Why is it in the News?

• The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is observed worldwide on November 25 each year, as designated by the United Nations General Assembly.
• 2023 theme of Elimination of Violence against Women: This year’s theme, "UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls", emphasises the need to fund prevention strategies proactively to stop gender-based violence.

Violence Against Women:

• According to United Nations (UN) data, one in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner, affecting approximately 736 million women globally.
• This alarming trend extends beyond traditional settings, seeping into workplaces and online spaces, further exacerbated by post-pandemic repercussions, conflicts, and climate change.
• Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation, and the immediate and long-term physical, sexual, and mental consequences for women and girls can be devastating, including death.
• Violence negatively affects women’s general well-being and prevents women from fully participating in society.
• It impacts their families, their community, and the country at large.
• It has tremendous costs, from greater strains on health care to legal expenses and losses in productivity.

Statistics on Violence against Women in India:

• Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is recognised as a pervasive social issue and a significant public health challenge.
• Recent global estimates indicate that over 25% of women of reproductive age, who have ever been in a relationship, have faced physical, sexual, or both forms of IPV—reaching an average of 35% in South Asia.
• According to the National Library of Medicine, 32% of ever-married Indian women reported experiencing physical, sexual, or emotional violence from their husbands.
• In India, the prevalent spousal violence are physical (28%), emotional (14%) and sexual (6%).
• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 428,278 cases of crimes against women in 2021, marking a 15.3% increase from 2020 (371,503 cases).
• The majority of these cases under the Indian Penal Code were classified as:
• "cruelty by husband or his relatives" (31.8%)
• "assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty" (20.8%)
• "kidnapping and abduction of women" (17.6%), and "rape" (7.4%).
• The crime rate, registered per lakh women population, rose to 64.5 in 2021 from 56.5 in 2020.

History of Elimination of Violence against Women:

• It dates back to 1981 when women’s rights activists began marking 25 November as a day against gender-based violence.
• This day pays homage to the Mirabal sisters—three Dominican political activists brutally murdered in 1960 by order of the country’s ruler, Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).
• In a significant stride towards combating violence against women, the UN General Assembly, in December 1993, adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, laying the groundwork for global efforts to eradicate such violence.
• In February 2000, the UN General Assembly, officially designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
• This resolution urged governments, international organizations and NGOs to unite in organizing activities annually on this date, fostering public awareness and collective action to address and eliminate violence against women and girls worldwide.

Factors Influencing Violence:

• Men's Predisposing Factors: Men are more likely to engage in violence if they have low education, a history of maltreatment in childhood, witnessed domestic violence against their mothers, misuse alcohol, hold unequal gender views supporting violence, and possess a sense of entitlement over women.
• Women's Vulnerability Factors: Women are more likely to face intimate partner violence if they have lower education, witnessed their mothers being abused, experienced childhood abuse, and hold attitudes accepting violence, male privilege, and the subordinate status of women.
• Effective Interventions: Advocacy and empowerment counseling, along with home visitation, show promise in preventing or reducing intimate partner violence against women.
• Impact of Conflict and Displacement: Situations of conflict, post-conflict, and displacement can worsen existing violence, including by intimate partners and non-partner sexual violence.

Root Causes of Violence Against Women:

• Gender Disparity: Gender inequality deeply ingrained in society exposes women to various forms of violence.
• Discriminatory gender norms and stereotypes contribute to structural inequality.
• Psychiatric Morbidity: Psychiatric morbidity encompasses both physical and psychological deterioration due to mental or psychological conditions, often linked to alcohol consumption.
• Regular alcohol consumption by husbands correlates strongly with poor mental health in women. Alcohol serves as a situational factor, heightening the risk of violence by diminishing inhibitions and impairing judgment.
• Sociodemographic Factors: Patriarchy is a significant contributor to violence against women.
• Higher economic status and perceived power of women to challenge traditional gender roles increase the risk of violence.
• Family Factors: Exposure to harsh physical discipline and witnessing parental violence during childhood predicts victimization and perpetration of violence in adulthood.
• Traditional and Cultural Practices: Female genital mutilation leads to severe physical and psychological consequences.
• Acid attacks, driven by family disputes or rejection of marriage proposals, cause disfigurement and trauma.
• "Honour killings" in various countries uphold the family reputation, justifying violence for reasons like alleged adultery or disapproved relationships.
• Early marriages, with or without consent, undermine the health and autonomy of girls, constituting a form of violence.
• Judiciary and Law Enforcement: An insensitive, inefficient, and corrupt judicial system and law enforcement machinery fail to deter various forms of crimes.
• Sociocultural Factors: Deep-rooted stereotypes confining women to primary roles of marriage and motherhood persist.
• The stigma associated with unmarried, separated, or divorced status perpetuates gender-based violence.
• The custom of dowry remains prevalent in Indian marriages, contributing to the problem

Impact of Violence Against Women:

• Health Ramifications: Violence, regardless of its form, profoundly affects women's physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health.
• Adverse consequences extend to self-esteem, work capacity, and decision-making abilities concerning fertility.
• Economic Implications: Violence against women carries significant economic repercussions for both individual households and the nation.
• Direct Costs: These include the loss of income, productivity, healthcare expenses, and the cost of social services.
• Indirect Costs: Impact on child well-being, female and child mortality, and the intergenerational social and psychological toll.
• Development Challenges: Violence acts as a barrier to women's participation in development and planning programs at both micro and macro levels.
• It restricts women's freedom to act or move freely, hindering their access to and experience of the benefits of development.
• Violence poses a challenge to poverty alleviation programs, impeding the equitable distribution of resources.
• Rights Impediment: Any form of violence against women obstructs the realization of their fundamental rights as outlined in Article 14, 21, 19, and 32 of the Indian Constitution.

Way Forward to Addressing Gender-Based Violence:

• Gender-Based Legislation: Enact and rigorously enforce legislation that promotes gender equality, addressing discrimination against women in marriage, divorce, custody laws, inheritance laws, and asset ownership.
• Financial Empowerment: Enhance women's access to paid employment opportunities, fostering financial independence.
• National Plans and Policies: Develop and allocate resources for national plans and policies dedicated to addressing violence against women comprehensively.
• Enhanced Crime Surveillance: Improve the systems for collecting crime surveillance data specifically related to violence against women.
• Capacity Building and Training: Provide comprehensive training to service providers and law enforcement officers, enabling them to effectively handle cases of violence against women.
• Prevention of Recurrence: Implement strategies to prevent the recurrence of violence by early identification of women and children experiencing abuse and offering appropriate referrals and support.
• Promotion of Egalitarian Norms: Integrate the promotion of egalitarian gender norms into life skills and comprehensive sexuality education curricula for young people.
• Gender-Based Surveys: Generate evidence on effective strategies and the magnitude of the issue by conducting population-based surveys.
• Include violence against women in demographic and health surveys, surveillance, and health information systems.