Staff Writer - Archi
Domestic violence is something that has remained a worrying factor in the development of human societies over the years. It is such a feature which is prevailing in almost all sorts of societies – from developing to less-developed to the developed ones. The cases of domestic violence witnessed in several countries mainly vary in degrees only, but it remains far from being eliminated from our daily lives.
Several Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) as well as government machineries are trying hard to get this checked, but the main problem lies in the minds of those who still practise it.
In a shocking revelation recently, it was found not just Indian men, but even adolescents — in the 15-19 age group — feel that wife beating is justified.
UNICEF’s ‘Global Report Card on Adolescents 2012’ says that 57 per cent of adolescent boys in India think a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife.
But what is more surprising is that over half of adolescent Indian girls, or around 53 per cent of them, think that a husband is justified in beating his wife. In comparison, 41 per cent of women in India’s neighbouring Bangladesh and 54 per cent in Sri Lanka harbour a similar feeling.
In another neighbouring country of India Nepal, however, the prevalence of both men and women justifying domestic violence is inordinately high at 88 per cent and 80 per cent, respectively.
This report should come as a big blow to India who is trying hard for a Permanent Member seat in the Security Council of the United Nations.
According to the report, it is the societal attitudes that convey acceptance or justification of domestic violence are making girls and women more vulnerable to abuse. The report says: “Available data for developing countries show that nearly 50 per cent of girls and women in the age group of 15 to 49 years believe that wife-beating is not only fine but also justified. Girls aged between 15 and 19 years hold the same views as women in the 45–49 age group.”
The report also expresses an apprehension that because of reporting bias, this may be an underestimation of the a
Photo courtesy indiatogether.org
ctual size of the problem in several countries.
Many factors seem to contribute to the incidence of domestic violence in India. For instance, in many places, child marriage, gender-based power relations, women’s low economic status and traditional practices or social norms perpetuate it.
India might have made great strides in economic development and are now regarded as an economic superpower, but there is a great discrepancy in this economic growth. While the cities are shinning, basic seeds of development are still to reach the distant villages of the country. As such a majority of the population still survive on those age-old customs and traditions.
“These are often deeply rooted and difficult to overcome,” the UNICEF report added.
While wife-beating may be a common practice in various societies, what is actually shocking should be the views that support it.
The UNICEF says justification should not necessarily be interpreted as a measure of approval of wife-beating, nor should it imply that a woman or girl will inevitably become a victim of wife-beating. “Rather, it reflects societal views that accept such practices when women and girls have a lower status or when they do not fulfil certain expected gender roles,” the report added.
The fact that more than half the adolescent Indian population supports this practice shows that it has gone deep into their mindset.
As a social observer commented: “The problem is most of the Indian youths grow up witnessing domestic violence. Hence it has become a common phenomenon to them. The need of the moment is to change this mindset of the adolescent population of the country.”
No doubt India society has a huge war to fight.
