Introduction
It is stated by United Nations that violence against any woman is “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to lead to 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.” Intimate partner refers to the behaviour of the partner that causes psychological, physical and sexual including any type of physical aggression psychological harm or sexual abuse and controlling behaviors. Sexual violence is “any sexual act, attempted against the willingness of the partner.
A study conducted by the WHO in 2013 with the London school of hygiene and tropical medicine along with South Africa medical research found that worldwide 1 in 3 or 35% of women have had experienced some kind of sexual violence by their intimate partners. The sexual violence causes serious long and short-term problems to the woman related with sexual, mental, physical and reproductive health. This affects their children and also gives high costs for a woman and her family in the society. 30% of women in the world who have had a relationship with their intimate partners have reported some form of sexual, physical or psychological violence. The study also revealed that woman has had experienced some type of violence from their intimate partner were almost twice as likely to develop depression and alcohol consumption. Other health problems reported were back pain, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, abdominal pain, obstructed mobility and poor health status. Overall poor health and problems related to physical, emotional and sexual violence leads to serious or long-term health disorders to women.
The 2013 analysis also showed that woman who were facing abuses from their intimate partners were 1.5 times had more chances to have sexually transmitted disease, HIV in comparison to women who were not harassed by their partners. They also had more chances of abortion in comparison to those who were not sexually abused.
Impact on children
• Children growing up in families where there is violence may suffer a range of behavioral and emotional disturbances. These are also associated with different behaviour problems later in life.
• Higher rates of infant and child mortality and morbidity developed, for example diarrhoea disease or malnutrition have been observed
Risk factors
Factors associated with intimate partner and sexual violence occurs at individual, family, community and wider society levels. Some are associated with being a perpetrator of violence, some are associated with experiencing violence and some are associated with both.
Risk factors for both intimate partner and sexual violence include:
• Lower levels of education (perpetration of sexual violence and experience of sexual violence);
• A history of exposure to child maltreatment (perpetration and experience);
• Witnessing family violence (perpetration and experience);
• Antisocial personality disorder (perpetration);
• Harmful use of alcohol (perpetration and experience);
• Having multiple partners or suspected by their partners of infidelity (perpetration);
• Attitudes that condone violence (perpetration);
• Community norms that privilege or ascribe higher status to men and lower status to women;
• Low levels of women’s access to paid employment.
• Gender inequality and norms on the acceptability of violence against women are a root cause of violence against women.
Social and economic costs
The social and economic costs of intimate partner and sexual violence are enormous and many. Women can suffer isolation, inability to work, loss of wages, lack of participation in regular activities, mood swings and limited ability to care for themselves and their children.
Prevention and response
More resources are needed to strengthen the women first in India .Education and economic independence is her first need to prevent violence at the basic level that we call home. Home visitation programmes by health workers also show promise in reducing intimate partner violence. However, these have little effect in resource poor settings.
In low resource settings, the prevention strategies that include those that empower women economically and socially through a combination of microfinance and skills training related to gender equality; helps in reducing violence .Programmes that promote communication and relationship skills within couples and communities; that reduce access to, and harmful use of alcohol; transform harmful gender and social norms through community mobilization and group-based participatory education with women and men to generate critical reflections about unequal gender and power relationships have given good results.
1. Indecent Representation of Women [Prevention] Act, 1986.
2. National Commission for Women Act, 1990.
3. Indian Divorce Act, 1969.
4. Special Marriage Act 1954.
5. Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971.
6. Sexual Harassment of Women at workplace, prohibition and Redressal Act, 2013.
7. Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.
8. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
1. Indecent Representation of (prevention) Act, 1986
This Act prohibits indecent representation of women through advertisement or in publications, writing, painting, figures or in any other manner.No one can portrait women against the norms of the society.
2. National Commission for Women Act, 1990
The National Commission for Women (NCW) is a statutory body of the Government of India established in January 1992. Lalitha kumaramangalam was appointed its Chairperson in 2014.The NCW represent the rights of women in India and provides a voice for their issues and concerns. The National Commission for Women Act aims to maternity benefits, which includes maternity leave, nursing breaks, medical allowance etc.
3. Indian Divorce Act, 1969
The Indian Divorce Act allows the dissolution of marriage, mutual consent, nullity of marriage, judicial separation and restitution of conjugal rights .Family courts are established to file, hear, and dispose of such case.
4. Maternity Benefit Act, 1861
This act regulates the employment of women and maternity benefits mandated by law. It states that a women employee who worked in an organization for a period of at least 80 days during the 12 months preceding the date of her expected delivery is entitled to receive maternity leave, nursing breaks, medical allowance etc.
5. Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971
The Act came into effect in 1972, and was amended in 1975 and 2002 .The aim of the Act is to reduce the occurrence of illegal abortion and consequent illegal abortion and consequent maternal mortality and morbidity. It clearly states the conditions under which a pregnancy can be ended or aborted and specifies the persons qualified to conduct the same.
6. Special Marriage Act, 1954
The objective of this act is to provide a special form of marriage in certain cases provided for registration of certain marriages and, to provide for divorce. In a country like India and with the diverse religions and cast, when people from different faiths and caste chose to get married they do it under the special marriage act.
7. Sexual harassment of women at work place, prohibition and redressal Act, 2013
To ensure women safety at work place, this act seeks to protect them from sexual harassment at their place of work. According to a FICCI-EY November 2015 report 36 percent of Indian companies and 25 percent among MNC’s are not complaint with the sexual harassment Act.. Sexual harassment at workplace also includes the use of language with sexual overtones, invasion of private space with a male colleague hovering too close for comfort, subtle touches .
8. Dowry prohibition Act, 1961
According to this act, taking or giving of dowry at the time of marriage to the bride or the bride groom and their family is to be penalized. Dowry system is giving and taking of dowry, is a norm in India. The system has taken strong roots because women after marriage move in with their spouse and in-laws. When the demands for dowry even after marriage are not met by the girls families many women are tortured beaten even burnt in their in laws place.
9. The prohibition of child marriage Act, 2006
According to the International research centre for women, almost 47%of girls are married before the age of 18. Currently India ranks 13 in the world when it comes to the child marriages. Since child marriage has been steeped into the Indian culture and tradition since centuries, it has been tough eliminating it. This act defines child marriages as a marriage where the groom or bride are under age, that is, the bride is under 18 years of age or the boy is younger than 21 years.
Conclusion
There are innumerable acts so constitutional supports are being generated by government so that the women also can live with liberty and equality as the men live in the country. The growing culture directing us to do the work on any other platform is required for the women like the men as they are also efficient and fulfilling. For being safe and efficient in every surrounding there is need of various legal acts and constitutional amendments that every woman must be aware of.Awareness about protective laws gives confidence and confidence creates efficiency in work. Efficiency gives recognition and status to the women therefore knowing about Indian laws is very important for all women .