Domestic violence- meron's story

Ending violence against women and girls - Meron's story

Violence against women and girls is a global issue with 1 in 3 women across the world experiencing violence. Statistics show that the abuser is usually someone the woman knows: 38% of all murdered women are killed by their partners. It’s an animation about the story of a woman called Meron and her children who experience violence. One day she meets a women’s rights organisation working in her community and she learns about her and her daughters’ rights.

Domestic violence- throughout the life cycle

Violence Against Women Throughout the Life Cycle

Women and girls are at risk of different forms of violence at all ages, from prenatal sex selection before they are born through abuse of widows and elderly women. While sexual violence affects women of all ages, the changing nature of women and girls’ relationships (with family members, peers, authorities, etc.) and the different environments (at home, in school, at work, within the community, etc.) in which they spend time expose women and girls to specific forms of violence during each phase of their life.

Domestic violence- increase death risk

Domestic violence ups death risk in Indian women, says study

Women in India are nearly 40 times more likely to die after being assaulted than their peers in the United States of America, finds a comparative analysis of trauma data from both countries.

In the study, researchers from the University of Washington found three major causes of injury--falls, road traffic accidents and domestic violence.

Indian men were more likely to die after sustaining any one of the three categories of injury than either Indian women or US men and women.

On the other hand, US men were three times as likely to die after sustaining a fall than US women.

However, the greatest disparity in risk of death emerged for Indian and US women who had been assaulted--a difference the researchers described as "unparalleled".

Domestic violence was found to increase the risk of death in Indian women by nearly 40 times than among the US women.

Importantly, evidence showed that only one in four female victims of assault in India actively seeks care after experiencing intimate partner violence.

In addition, both men and women in the US had between five and seven times lower odds of dying after a fall or a road traffic accident than did their counterparts in India, the researchers said.

"The higher odds of death for Indian females compared with US females suggest that there are other injury and systemic factors that contribute to this discrepancy in mortality odds," said Mohini Dasari, researcher at the University of Washington.

For the study, published in the online journal BMJ Global Health, the team drew on information submitted to Indian (11,670 cases) and US (14,155 cases) trauma databases for 2013 to 2015.

The Indian database comprised patients from four hospitals in Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi, while the US database included patients treated at level 1 trauma centres in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

domestic violence- because of dowry system

RAJA

When she was 13 her mother decided to marry her off to an 18 years old boy to pay her father’s gambling debts. After the marriage the husband and both the in laws would constantly abuse her, beating her and treating her like a slave because they thought the dowry received wasn’t enough. She reported the abuse to the police several time before her case got taken into consideration. After a few years she was able to go back to her parents’ home. She’s 18 now and she’s getting her driver licence. She wants to be the first woman auto driver in Bhopal.

Domestic violence- another survivor

ANOTHER SURVIVOR

SAYEEDA

Her husband started abusing her after she gave birth to a female child. The beatings were so bad that she lost her hearing on one side. The husband would rape her constantly in the attempt to have a male child. When Sayeeda got pregnant again and they found out it would be another girl the beatings got worst. Her sister (also victim of domestic violence) moved in with her to make sure she wouldn’t end up killed by the husband. After the birth of her second daughter she reported the husband and left. Both Sayeeda and her sister went back to their father’s home, where they are currently living with their children.

Domestic violence- beaten but not broken

“Beaten But Not Broken”: A Survivor’s Story Of Putting Up With Domestic Abuse For 30 Years

He was an army officer, and would hit me with thick ammunition boots.”

Mira was married at the age of 18 to a handsome army officer. They made a picture-perfect couple to the world, but the reality of this marriage was outlined with violence and grudge. Every night, Mira was emotionally and physically tortured for reasons unknown to her. Sometimes he tried to strangle her in sleep or asked her to leave home in the middle of the night.

She lived in fear for 30 years. Until one night, something within finally pushed her out of this nightmare. We asked her why she went ahead with the marriage for so long, “In case I left, he would not give me my daughters.” Children are one of the biggest reasons for a woman to continue living a life of cruelty.

If the person threatening you is your own partner, how safe will you feel at home? The concept of domestic violence is based on the notion of patriarchy, which needs to be converted into equality.

Domestic violence is not unique to India. The number of cases reported worldwide is a proof of its deep roots. What sets India apart is the “culture of silence”, what happens behind closed doors is no one’s business.

Violence, whether physical or mental, is a reality in many relationships. We hide them because no one wants to feel judged and victimised. We conducted an informal research, in the form of conversations with women to know their opinion on domestic violence. They started with slight discomfort and ended into details about a close family member who suffered this gruesome reality; a few even agreed to have faced it themselves.

Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act-2005 was introduced in India for the speedy disposal of the cases with victims who faced cruelty by husbands or relatives. Though the Act stipulates disposal of cases within 60 days, in reality, it takes nearly six months and sometimes more than two years.

Abuse exists in silence, and that is why it took Mira so long to finally open up about her story. She’s 83 now. The very first part in healing is shattering the silence. Today, Mira does print ads and TV commercials travels the world and lives every moment to the fullest. Her story should be shared and discussed with everyone, especially young children, because our society needs a voice that revolts against injustice.

What hurts most is not the words of an enemy but the silence of our friends. Do not be a bystander.

Domestic violence- survivor

Survivor

SITA

She was 10 years old when her own father raped her. He was unemployed and he was an alcoholic. The fact recurred multiple times while the mother was at work. When she found out they denounced it to the police and were relocated. The father is in Jail.