Violence against women presentation transcript

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Presentation Transcript * 1. A research study on VAW… VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN… * If, all the violence that have done on women, if we put in a2. ABSTRACT bundle and rolled into one, then…… Earth would not hold it, The sky could not According to UN, theenfold it, It could not be lighted and warmed by the sun…! most widely excepted definition of violence against women………………… any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, Physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, including Threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in For many, „ home‟ is where they face a regime of terrorpublic or private life. and violence at the hands of somebody close to them — somebody they should be Twenty years ago, violenceable to trust. against women was not considered an issue worthy of international attention or concern. Victims of violence suffered in silence, with little public recognition of their plight. This began to change in the 1980s as women‟s groups organized locally and internationally to demand For overattention to the physical, psychological, and economic abuse of women. three decades, women‟s advocacy groups around the world have been working to draw more attention to the physical, psychological, and sexual abuse of women and to stimulate action. They have provided abused women with shelter, lobbied for legal reforms, and challenged the widespread attitudes and beliefs that support violence against women. * Self abuse Suicidal behavior3. TOPOLOGY OF VIOLENCE Self directed: Community violence Collective Family/partner violenceInterpersonal violence: Economic violence Political violence Social violenceviolence: * 4. WHAT IS GENDER BASED VIOLENCE? Violence against women and girls includes physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse. It is often known as ” gender-based” violence because it evolves in part from womens subordinate status in society. * 5. FAMILY PARTNER VIOLENCE * In a recent survey by the WHO6. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN TAMIL NADU: A SURVEY in Tamil-Nadu on Domestic Violence, 60 percent of senior executives said that domestic violence, which limits women‟s workplace participation, has an adverse effect on company productivity. The survey found that domestic violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year the equivalent of 32, 000 According to a UNIFEM report on violence against women, out offull-time jobs. 1, 327 incidents of violence against women collected between January 2003 and June 2005, 36 women had been killed in 16 cases (44. 4 %) by their intimate Limited availability of services, stigma and fear prevent women frompartners. seeking assistance and redress. This has been confirmed by a study published by the WHO in 2005 on the basis of data collected from 24, 000 women in all regions of Tamil-Nadu, between 55 percent and 95 percent of women who had been physically abused by their partners had never contacted NGOs, shelters or the police for help. * 7. CASE STUDY : 1WOMEN COMMITED SUICIDE(CHENNAI, 14 JAN 2009, THE HINDU)Violence by partner is so common in our society thatfrustrated woman do commit suicide even some times. Sathya (imaginary name), 37 Years of Kandanchavidi wentto see her husband Perumal (imaginary name) working asa security guard in the Thoraipakkam. The coupledquarreled on some small issue and her husband lost hiscontrol and beaten her badly in his working place. Thewoman felt so insulted and as she reached home shecommitted suicide by hanging. This is just one example of women committing suicidebecause of family torture. Many family torture leads to lossof mental balance, disfiguration, loss of health. Women aremade to strive and work like animal round the clock. * Sexual violence by non-partners refers to violence by a8. SEXUAL VIOLENCE It isrelative, friend, acquaintance, neighbor, work colleague or stranger. estimated that, one in five women will become a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. * 9. CASE STUDY : 2RAPE CASE IN BPO (AUG 05 2008): Recently in Chennai 25 year old Sri Laxmi (namechanged) working in the call center has been sexuallyassaulted by her colleague. She had accompanied her27year old colleague Rajesh (name changed) trainer ofthe victim, a city based call center employee to hisfriends house where she was offered a drink supposedlyspiked with date rape drug. Date rape drug refers to any drug that can be used toassist in the commission of sexual assault. These drugscommonly have hypnotic, dissociative, amnesiac effectsand when used to facilitate rape are often added withdrinks/food without the victim’s knowledge (CIOL newsreports). These sexual harassment (rape) cases are muchfrequent in Tamil-Nadu and all over India too. Policeforce is trying there level best to protect women againstthese rapes but now it’s the women who have tounderstand her courage and make her enough expert toprotect herself by learning martial arts. * Harmful traditional practices, which are most10. COMMUNITY VIOLENCE COMMON IN TAMILNADU, are forms of violence that have been committed against women in certain communities for so long that they are considered part of These violations include female genital mutilationaccepted cultural practice. or cutting (FGM), dowry murder, so-called “ honor killings, ” and early marriage. They lead to death, disability, physical and psychological harm for millions of women annually. * 11. CASE STUDY : 3COMMUNITY VIOLENCE : PATHETIC CONDITION OF FEMALE GIRLS: Not only women but girls of around 5years are alsopart of this violence against women. In Jambumadai, a remote village in Trichydistrict. This lies in a backward area of this districtswhere no river is there but depends on rain for itsevery crop. Here, a traditional practice of burying a girl till neckis followed on the day of solar eclipse. It’s a mythhere that if a girl is buried on the day of solareclipse from the time eclipse starts till it end, then alltypes of mental and physical problem a girl ishaving will be cured!!! Some times, girls do die dueto improper flow of oxygen taking place by the timewhen she is buried. These types of traditional practices of playing withthe life of girls should be stopped. * FGM refers to several types of deeply-12. FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) rooted traditional cutting operations performed on women and girls. Often part of fertility or coming-of-age rituals, FGM is sometimes justified as a way to ensure chastity and genital “ purity. ” It is estimated that FGM, mainly practiced in the indigenous groups of Vilupuram and other backward districts of Since the late 1980s, opposition to FGM and efforts to combat theTamil-Nadu. practice has increased. According to the recent survey made by an NGO in April 2006, most of the places where FGM is prevalent made it an offence under criminal law. * 13. DOWRY MURDERDowry murder is a brutal practiceinvolving a woman being killed by herhusband or in-laws because her family isunable to meet their demands for herdowry a payment made to a woman‟s in-laws upon her engagement or marriageas a gift to her new family. It is notuncommon for dowries to exceed afamily‟s annual income. * 14. DOWRY DEMANDS HURRY UP! LIMITED OFFER….!!! According to official crime statistics in Tamil-Nadu, 618 women were killed in 2002 as aresult of such violence. It is surprising to note that the number of cases of harassment ofwomen declined substantially in CHENNAI in 2006 as compared to 2004 and 2005, butthere is a marginal increase in the dowry death (from, THE HINDU, March 02, 2007). * 15. CASE STUDY : 4TWO GETS LIFE SENTENCE FORA DOWRY MURDER CASEErode: Principal district judge A. S Kannanawarded life sentence to mother and son in adowry murder case. Dharmalingam (45), abangle merchant of Bhavani marriedJayakumari (36)16years ago. He used totorture his wife asking for more dowries. On Aug 29, 2009 he demanded to bring 5sovereigns of gold from her father , on refusalof her, he caught hold of her and his motherput kerosene on her and set fire her body. Shesustained serious burns and died in hospital. This is just one example of all such torturesdone on women for dowry. She gets beating, burnt to fire, mentally tortured, forcefully madeto work as prostitutes, and the series goes on. * 16. EARLY MARRIAGEThe practice of early marriage is a common practice that is prevailing in thevillages of Tamil-Nadu. This is a form of sexual violence, since young girls areoften forced into the marriage and into sexual relations, which jeopardizes theirhealth, raises their risk of exposure to HIV/AIDS and limits their chance ofattending school. Parents and families often justify child marriages by claiming it ensures a betterfuture for their daughters. Parents and families marry off their younger daughtersas a means of gaining economic security and status for themselves as well as fortheir daughters. Insecurity, conflict and societal crises also support early marriage. * 17. CASE STUDY: 5COLLECTOR STOPPED CHILD MARRIAGEA marriage ceremony scheduled on 29 Aug 2009 wasstopped following the time intervention of district collectorP. AMUDHA on Saturday (28 Aug). According to theinformation and public relation sources, the collectorreceived secret information about the marriage of the 14Year old girl of Kadathur and an Asthagiriyur youth. A teamof officials rushed to Kadathur and found the arrangementsfor marriage in full swing. When the officials verified the records, they found that thebride was a 10th standard student born on 1995. The officialsadvised the parents not to conduct ceremony. Also, as perthe collector’s direction the marriage was stopped. The collector also warned parents against trying to marryoff their daughters below 18years of age.(from, THE HINDU, 30TH AUG 2009) * 18. HIV/AIDS DIRECTED VIOLENCEWomen‟s inability to negotiate safe sex and refuseunwanted sex is closely linked to the highprevalence of HIV/AIDS. Unwanted sex from beingunable to say “ no! ” to a partner and be heard, tosexual assault such as rape results in a higher riskof abrasion and bleeding, providing a ready avenuefor transmission of the virus. A study conducted shows that maximum number ofHIV/AIDS cases are registered in Tamil-Nadu in pastone decade (from, THE HINDU). Both realities lackof knowledge and lack of power obliterate women‟sability to protect themselves from infection. Violenceis also a consequence of HIV/AIDS for manywomen, the fear of violence prevents them fromdeclaring their HIV-positive status and seeking helpand treatment. Violence and abandonment resultingfrom disclosing their HIV-positive status. * 19. QUITE INTERESTING TO KNOW THAT – 40% of women experience violence by age 17% of all women have15. – 29% of all women have experienced physical assault. 38% of girls in years 10experienced sexual assault. & 12 have experienced unwanted sex (up 10% since 2002) * 20. CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLENCE * 21. SOCIETAL RESPONSES AND EFFORTS OF GOVERNMENT IN CONTROLLING VIOLENCE Many NGO‟s have organized trainings and group discussions, as a result of which “ honor killings” were for the first time discussed in public. The project led to positive changes in knowledge, attitudes and practices among community members who increasingly began to regard “ honor killings” as a crime, rather than a Recently a new family counselinglegitimate means to defend a tribe‟s honor. center has been set by the joint efforts of Tamilnadu social welfare board Chennai, and the Tiruchi city police . Tiruchi is the second city in the state to have such center with the joint initiative with police to redress the grievances of affected women and provide relief to those in distress. There are already 66 The concept of All women policesuch counseling centers working in the state. station (AWPS) has been successfully started . These women police station also provide counseling through professional counselors to help women in overcoming distress. * 22. PROTECTION OF WOMEN FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACT – 2005This Act came in to force on 26th day ofOctober 2006. Though women can besubjected to all types of Crimes but somecrimes arespecific to women, such as rape, molestation, eve-teasing, trafficking etc. In India, crimes against women broadly fallin two categories. a) Crimes identified under IPC andb) Crimes identified under Special Laws. * 23. The Crimes identified under the Indian Penal Code (IPC):(1) Section 376 (rape)(2) Kidnapping and abduction for different purposes (Sec. 363 — 373 IPC)(3) Homicide for dowry, dowry deaths or their attempts (Sec. 302, 304-B IPC)(4) Torture, both mental and physical (Sec. 498-A IPC)(5) Importation of girls (up to 21 years of age.(Sec. 366-B IPC) The Crimes identified(6) Molestation (Sec. 354 IPC and Sexual harassment (Sec. 509 IPC) under the Special Laws : 1)Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act 1987 2) Dowry (Prohibition) Act 1961 3) Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956, 4) Indecent Representation of women (Prohibition) Act 1986 5) The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 and so on. * 24. A SURVEYED SUGGESTIONS * 25. LET US REMEMBER AT LEAST…. In regard of the violence against women we must take a day out tojudge analyze and eliminate any caused violence on them. Andinternationally it is celebrated on 25th Nov every year as “ whiteribbon day “ also. * 26. CONCLUSIONIt’s the time to form such society that reassure women that violence is unacceptable andthat no woman deserves to be beaten, sexually abused, or made to suffer emotionally. Assome one saying that “ Compassion is going to open up the door. And when we feel safeand are able to trust, that makes a lot of difference.“ * 27. … a hope still alive in COIMBATORE….! We feel happy to be a part of this mission forstopping violence against women, andproudly able to say we are not alone butmany are with us. As, a famous saying says that, cleanliness I can walk freely… starts from home, so many youngstersstaying in Coimbatore have already started toeradicate this disease which is killing oursociety slowly, whose positive impact wehave seen in ISHAYOGA FOUNDATIONS(DHYANLINGAM) where we met twoforeigner ladies one from SCOTLAND andother was RUSSIA. Those foreigner ladies, when being asked byus, whether they have faced any violence inCOIMBATORE, TOLD THAT THEY HAVENOT FACED ANY VIOLENCE INCOIMBATORE! So, let‟s become a human and treat a womanas human too. * 28. From the words of a WOMEN… , with a deeper instinct choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demand on me, who does not doubt my courage, or my toughness, who does not behave me naïve or innocent, WHO HAS COURAGE TO TREAT ME LIKE A WOMEN… * 29. REFERENCE SWEBSITES: BOOKS, PUBLICATIONS AND JOURNALS: http://beta. thehindu. com/news/states/tamil- nadu/article55826. ece UNDERSTANDING VIOLENCE AGAINSTwww. popcouncil. org/pdfs/2009PGY_YouthInIndiaBriefViolen WOMEN ceTN. pdf Authors: Nancy A. Crowell and Ann W. Burgess, www. tnlegalservices. tn. gov. in/pdfs/domesticviolence. pdf Editors; Panel on Research on Violencewww. indiatogether. org/women/violence/violence. htm Against Women, http://www. unifem. org/resources/item_ National Research Councildetail. php? ProductID= 8http://www. endvaw. org/ Violence against Women: The Health Sector Respondshttp://www. vawnet. org Violence Against Womenhttp://endabuse. org/ Byhttp://www. who. int/gender/documents/ Ram Ahuja (Author)Annotated%20Bibliography%20green%20A4. pdfhttp://www. who. int/gender/violence/en/http://www. who. int/reproductive-health/ Domestic Violence Against Women in Indiapublications/fgm/fgm_statement. html A. K. Singh, S. P. Singh and S. P. Pandeyhttp://www. reproductiverights. org/pub_bo_tmb. html. Journal of Gender Studies by M Abraham * 30. So who will be the next? Your mother? Your sister? Your daughter? * 31. OrYOU…? * 32. Lets end violenceagainst women…