Domestice Abuse During Lockdown
DOMESTIC ABUSE DURING LOCKDOWN
- Shivika Agrawal, GNLU, Gandhinagar
When the world was put under lockdown, nobody had any idea how long they would be confined to their homes. To seek recluse from the problems of “inside”, there was no “outside” left. Out of all the people who were trapped in their homes, the worst hit were the victims of domestic violence who were left to suffocate with their abusers. Everyone is frustrated with the current situation, and women, being an easy outlet for men’s frustration, have had to bear the brunt of their anger more today than ever. Working women are subject to domestic abuse because of ignorance with household chores, and the housewives are beat up because of their inability to contribute to the household monetarily. If both are being tortured, isn’t is true that these women are suffering due to no fault of their own?
What the women are being subject to:-
According to Judith Lewis Herman, a renowned trauma expert at Harvard University Medical School, the coercive methods domestic abusers use to control their partners and children “bear an uncanny resemblance” to those kidnappers use to control hostages and repressive regimes use to break the will of political prisoners. In addition to physical violence, which is not present in every abusive relationship, common tools of abuse include isolation from friends, family and employment; constant surveillance; strict, detailed rules for behaviour; and restrictions on access to such basic necessities as food, clothing and sanitary facilities. In addition, women aren’t allowed to access social media and are cut off from the world.
Some women used to rush out into the streets at the sign of imminent abuse, but now, there is no one on the street to help them, except some police officers who ask them to return and fix their “family problems” in a “civilised manner”.
Salma, a woman trapped with her abuser was forced to sit on the doormat outside her house for almost an entire day, even during the pandemic where she could have easily contracted infection, and wasn’t offered any food as a “punishment” for not providing a glass of water to her husband on time. She doesn’t report the case because she has nowhere else to go.
Another woman, Ankita, who is a school teacher, is forced to turn all her income in to her husband, as she is the only earning member in the family. The lockdown caused a big wage-cut in her pay check and so she had to bear the wrath of her husband and wasn’t allowed to make any purchases.
Abuse, however, isn’t always physical or monetary. Sakshi, a young housewife, reveals that her husband recently lost his job. She has had to work as domestic help in these dire times to make ends meet. Yet, she comes home every evening to face scrutiny and mockery at her inability to afford alcohol for her husband. She is constantly subject to mental abuse. When she reached out to her in laws, they told her that their son was frustrated and she, as a supportive wife, should understand and not be too “feminist” about it.
India’s National Commission for Women said it registered 587 domestic violence complaints between March 23 and April 16- a significant surge from 396 complaints received in the previous 25 days between February 27 and March 22. According to the National Family Health Survey study, 52 percent of women and 42 percent of men believed that a husband is justified in beating his wife.
Steps taken by India:-
According to reports, 35% of the ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ has been spent across ministries, since it was set up in 2013. Government has been taking effective steps to curb the problem of domestic violence over the years. However, due to the pandemic, getting help resources to women has become even more difficult as there are limited means of doing so.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) received complaints of domestic violence on its WhatsApp helpline (+917217735372) set up in April to ensure that the women could receive help during the lockdown. The NCW registered an increase of at least 2.5 times in domestic violence complaints since the nationwide lockdown. However, according to reports, these are only the reported cases. Many women, especially in the lockdown, refrain from asking for help due to the fear of being overheard by the abuser.
How other countries are dealing with this situation:-
Countries have stepped up their game in this trying time to provide help to victims of domestic abuse. Measures providing resources to women, keeping in mind their safety, have been implemented across the world. India, a country with one of the worst track records for crime against women, should implement some of these methods to ensure the safety of its women.
In France, victims are being asked to report domestic abuse at pharmacies, which are still open because of the essential nature of the service they provide, and to use code if they happen to be accompanied by their abusers. The pharmacies in turn inform the police. Local authorities assure informers that their identity will not be disclosed.
In Italy, the government has launched an app that enables domestic violence victims to seek help without making a phone call. On March 31, the Scottish government promised support for victims of domestic violence during the outbreak, and announced grants to ensure that access to support services is maintained.
In Spain, the government told the women that they will not be fined if they leave home to report abuse. But on 19 March, the country saw the first domestic violence fatality since the lockdown began, when a woman was murdered by her husband in front of their children in the coastal province of Valencia. A prosecutor in Trento, Italy, has ruled that in situations of domestic violence the abuser must leave the family home and not the victim. In the UK, Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality party, has called for special police powers to evict perpetrators from homes for the duration of the lockdown, and for authorities to waive court fees for the protection orders. In Greece, officials said they were stepping up a campaign to help women deal with problems clearly emerging from the issue of confinement.
How to combat the situation:-
While India has taken active steps to ensure the safety of its women, it is necessary to make the availability of resources known to the aggrieved. Therefore, campaigning, through advertisements is necessary to build the awareness.
The government also needs to allocate funds for court cases, stay orders and protection orders for the abused women.
Local policemen or pharmacists (like in the case of France) should act like guardians or informers, to assuage the plight of women who do not have online resources available, informing the necessary authorities.
It is essential that the government create resources like apps which are easily accessible to women who are deprived of an internet connection.
The Canadian Women Organisation released a hand signal for victims of domestic abuse, to ask for help.
Conclusion:-
While the society needs to take active steps to combat the problem, it is vital that the victims of Domestic Abuse come forward to report cases, otherwise it might result in many more casualties. It’s true what they say, ‘your silence will not protect you’.
It is important that we not only teach our girls to become strong and call out injustice and inequality, it is equally important to teach our boys to respect fellow human beings, not for the sake of defining “true masculinity”, but just as an act of basic humanity.
The essential task, however, still remains to offer resources which are easily available and accessible to Domestic Abuse victims, without putting their life in danger.
Bibliography:
1.Amanda Taub, ‘A New Covid-19 Crisis: Domestic Abuse Rises Worldwide’ (2020) The New York Times (New York, 6 April 2020) <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/world/coronavirus-domestic-violence.html> accessed 26 June 2020.
2.Rukmini S, ‘Locked down with abusers: India sees surge in domestic violence (Al Jazeera, 18 April 2020) <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/locked-abusers-india-domestic-violence-surge-200415092014621.html> accessed 26 June 2020.
3.Savinaya H.L, ‘A study on domestic violence against women during COVID-19 lockdown in India’ (2020) MuktShabd Journal <http://shabdbooks.com/gallery/160-june2020.pdf> accessed 27 June 2020.
4.Explained Desk, ‘Covid-19 Lockdown: how countries are dealing with the surge in domestic violence’ Indian Express (Delhi, 7 April 2020) <https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/how-countries-are-dealing-with-the-surge-in-domestic-violence-under-covid-19-lockdown-6350186/> accessed 29 June 2020.
5.Emma Graham Harrison, Angela Giuffrida, Helena Smith, Liz Ford, ‘Lockdowns around the world bring rise in domestic violence’ The Guardian (London, 28 March 2020) <https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/28/lockdowns-world-rise-domestic-violence> accessed 29 June 2020.
