Fighting domestic violence - Published on November 13th 2006 in www.tataworld.com the intranet site for Tata group employees
Ujwal Unni of Tata Elxsi on the Domestic Violence Act that has brought hope to those innumerable women who silently suffer the evil of domestic violence at home. It will act as a gateway for the general improvement of women’s sense of security at home
The Domestic Violence Act has brought hope to those innumerable women who silently suffer the evil of domestic violence at home. Women, though excelling in various spheres, even those that are predominantly male dominant, still bear the brunt of this gruesome reality. Will this Act make a difference to their lives? The answer lies in the future, when women themselves decide to overcome their socio-economic constraints and use the Act to protect themselves.
The Act would hopefully bring about awareness among women and make them realise that they need not any longer suffer such incidents in silence, although going public with complaints of domestic abuse against family members could be a difficult decision to make as it involves social and financial pressures. Often other family members do not support such causes, and this further constrains women from going public with complaints of domestic abuse.
As with any other legal measure, the success of the Act would also depend on changes in the general outlook of society toward such issues, which must accept the fact of domestic violence that many of its members witness in their daily lives. A child who sees his father beat up his mother everyday, tends to develop an attitude that its not wrong to beat up the weaker sex, as they are capable of living with it. Such children often tend to repeat the same with their wives and daughters. It is time for men to come out of this false belief that they can gain control over the weaker sex by resorting to force and violence. Such actions can lead them to severe legal penalties and imprisonment through tough law enactments.
Women must be educated about such legal recourses and how to approach authorities for help. There are numerous women welfare associations and self-help groups that should come forward to help women in distress. They should also try to provide a means of independent living in order to improve the financial condition and self-esteem of such women. Psychological counseling should also be provided for the victims as many of these women develop deep psychological scars and are in some form of depression. Society as a whole should not try to find faults with the victims or judge them by ethical standards. Instead, people should try to understand the agony of such women who have to live with violence and abuse on a daily basis.
Though radical changes cannot be expected overnight, this Act will act as a gateway for the general improvement of women’s security at home and will provide them with a better status in society.
Ujwal Unni
Tata Elxsi,
Chennai
The Domestic Violence Act has brought hope to those innumerable women who silently suffer the evil of domestic violence at home. Women, though excelling in various spheres, even those that are predominantly male dominant, still bear the brunt of this gruesome reality. Will this Act make a difference to their lives? The answer lies in the future, when women themselves decide to overcome their socio-economic constraints and use the Act to protect themselves.
The Act would hopefully bring about awareness among women and make them realise that they need not any longer suffer such incidents in silence, although going public with complaints of domestic abuse against family members could be a difficult decision to make as it involves social and financial pressures. Often other family members do not support such causes, and this further constrains women from going public with complaints of domestic abuse.
As with any other legal measure, the success of the Act would also depend on changes in the general outlook of society toward such issues, which must accept the fact of domestic violence that many of its members witness in their daily lives. A child who sees his father beat up his mother everyday, tends to develop an attitude that its not wrong to beat up the weaker sex, as they are capable of living with it. Such children often tend to repeat the same with their wives and daughters. It is time for men to come out of this false belief that they can gain control over the weaker sex by resorting to force and violence. Such actions can lead them to severe legal penalties and imprisonment through tough law enactments.
Women must be educated about such legal recourses and how to approach authorities for help. There are numerous women welfare associations and self-help groups that should come forward to help women in distress. They should also try to provide a means of independent living in order to improve the financial condition and self-esteem of such women. Psychological counseling should also be provided for the victims as many of these women develop deep psychological scars and are in some form of depression. Society as a whole should not try to find faults with the victims or judge them by ethical standards. Instead, people should try to understand the agony of such women who have to live with violence and abuse on a daily basis.
Though radical changes cannot be expected overnight, this Act will act as a gateway for the general improvement of women’s security at home and will provide them with a better status in society.
Ujwal Unni
Tata Elxsi,
Chennai
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