Violence against women

The phrase violence against women is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts
that are primarily or exclusively committed against women. Similar to a hate crime, which it is
sometimes considered,[1][2][3] this type of violence targets a specific group with the victim's
gender as a primary motive.

The United Nations General Assembly defines "violence against women" as "any act of gender-
based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or
suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty,
whether occurring in public or in private life." The 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of
Violence Against Women noted that this violence could be perpetrated by assailants of either
gender, family members and even the "State" itself.[4]

Worldwide governments and organizations actively work to combat violence against women
through a variety of programs. A UN resolution designated 25 November as International Day
for the Elimination of Violence against Women.[5]

History of violence against women

Some historians believe that the history of violence against women is tied to the history of
women being viewed as property and a gender role assigned to be subservient to men and also
other women.[6]

The UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) states that "violence
against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and
women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the
prevention of the full advancement of women, and that violence against women is one of the
crucial social mechanisms by which women are forced into a subordinate position compared
with men.”[7][8]

In the 1870s courts in the United States stopped recognizing the common-law principle that a
husband had the right to "physically chastise an errant wife".[9] In the UK the traditional right of
a husband to inflict moderate corporal punishment on his wife in order to keep her "within the
bounds of duty" was removed in 1891.[10][11]

Impact on society
The World Health Organization reports that violence against women puts an undue burden on
health care services with women who have suffered violence being more likely to need health
services and at higher cost, compared to women who have not suffered violence.[12] Several
studies have shown a link between poor treatment of women and international violence. These
studies show that one of the best predictors of inter- and intranational violence is the
maltreatment of women in the society.[13][14]
Types of violence
Rape

Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or
more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by
physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent,
such as one who is unconscious, incapacitated, or below the legal age of consent.[15][16][17][18]

Internationally, the incidence of rapes recorded by the police during 2008 varied between 0.1 in
Egypt per 100,000 people and 91.6 per 100,000 people in Lesotho with 4.9 per 100,000 people in
Lithuania as the median.[19] According to the American Medical Association (1995), sexual
violence, and rape in particular, is considered the most underreported violent crime.[20][21] The
rate of reporting, prosecution and convictions for rape varies considerably in different
jurisdictions. Rape by strangers is usually less common than rape by persons the victim
knows.[22][23][24][25][26]

Victims of rape can be severely traumatized and may suffer from posttraumatic stress
disorder;[27] in addition to psychological harm resulting from the act, rape may cause physical
injury, or have additional effects on the victim, such as acquiring of a sexually transmitted
infection or becoming pregnant. Furthermore, following a rape, a victim may face violence or
threats of thereof from the rapist, and, in some cultures, from the victim's own family and
relatives.[28][29][30]

Domestic violence

Women are more likely to be victimized by someone that they are intimate with, commonly
called "Intimate Partner Violence" or (IPV). The impact of domestic violence in the sphere of
total violence against women can be understood through the example that 40–70% of murders of
women are committed by their husband or boyfriend.[31] Studies have shown that violence is not
always perpetrated as a form of physical violence but can also be psychological and verbal.[32][33]
In unmarried relationships this is commonly called dating violence, whereas in the context of
marriage it is called domestic violence. Instances of IPV tend not to be reported to police and
thus many experts believe that the true magnitude of the problem is hard to estimate.[34] Women
are much more likely than men to be murdered by an intimate partner. In the United States, in
2005, 1181 women, in comparison with 329 men, were killed by their intimate partners.[35][36] In
England and Wales about 100 women are killed by partners or former partners each year while
21 men were killed in 2010.[37] In 2008, in France, 156 women in comparison with 27 men were
killed by their intimate partner.[38]

Though this form of violence is often portrayed as an issue within the context of heterosexual
relationships, it also occurs in lesbian relationships,[39] daughter-mother relationships, roommate
relationships and other domestic relationships involving two women. Violence against women in
lesbian relationships is about as common as violence against women in heterosexual
relationships.[40]
Diagnosis planning

The American Psychiatric Association planning and research committees for the forthcoming
DSM-5 (2013) have canvassed a series of new Relational disorders which include Marital
Conflict Disorder Without Violence or Marital Abuse Disorder (Marital Conflict Disorder With
Violence).[41] Couples with marital disorders sometimes come to clinical attention because the
couple recognize long-standing dissatisfaction with their marriage and come to the clinician on
their own initiative or are referred by an astute health care professional. Secondly, there is
serious violence in the marriage which is -"usually the husband battering the wife".[42] In these
cases the emergency room or a legal authority often is the first to notify the clinician. Most
importantly, marital violence "is a major risk factor for serious injury and even death and women
in violent marriages are at much greater risk of being seriously injured or killed (National
Advisory Council on Violence Against Women 2000)."[43] The authors of this study add that
"There is current considerable controversy over whether male-to-female marital violence is best
regarded as a reflection of male psychopathology and control or whether there is an empirical
base and clinical utility for conceptualizing these patterns as relational."[43]

Recommendations for clinicians making a diagnosis of Marital Relational Disorder should

include the assessment of actual or "potential" male violence as regularly as they assess the
potential for suicide in depressed patients. Further, "clinicians should not relax their vigilance
after a battered wife leaves her husband, because some data suggest that the period immediately
following a marital separation is the period of greatest risk for the women. Many men will stalk
and batter their wives in an effort to get them to return or punish them for leaving. Initial
assessments of the potential for violence in a marriage can be supplemented by standardized
interviews and questionnaires, which have been reliable and valid aids in exploring marital
violence more systematically."[43]

The authors conclude with what they call "very recent information"[44] on the course of violent
marriages which suggests that "over time a husband's battering may abate somewhat, but perhaps
because he has successfully intimidated his wife. The risk of violence remains strong in a
marriage in which it has been a feature in the past. Thus, treatment is essential here; the clinician
cannot just wait and watch."[44] The most urgent clinical priority is the protection of the wife
because she is the one most frequently at risk, and clinicians must be aware that supporting
assertiveness by a battered wife may lead to more beatings or even death.[44]

Mob violence

In 2010 Amnesty International reported that mob attacks against single women were taking place
in Hassi Messaoud, Algeria.[45] According to Amnesty International, "some women have been
sexually abused" and were targeted "not just because they are women, but because they are
living alone and are economically independent."[45]

State violence

War and militarism

Militarism produces special environments that allow for increased violence against women. War
rapes have accompanied warfare in virtually every known historical era.[46] Rape in the course of
war is mentioned multiple times in the Bible: "For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem
to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped..." Zechariah
14:2 "Their little children will be dashed to death before their eyes. Their homes will be sacked,
and their wives will be raped."Isaiah 13:16

War rapes are rapes committed by soldiers, other combatants or civilians during armed conflict
or war, or during military occupation, distinguished from sexual assaults and rape committed
amongst troops in military service. It also covers the situation where women are forced into
prostitution or sexual slavery by an occupying power. During World War II the Japanese military
established brothels filled with "comfort women", girls and women who were forced into sexual
slavery for soldiers, exploiting women for the purpose of creating access and entitlement for
men.[47] [48][49]

Another example of violence against women incited by militarism during war took place in the
Kovno Ghetto. Jewish male prisoners had access to (and used) Jewish women forced into camp
brothels by the Nazis, who also used them.[50]

Rape was committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War by members of the Pakistani
military and the militias that supported them. Over a period of nine months, hundreds of
thousands of women were raped. Susan Brownmiller, in her report on the atrocities, said that
girls from the age of eight to grandmothers of seventy-five suffered attacks. (See also: Rape
during the Bangladesh Liberation War)

Rape used as a weapon of war was practiced during the Bosnian War where rape was used as a
highly systematized instrument of war by Serb armed forces predominantly targeting women and
girls of the Bosniak ethnic group for physical and moral destruction. Estimates of the number of
women raped during the war range from 50,000 to 60,000; as of 2010 only 12 cases have been
prosecuted.[51] (See also Rape during the Bosnian War).

The 1998 International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda recognized rape as a war crime. Presiding
judge Navanethem Pillay said in a statement after the verdict: "From time immemorial, rape has
been regarded as spoils of war. Now it will be considered a war crime. We want to send out a
strong message that rape is no longer a trophy of war."[52] (See also: Rwandan Genocide)

In 2006, five U.S. troops from a six-man unit gang raped and killed a 14-year-old girl in a village
near the town of Al-Mahmudiyah, Iraq. After the rape the girl was shot in her head and the lower
part of her body, from her stomach down to her feet, was set on fire.[53][54] (See also:
Mahmudiyah killings)

A 1995 study of female war veterans found that 90 percent had been sexually harassed. A 2003
survey found that 30 percent of female vets said they were raped in the military and a 2004 study
of veterans who were seeking help for post-traumatic stress disorder found that 71 percent of the
women said they were sexually assaulted or raped while serving.[55]
Violence in empowerment systems

When police officers misuse their power as agents of the state to physically and sexually harass
and assault victims, the survivors, including women, feel much less able to report the
violence.[56] It is standard procedure for police to force entry into the victim's home even after the
victim's numerous requests for them to go away.[57] Government agencies often disregard the
victim's right to freedom of association with their perpetrator.[58] Shelter workers are often
reduced themselves to contributing to violence against women by exploiting their vulnerability in
exchange for a paying job.[59]

Gender-based violence by male college athletes

Violence against women is a topic of concern in the United States' collegiate athletic community.
From the 2010 UVA lacrosse murder, in which a male athlete was charged guilty with second
degree murder of his girlfriend, to the 2004 University of Colorado Football Scandal when
players were charged with nine alleged sexual assaults,[60] studies suggest that athletes are at
higher risk for committing sexual assault against women than the average student.[61][62] It is
reported that one in three college assaults are committed by athletes.[63] Surveys suggest that
male student athletes who represent 3.3% of the college population, commit 19% of reported
sexual assaults and 35% of domestic violence.[64] The theories that surround these statistics range
from misrepresentation of the student-athlete to an unhealthy mentality towards women within
the team itself.[63]

Controversy over contributing factors

Sociologist Timothy Curry, after conducting an observational analysis of two big time sports’
locker room conversations, deduced that the high risk of male student athletes for gender abuse is
a result of the team’s subculture.[65] He states, "Their locker room talk generally treated women
as objects, encouraged sexist attitudes toward women and, in its extreme, promoted rape
culture."[65] He proposes that this objectification is a way for the male to reaffirm his
heterosexual status and hyper-masculinity. Claims have been made that the atmosphere changes
when an outsider (especially women) intrude in the locker room. In the wake of the reporter Lisa
Olson being harassed by a Patriots player in the locker room in 1990, she reflected, "We are
taught to think we must have done something wrong and it took me a while to realize I hadn't
done anything wrong."[66] Other female sports reporters (college and professional) have claimed
that they often brush off the players' comments which leads to further objectification.[66] Other
sociologists challenge this claim. Steve Chandler notes that because of their celebrity status on
campus, “athletes are more likely to be scrutinized or falsely accused than non-athletes.”[62]
Another contender, Stephanie Mak, notes that, “if one considers the 1998 estimates that about
three million women were battered and almost one million raped, the proportion of incidences
that involve athletes in comparison to the regular population is relatively small."[63]

Response to violence by male college athletes

In response to the proposed link between college athletes and gender-based violence, and media
coverage holding Universities as responsible for these scandals more universities are requiring
athletes to attend workshops that promote awareness. For example, St. John's University holds
sexual assault awareness classes in the fall for its incoming student athletes.[67] Other groups,
such as the National Coalition Against Violent Athletes, have formed to provide support for the
victims as their mission statement reads, "The NCAVA works to eliminate off the field violence
by athletes through the implementation of prevention methods that recognize and promote the
positive leadership potential of athletes within their communities. In order to eliminate violence,
the NCAVA is dedicated to empowering individuals affected by athlete violence through
comprehensive services including advocacy, education and counseling."[68]

Activism
Many activists believe that working towards the elimination of domestic violence means working
to eliminate a societal hierarchy enforced through sexism. INCITE! Women of Color Against
Violence cited racism within the anti-violence movement and suggest that violence against
women will not end until the anti-violence movement re-directs its goal from "ending violence
against women" to "ending violence against women of color."[69] The same conclusion can be
drawn for other systems of oppression. Shows red card to abuser (Spanish: Saca tarjeta roja al
maltratador) is a campaign against domestic violence launched by the Spanish Ministry of
Equality that has the support of many famous artists, journalists and athletes.[70] It is considered
very effective in helping "to abandon complicity and take a step in favour of justice."

References
1. ^ Angelari, Marguerite (1997). [books.google.com/books?id=2YdCbgXjr-
EC&pg=PA405 "Hate Crime Statutes: A Promising Tool for Fighting Violence Against
Women"] Check |url= scheme (help). In Karen J. Maschke. Pornography, sex work, and
hate speech. Taylor & Francis.
2. ^ Gerstenfeld, Phyllis B. (2013).
[books.google.com/books?id=DiBIZcx1nPcC&pg=PA58 Hate Crimes: Causes,
Controls, and Controversies] Check |url= scheme (help). Sage.
3. ^ McPhail, Beverly (2003). "Gender-Bias Hate Crimes: A Review". In Barbara Perry.
Hate and bias crime: a reader. Psychology Press.
4. ^ United Nations General Assembly Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against
Women (1993)
5. ^ UN Resolution 54/134-''International Day for the Elimination of Violence against
Women''. Un.org.
6. ^ Penelope Harvey & Peter Gow Sex and violence : issues in representation and
experience (1994) pg 36 Routledge ISBN 0-415-05734-5
7. ^ A/RES/48/104. Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. United
Nations.
8. ^ Addressing Gender-Based Violence: Advancing Human Rights. UNFPA.

In India where almost half of the population are women, they have always been ill-treated
and deprived of their right to life and personal liberty as provided under the constitution of
India. Women are always considered as a physically and emotionally weaker than the males,
whereas at present women have proved themselves in almost every field of life affirming that
they are no less than men due to their hard work whether at home or working places. Behind
closed doors of homes all across our country, people are being tortured, beaten and killed. It
is happening in rural areas, towns, cities and in metropolitans as well. It is crossing all social
classes, genders, racial lines and age groups. It is becoming a legacy being passed on from
one generation to another. But offences against women which reflects the pathetic reality that
women are just not safe and secure anywhere. According to a latest report prepared by
India’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a crime has been recorded against
women in every three minutes in India. Every 60 minutes, two women are raped in this
country. Every six hours, a young married woman is found beaten to death, burnt or driven to
suicide.

Violence against women is not a new phenomenon. Women have to bear the burns of
domestic, public, physical as well as emotional and mental violence against them, which
affects her status in the society at the larger extent. The statistics of increasing crimes against
women is shocking, where women are subjected to violence attacks i.e. foeticide, infanticide,
medical neglect, child marriages, bride burning, sexual abuse of girl child, forced marriages,
rapes, prostitution, sexual harassment at home as well as work places etc. In all the above
cases women is considered as aggrieved person.

The term used to describe this exploding problem of violence within our homes is ‘Domestic
Violence’. This violence is towards someone who we are in a relationship with, be it a wife,
husband, son, daughter, mother, father, grandparent or any other family member. It can be a
male’s or a female’s atrocities towards another male or a female. Anyone can be a victim and
a victimizer. This violence has a tendency to explode in various forms such as physical,
sexual or emotional. ‘Domestic Violence’ includes harms or injuries which endangers
women’s health, safety, life, limb or well being, whether mental or physical. It may also be
through physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse. According to ‘United
Nation Population Fund Report’, around two-third of married Indian women are victims of
Domestic Violence attacks and as many as 70 per cent of married women in India between
the age of 15 and 49 are victims of beating, rape or forced sex. In India, more than 55 percent
of the women suffer from Domestic Violence, especially in the states of Bihar, U.P., M.P.
and other northern states.

What amounts to domestic violence against women? -Domestic Violence undoubtedly a

human right issue where it is very important to know what actually leads to act of domestic
violence. The most common causes for women stalking and battering include:- exploitation
of women for demanding more dowry, discrimination of women, alienation of women’s self
acquired property fraudulently, torture by husband and in-laws of the husband, arguing with
the partner, refusing to have sex with the partner, neglecting children, going out of home
without telling the partner, not cooking properly or on time, indulging in extra marital affairs,
not looking after in-laws, cruelty by husband or in-laws mentally or physically, abusing &
insulting by using vulgar language, sexual harassment, molestation, immoral traffic, rape,
sodomy and all other inhuman acts. In all above stated causes women are subjected to torture
and will be considered as the aggrieved person. Usually violence takes place due to lack of
understandings between the couple as well as in the family.
 The consequences of domestic violence attack on women, which will affect victim as well as
family of the victim. Domestic Violence affects women’s productivity in all forms of life i.e.
assaulted women will always get agonized and emotionally disturbed and remain quite after
occurrence of the torment. The suicide case of such victimized women is also a deadly
consequence and the number of such cases is increasing day by day. A working Indian
woman may lose her efficiency in work or drop out from work in some cases. Domestic
Violence may affect the life of children at the larger extent because child will be having
greater attachment with her mother and once the mother’s grief and sufferings revealed then
child may turn silent, reserved and express solace to the mother. In some of the cases
violence will lead to maintain distance from the partner whereby sexual life gets affected
adversely. Sometimes marriage life will become a burden to the spouse and one of the
spouses will opt out for divorce or separation which again affects life of the children.

In a case where wife is beaten up by her husband doesn’t amount to domestic violence unless
a sufficient reason of violation of right to life is shown. In another case where the women just
not given food, it amounts to domestic violence if it is intended to achieve the ultimate
purpose of necking her out of the benefits of shared household.

To prevent violence against women and to protect the rights of aggrieved women, the
legislation ‘The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005’ was passed by the
parliament. According to this act every women who have been deprived of their right to life
by the act of husband or relatives of the husband, can file a complaint to the protection
officer, police officer or magistrate in the form of ‘Domestic Incident Report’ (Similar to
FIR). Complaint can be filed by the victim /aggrieved person or relatives, it will be
considered as the prima-facie evidence of the offence. Every ‘Domestic Incident Report’ has
to be prepared by the Protection Officer which will assist in the further investigation of the
incidence. The protection officer will pass certain orders i.e. protection of the women,
custody of respondent and order of monetary relief to the victim.

The Government of India should come out with some more stringent laws to protect the
rights of women who are victims of violence of any kind occurring within the family, so that
it will work as the preventive measure to eradicate the crime. A strict law to be passed to
punish those women who are filing a false compliant against husband or relatives by
misusing of Domestic Violence Act so that there will be fair justice to all.

A brutal New Delhi gang rape has triggered outrage across India. CFR's Isobel Coleman
highlights three things to know about the case, and discusses the larger issue of violence against
women in the country:

 Gender Inequality at the Root: "In India, girls are valued less than boys," she says,
"and this results in many inequalities in society." In addition to rampant sex-selective
abortions, Coleman points to significant disparities in access to health care and education.

 A Culture of Complicity: "Culturally, there's not enough exposure and conviction

against those who are perpetrating acts of violence against women," Coleman says.
Citing examples of cases where police officers have pressured victims to keep silent or
 even marry their rapists to avoid prosecution, she says there is "a culture of complicity
around violence against women."

 Opportunity for Change: The recent demonstrations are unprecedented in India, and
could mark a turning point, Coleman says. "It could in fact result in some substantive
changes for women. In particular for violence against women, but more broadly
throughout society," she says.

Women once venerated as the mother and the perpetuating angel of mankind has come to be
looked upon as 'the unblessed creature of God' in India, thanks to the club-and-drag cave-
man attitude of the traditionally male-dominated society.

If we turn on the dailies in the morning, we shudder to read hair-raising instances of male
chauvinism travelling in 'sexism, racism, violence and poverty' to women representing the
'masculine mystique belief in the inevitability of violence against women.

The votaries of the cult of violence draw their inspiration from a grossly twisted and
misfounded interpretation of saint Tulsidas's lines, 'Dhol, Ganwar Shudra Pashu Nari, Sakal
taran ke adhikari' (Drum, lout, untouchable, beast and woman, they all deserve to be beaten).

With the advance of material prosperity and easy money, sex and violence have become the
order of the day. Drunk with eroticism, the Indian 'man' is unable to distinguish between
woman and woman. Rapes and brutal murders have become common news.

Assaults, harassments and chain-snatchings no longer alarm us. It is indeed a slur on the
modern Indian society that the cult of violence has grown to such proportions in free India.
Dowry deaths are the culminating point of violence. All the social, political, economic and
cultural progress made by us is nullified by the simultaneous increase in violence against
women.

One of the most hideous aspects of our society is the dowry system. It is a complex
phenomenon and there are several dimensions to it. It reduces a young girl into a saleable
commodity and lowers her dignity. In case she brings an inadequate dowry, it exposes her to
the risk of mal-treatment after marriage.

Thousands of girls immolate themselves at the altar of this evil every year, some of them
before marriage because they cannot afford dowry and some after marriage because the
dowry is insufficient to quench the rapacity of the in-laws. Readers have a vivid memory of
gruesome suicide of three hapless sisters in Kanpur. As to our legislation, for all the anti-
dowry measures in its armory, the government has not been able to contain the menace.

No less an evil is the physical outrage on women. We persist in our wretched belief that
women are weak, helpless creatures who need constant watching by their fathers, brothers,
husbands and sons at different stages of their life.
How often does one hear of ladies living in busy localities murdered, even in broad daylight,
all because they had some yellow metal with them? The race of eve-teasers, chain-snatchers
is increasing. In temples, at fairs and festivals, in crowded public places and in the buses,
these lynx-eyed brutes abound and carry on their depredation even where police officers arc
on duty.

Greed is not the only motive force behind the crimes against women. Sex-hunger is another.
Young girls are decoyed on promises of a decent job or marriage. And once a girl has fallen,
she is black-mailed into a life of vice and forced to spend her life as a call-girl or a whore in a
brothel. If we want to get a feel of the rottenness of our social milieu, we have only to know
the experience of working girls.

From standing at the bus stop to the place of their work, they are exposed to the vulture eyes
of males of all ages and all classes. If the way lies through a deserted place, there is always
the danger of facing a potential molester. The journey from home to office is nothing short of
travail.

Violence against women in India is becoming more frequent and is alarmingly on the
increase. A heavy responsibility falls on the shoulders of our social workers. But the biggest
responsibility will be that of the women themselves. They must organise themselves. They
have borne the tyranny of man far too long. The time has come for a crusade.