An Overview of Domestic Violence among Women in India

Abstract

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 in India says that any act, conduct, omission or
commission that harms or injures or has the potential to harm or injure will be considered domestic violence by the
law. Even a single act of omission or commission may constitute domestic violence in other words, women do not
have to suffer a prolonged period of abuse before taking recourse to law. The law covers children also. Domestic
violence is perpetrated by, and on, both men and women. However, most commonly, the victims are women. Even in
the United States, it has been reported that 85 per cent of all violent crimes experienced by women are cases of
intimate partner violence, compared to 3 per cent of violent crimes experienced by men. Domestic violence in India
is the interplay between socio-cultural factors, such as the widespread acceptance of violence as part of marital life,
and of male entitlement, the equation of masculinity with dominance and control over women, and individual
factors such as low self esteem, suspicion and negativism amongst the women.