Editor’s Note
Indian Society has always revered women. In Hindu-
ism, man and woman represent the two halves of the
divine body. There is no question of superiority or in-
feriority between them. Hindu history is witness to the
super-women, such as Gargi, Maitreyi and Sulabha,
whose faculty of reasoning was far superior to that of
ordinary mortals. Many female deities Saraswati, Dur-
ga, Laxmi, Kali etc., are worshipped across the country.
According to the Mahabharat by cherishing the wom-
an one virtually worships the goddess of prosperity.
On the darker side, the patriarchal system has
continued since the time of Rig Veda. Customs
and values were made by men to favour men.
Women suffer this discrimination in silence.
The home is often equated with a sanctuary, a place
where individuals seek love, safety, security and shel-
ter. For some women, the home is a place that imper-
ils lives and breeds some of the most drastic forms
of violence perpetrated against girls and women.
Violence is usually perpetrated by males who are,
or who have been in positions of trust and intima-
cy and power e.g. husbands, fathers, fathers-in law,
stepfathers, brothers, uncles, sons, or other relatives.
The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence
Act (PWDVA), 2005 defines domestic violence as
any act, omission or commission or conduct of the
respondent, which includes threat or actual abuse.
Violence against women is on the national agenda.
Government is making frantic efforts to find solutions.
The world has entered into a new millennium, but
from the dawn of civilization till date, the woman of the
patriarchal society of India continues to be oppressed
and ill-treated. She is dependent, weak, exploited and
faces gender discrimination in every sphere of life.
The gender-based violence that threatens the well-
being, dignity and rights of women, extends across
social, cultural, economic and regional boundaries.
- Nandini Choudhury