Violence Against Women - a Serious Health & Social Problem

It is a serious health and social problem which is affecting all societies but it is still accepted as a part of normal behaviour in many countries (especially in developing countries). The United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Elimination of VAW (Violence Against Women) (1993) states that “VAW is a sign of truly unequal power relations among people, which have prompted mastery over and oppression women by men and to the anticipation of the full headway of women, and that VAW is one of the urgent social systems by which women are constrained into a subordinate position contrasted and men.” In many societies, children learn that violence is an acceptable means of resolving any conflict as males are dominant. Sexual orientation based brutality characterizes savagery that is coordinated against a lady since she is a lady or that effects ladies lopsidedly. It incorporates acts that exact physical, mental or sexual enduring, dangers of such acts, intimidation, and different hardships of freedom. It also incorporates abusive behaviour at home, constrained sex and other types of sexual viciousness, trafficking in ladies and additionally nation particular structures, for example, share related passing and female genital mutilation.

As per Kristof and WuDunn (2001) violence against women lopsidedness in numerous nations is because of brutality against ladies. They point to the sex specific feticide and child murder in creating nations, for example, China and India. Although, Cross-cultural research (Sanday 1981; Levinson 1989) shows that there are many societies in which gender-based abuse does not exist which stand as a proof that organizing social relations can minimize or eliminate the violence against women. In India, during Vedic period women were enjoying a comfortable position but condition got declined gradually and now women have been victims of violence in all regions, cultures or communities. They have to bear violence such as a domestic, public, emotional, mental as well as social. The Thomas Reuters Foundation expert poll in 2011 , revealed that India is the fourth most perilous nation on the planet after Afghanistan, Congo, and Pakistan. "Female foeticide," kid marriage and elevated amounts of trafficking and residential bondage make India the world's biggest majority rule government the fourth most unsafe place for ladies. As per NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau of India, 2015, p. 2), brutality against ladies expanded as in 2014, 337,922 cases enlisted by the police when contrasted with 209,546 recorded in 2013.

This essay focuses on the factors behind the increase in violence and preventions to be taken for the protection the women. According to United Nations Statistic Division (2015), one in three women suffers from violence worldwide. It is a pan-cultural phenomenon (Kearl, 2015). In India, a woman faces violence every 51 min (Bhattacharyya, 2013a,b, 2015). It is apparent from the research findings that the factors behind the increase in VAW include poverty, unemployment, deeply embedded patriarchal practice, and gendered socio-cultural values, which consider women as subordinate to men (Bhattacharyya, 2009, 2013a; also Fenster, 2005; Massey, 1994; Rose, 1993). Other factors are women suffering depression lead to risk of abuse, traditions like dowry, easy availability of drugs such as alcohol, bhang & ganja.

Media also plays an important role by exposing violence repeatedly increased the incidence of aggression especially in children. There is confirmation to propose that different types of violence against women (VAW) are interlinked and support one another (Bhattacharyya, 2015; Das, Alam, Bhattacharyya and Parvin, 2015; Das, Bhattacharyya, Alam and Parvin, 2016). In order to prevent violence, GOI (Government of India) established National Commission for Women (NCW) in January 1992. NCW is a statutory body to secure and advance the interests and defends the privileges of women and guarantee fairness in each circle of life (NCW,2014, p. I). They made numerous new classes such as "acid assault; infidelity; conjugal assault; respect wrongdoings; polygamy; witch chasing; hardship of property rights; departure by spouse; female foeticide, child murder, sex choice; badgering at work environment; matters including authority of youngsters; eve-prodding, stalking; police lack of concern; pre-marriage rupture of trust; and sex embarrassment." Government of India (GOI) also established the Justice Verma Committee (JVC) on December 23, 2012 to propose corrections to the laws identified with sexual brutality (Bhattacharyya, 2015; Madan and Nalla, 2016; Verma, 2013).

In a nutshell, access to a violence free and safe open space is an essential ideal, in which all women paying little heed to age can move about unreservedly without the dread of being sexually ambushed or victimized (Bhattacharyya, 2013a,b, 2015; Fenster, 2005; Shaw et al., 2013; Viswanath, 2013) but even a harsher enactment does not appear to have made any impact as excessive delays in the equity framework, skepticism, inhumanity, and inaction in view of significant worth judgment by the police and doctors that deny women a space to report a sex wrongdoing and seek for equity all hamper conviction therefore significant legal changes, through the establishment of quick track women' courts, higher commitment of female attorneys and female specialists to examine casualties, and the modernization of the police framework over the entire of India are required therefore we have to take necessary steps in order to prevent VAW by train boys and men on outcomes of street violence and its affect on women’s health. It is evaluated that in 2016, 204.1 million Indians are cell phone clients: 13% are matured 18 – 24 years, while 70% has a place with the post-millennial age (Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, 2015; Press Trust of India, 2013)

So we need to develop safety application apps which should be free and GPS tracker based for safety alerts and for tracking the location as well. Awareness and education can be done at school and colleges, restriction on the use of drugs especially in young people. Introduction of 24 × 7 helplines for women and special cells in police stations with facilities like CCTV footage and promotion of healthy lifestyle of daily living is recommended.