Raise your voice against domestic violence!

Tormented by fear, threat and humiliation of your partner? Do Not Surrender to Domestic Violence, Voice against It

Turn to any newspaper at random and you will find the reports of domestic violence against women all over the country. According to National Family Health Survey findings, a shocking 55% of Indian women and more than 50% of Indian men think that wife-beating is okay. The survey also reveals that over 40% of Indian women have experienced domestic violence at some point in their married lives.

What is domestic violence?

Domestic violence is the deliberate extortion and intimidation, physical assault, sexual assault and other forms of abusive behavior of a partner against another for power and control. Different types of domestic abuse include physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse.

A close tour to the domestic violence cruelty

Domestic violence conducts are likely to drive a woman to commit suicide as the actions of her partner or other members of her own family or her matrimonial home can be traumatizing and daunting.

Persistent denial of food, insisting on perverse sexual conduct, constantly locking her in the house or denying her access to her own children are just some of the forms of cruelty against women. This action thereby causes mental torture and suffering to the women.

Commonly in India, men torture women by not allowing her normal social intercourse and abusing the children in their mother’s presence to cause mental pain upon the mother when they fail to give the desired dowry.

Intimidating women with guns, knives and other weapons and threatening to hurt or kill them is also a common form of domestic violence portrayed against women.

The Confusions around the epidemic of Domestic Abuse

Women are usually blind eyed to the whole concept of abuse as it can be really confusing. Your partner is good and he is charming, he cuddles you in public and takes you out for movies and behaves like a gentleman. But there is another side to the story as well when it gets bad, he is a constant critic, he sulks and rages, often puts you in isolation and becomes merciless towards you at home. And, women feel that it is them who are doing something wrong and therefore, they should say sorry and try hard to please their partners. It is not always easy to determine in the early stages of a relationship if one person will become abusive. Domestic violence intensifies over time. Abusers may often seem wonderful and ideal initially, but gradually become more aggressive and controlling as the relationship continues.

Popular NGO’S in India to Contact for Help

Azad Foundation – Azad Foundation is headquartered in New Delhi and operates from offices in other states as well. The foundation provides livelihoods for marginalized women and helps them achieve self-reliance. They believe that one of the prime reasons women keep silent and endure domestic abuse is because of financial dependency on their male partner. Azad foundation is an NGO that helps women achieve financial independence.

Website link – http://azadfoundation.com/

Maitri – Maitri is a humanitarian NGO who works for violence against women especially in uninformed forces. It helps women achieve their human rights, particularly their rights for dignity, respect and their right to identity. Maitri envisions the idea of acting as a facilitator to enable all basic rights to women who are subjects of gender-based violence.

Website link- http://www.maitriindia.org/

Violence Against Women (VAW Helplines)- VAW is not an NGO but is a solid initiative to bridge the gap between technology and social change. Vawhelp.org puts up verified information about Helplines for Women and Children who are in distress. They list confirmed information of the thousands of NGO and organizations who provide support for women in need.

Link- http://vawhelp.org/about-us/

Swayam– A Kolkata-based NGO, Swayam works committedly for women’s rights and aims at ending violence against women. They give immediate support and help women become independent by their various coordinated and researched programs.

Website link- http://www.swayam.info/

Domestic violence is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. There is no question that domestic violence directed against women is a serious and big problem. Even though women today have proved themselves in every field with their expertise and excellence yet the gender-based violence against them do not show any decrease. The results of domestic violence are heavily scarring and therefore, women must speak against it. Voicing against even the smallest form of domestic violence is of utmost importance and if you think you are a victim or you are witnessing somebody else being traumatized, then empowering them to take a stand against it is the first and foremost effective solution.