contributes to this escalating violence.
The State Women Commission of J&K receives numerous domestic violence cases every year. The Women’s Police Station at Ram Bagh reports that more than 2800 cases filed every year. Some women pluck up the courage to speak in favour of their violated rights while there are thousands of unspoken ordeals as well who succumb to family pressure and the threat of derision and disbelief in the society, and thereby hangs a tale.
A prominent psychiatrist of the Valley, Dr. Mushtaq Margoob believes that the leading cases of domestic violence in the Valley are responsible for the proliferated psychiatric problems among women in Kashmir. Such psychological anxiety and trepidations further detoriate their overall health as well. The meekness, timidity, insecurities, self doubt and lack of confidence among women because of prolonged physical and mental abuse, can at times lead to suicide attempts. The mounting incidents of domestic violence compelled the state government to pass the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) in 2010.
A trio of Researchers from Kashmir University conducted a research with the aim to see whether the independence of women made any significant difference in IPV. The results of the study revealed that there is no significant correlation in abuse between working women and housewives. Thus, turning down the affirmation that unlettered women are more susceptible to domestic violence. Semi-urban lifestyle and literacy indicates no changes in attitudes to a doctrinal practice. Stereotypes of gender roles have continued over the ages and women are habitual of suffering this discrimination in silence.
In today’s world, women with their ambitions, intelligence and strength have proved that the word “inferior” has nothing in common with their gender. The traditional and stereotyped approach towards women as wives and just reproducers of generation is extinct. It’s not a secret, that besides being good mommies, cooks, and housewives, women are also as successful in all areas as men.
Women have proven that they’re not only a tool for bringing up children. They can also be full members of society having their influence on all areas unconditionally. Importance of women in the society has always been undeniably huge. However, this fact has always been taken for granted. Women are mistreated badly and very often the importance of women in the society is underestimated. It is a collective responsibility to eradicate this evil out of this society and to cause the death of this otherwise never-ending taboo.
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