{"id":231678,"date":"2020-07-02T15:00:31","date_gmt":"2020-07-02T09:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=231678"},"modified":"2023-10-03T15:27:31","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T09:57:31","slug":"analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Analysing the Hidden Pandemic: Domestic Violence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p2\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #008000;\"><b>Abstract<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">India has always followed the path of patriarchal society. This age-long tradition has never died due to the circumstances and upbringing of youth in such an environment which glorifies it. Gender inequality is an extensive issue in communities taking forms of violence against women, and particularly domestic violence, which then forms a vicious cycle that always keeps women subordinated, disempowered and unequal. This gender parity needs to be looked after. In the recent times of the COVID-19 pandemic where economic, social, political, personal, professional positions are at stake and facing huge repercussions. The most hardly hit area is the women community. The crime of domestic abuse suddenly ramped up after the announcement of lockdown not only in India but all over the world. The pandemic has ended up leaving the domestic violence victims helpless and nowhere to go for the enforcement of their rights. Amidst this corona pandemic, a hidden pandemic is emerging out i.e. domestic violence which will not end unlike the lockdown will one day. This paper will go in deep lengths analysing the domestic violence in the pandemic, reasons of surge in cases, measures taken and provisions in the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[1]<\/span><\/strong>. There is an urgent need for this issue not to get ignored this time. We (the government, the society, the individuals) should not wait for such pandemics to erase out one of the gravest menaces in our society.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #008000;\"><b>Introduction<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\"> Liberty, equality, fraternity were the ideals on which the French revolution was based, led by Robespierre, resulted in the establishment of people\u2019s rule commonly known as democracy. Our Constitution upholds these ideals by accommodating them as a fundamental right of every individual. In the past 70 years, the State has successfully ensured the political equality to its citizens but social and economic equality are still a far-reaching dream to ordinary women and especially to women. In<\/span><span class=\"s2\"> the words of the former Chief Justice of India R.C. Lahoti, women, children, tribal and minority communities, victims of militancy, crime, disaster, drought-hit farmers, and sex workers needed urgent attention.<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[2] <\/span><\/strong><\/span><span class=\"s1\">\u201cViolence 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&#8230;\u201d<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[3]<\/span><\/strong> The concept of domestic violence is not a new phenomenon nor are its consequences as it is a long-aged menace still existing in our society. The violence perpetrated on women is not only a social issue but also a health, economic, developmental, educational and above all a human rights issue. It is one of the most pervasive of human rights violations globally. The family is often equated with sanctuary \u2013 a place where individuals seek love, safety, security, and shelter<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[4]<\/span><\/strong> but research shows evidently that it has also become the place where lives are put in peril and breeds drastic violence against girls and women. In 1992, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee)<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[5]<\/span><\/strong> stated in Article 6 that gender based violence, <\/span><span class=\"s3\">\u201c<\/span><span class=\"s1\">violence that is directed against a woman because she is a woman or that affects women disproportionately\u201d and that is \u201cis a form of discrimination that seriously inhibits women\u2019s ability to enjoy rights and freedoms on a basis of equality with men\u201d (Article 1)<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[6]<\/span><\/strong>.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Certain variations in the existence of violence between and within the communities proves that it is not inevitable and can be rooted out by preventive measures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #008000;\"><b>Domestic Violence in Current Pandemic<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p6\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cConfinement is a breeding ground for domestic abuse.\u201d<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[7]<\/span><\/strong> As recently <span class=\"s4\">noted by the UN Secretary General<\/span>, global lockdowns have resulted in a \u201chorrifying surge\u201d in gender-based violence (GBV)<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[8]<\/span><\/strong>. The whole world is witnessing a sharp rise in the violation of rights of women. Not only the developing countries like India became victim to this curse during the pandemic but also highly developed countries like UK, USA, Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong and many more countries succumbed to it. Imposition of nationwide lockdown has deteriorated the situation in India. In<\/span><span class=\"s5\">dia&#8217;s National Commission for Women<b> <\/b>(NCW)<b> <\/b>said it registered 587 domestic violence complaints between March 23 and April 16 &#8211; a significant surge from 396 complaints received in the previous 25 days between February 27 and March 22<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[9]<\/span><\/strong>. It is most likely that the number of domestic violence is much more higher than the real figure as one more factor exists which is liable for exaggerating this problem is that the victim locked in with the abusers might not get access to a mobile phone and time to call for help. Most of the avenues which help them to fight these situations are impaired. And to worsen the situation, opening of liquor shops post lockdown, added fuel to the fire.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #008000;\"><b>Causes of Surge in Cases in Pandemic<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">There is no single factor responsible for the violence perpetrated against women. Several researches have indicated that there is an interconnectedness of various social, economic and cultural factors which accounts for this worst form of violence. <span class=\"s6\">According to<\/span><\/span><span class=\"s2\"> Sociologist Marianne Hester, \u201cdomestic violence goes up whenever families spend more time together, such as the Christmas and summer vacations.\u201d<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[10]<\/span> <\/strong>The data shows that amidst this lockdown the complaints of domestic violence have nearly doubled evincing the idea of patriarchy being dominant till today. <\/span><span class=\"s1\">Stress, the disruption of social and protective networks, and decreased access to services is exacerbating the risk of violence for women.<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[11]<\/span><\/strong> Women\u2019s unpaid care work has long been recognised as a driver of inequality. It has a direct link to wage inequality, lower income, poorer education outcomes, and physical and mental health stressors. The unpaid and invisible labour in this sector has been exacerbated exponentially by the COVID-19 pandemic<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[12]<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s2\">Another important aspect responsible for this surge in domestic abuse is <i>domestic labour<\/i>. Gendered roles all over the world have placed domestic work on women\u2019s shoulders, which is socially and culturally often demarcated as \u201cwomen\u2019s work\u201d. During this pandemic the work load of women has increased due to all the members being at home. With housekeeping staff being unavailable, the expectation is for women to do all the tasks and that too with full efficiency and productivity, and chances of violence increase if she fails to do so.\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">Economic factor has played a crucial role in surging this violence. A large chunk of women population is suffering from the economic dependence on the male counterpart. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, t<\/span><span class=\"s2\">he national lockdown did not just throw 72 million people out of the labour force but it also drove another 85 million to some kind of desperation to look for jobs in the midst of a national lockdown when none were available<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[13]<\/span><\/strong><\/span><span class=\"s7\">. <\/span><span class=\"s1\">This scenario suggests that people are highly vulnerable to a loss of livelihood. <\/span><span class=\"s8\">Men are not able to prove themselves at the economic front. They are workless doing absolutely nothing and the burden to make a living for the family with the inability to do it has led to frustration of which then women are the victim. The increasing <i>financial burden<\/i> and the needs of the family especially in poor strata of the society is making the situation worse.<\/span><span class=\"s1\"> Such sorry state of affairs definitely comes under the umbrella of factors which perpetuate this violence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Domestic violence is in the form of rapes and sexual harassment as well and COVID-19 time sets out the classic example of it. 2 crore babies are to be born in India till December 2020<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[14]<\/span><\/strong>. This is the highest number recorded so far. The question it raises now is that will all these babies be born with the consent of women. India has still not penalised marital rape. It may happen that women during the time of pandemic were subjected to force and since they are always considered to be subordinate and disempowered, they had to give in.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #008000;\"><b>Government Measures<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">With cases of domestic violence swelling every day, the situation is becoming very grim. And it becomes the duty of the executive and the judiciary to implement the laws and take effective measure in cases of non-compliance. Recently, to tackle the situation better the Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Government to mull over the appointments of protection officers. The National Commission for Women (NCW) also launched WhatsApp helpline numbers to protect them from harassment and in grave cases Crisis Intervention Centre (CIC)<b> <\/b>through counsellors accompany the aggrieved person and<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>make possible the recourse to public authorities. A laudable initiative by the UP Police has also been launched named as \u201cSuppress Corona, not your voice\u201d which encourages them to be vocal against the crime. The Tamil Nadu Government has also made a fruitful decision on protection officers. Clearly, the steps taken are appreciated but they are not sufficient to handle the emerging statistical numbers in cases of domestic violence. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #008000;\"><b>Humane Framework: Necessary to Combat<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">As a responsible citizen of the country under Article 51-A of the Constitution, we have certain<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>fundamental duties to perform on our part of which one is<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>\u201c<\/span><span class=\"s2\">to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.\u201d<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[15]<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We need a comprehensive nationwide campaign to bring awareness among the people and make them sensitised towards this issue. These issues must be highlighted through various modes like, radio channels, national news channels. These platforms must be strategically used in the same way as the government has used for washing hands and social distancing to combat COVID-19. Efforts like in France and Spain, where pharmacies are being trained in a way to identify the victim of abuse through code words like \u201cMask-19\u201d for the people who cannot speak openly on social platforms should be adopted. The non-profit organisations, civil society organisations are a key to unlock the unawareness in the society. A lot of these organisations enable shelter needs, counselling, legal aid, medical assistance and many more. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #008000;\"><b>Provisions Of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">The effectivity of the legal framework in India is at stake during COVID. We will analyse if the women are protected by the provisions of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\"> First and foremost, domestic violence leads to <i>abuse of human rights and fundamental rights<\/i> for example, right to live with dignity (Article 21), right to live in healthy environment and in good health (Article 21) granted by the Indian Constitution is violated. In <b> <\/b><i>Francis Coralie Mullin<\/i> v. <i>The Administration<\/i><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>[16]<\/strong><\/span>, the Supreme Court recognised the right to be free from physical violence. Moreover, in<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><i>Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation <\/i>v. <i>Nawab Khan Gulab Khan<\/i><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[17]<\/span><\/strong>, right against emotional and sexual abuse was also protected by the Supreme Court.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">Coming to the Act<b>, <\/b>Section 11<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[18]<\/span><\/strong> of the Domestic Violence Act describes that the Government is obliged to raise awareness in the society by regular publicity of issues through the use of print and media which has not been adhered to. In addition to this, Sections 8<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[19]<\/span><\/strong> and 9<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[20]<\/span><\/strong> of the Act have not been implemented in its whole as only some of the States are considering doing this. What is even more problematic is the <i>restricted access<\/i> or recourse to the public authorities. Section 7<strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[21]<\/span><\/strong> of the Act which provides for medical facilities is also not acted upon as the list of essential items lacks sanitary napkins which is a necessity. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #008000;\"><b>The Way Forward<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">There is no doubt in the fact that the judiciary even in these tough times has imparted its services in a very hardworking way by establishing virtual courts and ensured justice to the victims. But still the efficacy of policies and redressal mechanisms needs re-assessment in one way or the other. Not only the physical but also the emotional and psychological health is at stake when an act of domestic violence takes place against her. So, we need to build a safe and secure place for the women by ensuring checks and balances. This menace can be banished completely by way of \u201ccommunity-based network\u201d between the societies\/communities and among people which will instil a sense of fear or shame before the commitment of such act by the abuser. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"s1\">These crimes are committed not only against the women but also against the democracy, humanity, natural laws and most importantly our legal system.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The \u201c<i>Intimate Terrorism<\/i>\u201d needs to be curbed as soon as possible before the human rights issue especially (women\u2019s right issue) become a joke for the abusers in the time to come. The Government along with the NGOs can protect the vulnerable section and help them to survive the pandemic by the setting up of emergency warning system so that women could reach out to the authorities without alerting the abusers. The issue of women\u2019s sexual and reproductive health should be taken up as this is the need of the hour. It is high time that we, as responsible citizens of this country start taking this issue to as our priority. To sum this up, Swami Vivekanand truly said, \u201cThere is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of woman is improved. It is not possible for a bird to fly on only one wing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #008000;\">*Students of Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, Punjab<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[1]<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/55d5s4bW\">Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[2]<\/span><\/strong> <span class=\"s1\"><i>Financial Express<\/i>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.financialexpress.com\/archive\/legal-literacy-%20mission-launched\/128689\/\">http:\/\/www.financialexpress.com\/news\/legal-literacy- mission-launched\/128689\/\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[3]<\/span><\/strong> <span class=\"s1\">The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, General Assembly Resolution, December 1993, Domestic Violence against Women and Girls, No. 6 &#8211; June 2000, Innocent Digest.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[4]<\/span><\/strong> Id.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[5]<\/span><\/strong> <span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">The CEDAW Committee is a body of 23\u00a0independent experts on women\u2019s rights around the world; it monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 1979, <\/span><a style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/9Z9K6X50\"><span class=\"s2\">http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/9Z9K6X50<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\"> which entered into force on 3\u00a0September,\u00a01981. As of January 2014, 187\u00a0countries have ratified or acceded to the Convention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[6]<\/span><\/strong> <span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">UN, CEDAW Committee (1992), General Recommendation No.\u00a019 on Violence Against Women, adopted at the 11th Session, 1992, A\/47\/38, 29\u00a0January,\u00a01992.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[7]<\/span><\/strong> <span class=\"s1\">Abueish, Tamara (2020-04-06).\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/english.alarabiya.net\/en\/features\/2020\/04\/06\/Coronavirus-Jordanian-woman-s-pleas-for-help-highlight-global-rise-of-domestic-abuse.html\"><span class=\"s2\">&#8220;Coronavirus: A Jordanian woman pleads for help as domestic abuse cases rise globally&#8221;<\/span><\/a>, \u00a0<i>Al Arabiya English<\/i>, Retrieved\u00a02020-04-14.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[8]<\/span><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2020\/04\/1061052\">https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2020\/04\/1061052<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[9]<\/span><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2020\/04\/locked-abusers-india-domestic-violence-surge-200415092014621.html\">https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2020\/04\/locked-abusers-india-domestic-violence-surge-200415092014621.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[10] <\/span><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.epw.in\/engage\/article\/covid-19-domestic-abuse-and-violence-where-do\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">https:\/\/www.epw.in\/engage\/article\/covid-19-domestic-abuse-and-violence-where-do<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[11] <\/span><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/bitsream\/handle\/10665\/331699\/WHO-SRH-20.04-eng.pdf\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">https:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/bitsream\/handle\/10665\/331699\/WHO-SRH-20.04-eng.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[12] <\/span><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unwomen.org\/-media\/headquarters\/attachments\/sections\/liabrary\/publications\/2020\/policy-brief-the-impact-of-covid19-on-women-en.pdf?la=en&amp;vs=1406\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">h<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">ttps:\/\/www.unwomen.org\/-media\/headquarters\/attachments\/sections\/liabrary\/publications\/2020\/policy-brief-the-impact-of-covid19-on-women-en.pdf?la=en&amp;vs=1406<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>[13]<\/strong><\/span> <span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesstoday.in\/current\/economy-politics\/india-unemployment-rate-falls-to-21-per-cent-lowest-during-coronavirus-lockdown%2520%2520%2520cmie\/story\/402240.html?utm_source=recengine&amp;utm_medium=WEB&amp;referral_sourceid=400902&amp;referral_cat=Jobs\">https:\/\/www.businesstoday.in\/current\/economy-politics\/india-unemployment-rate-falls-to-21-per-cent-lowest-during-coronavirus-lockdown <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>cmie\/story\/402240.html?utm_source=recengine&amp;utm_medium=WEB&amp;referral_sourceid=400902&amp;referral_cat=Jobs<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[14]<\/span><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/new.rediff.com\/commentary\/2020\/may\/07\/2-crore.indian-babies-will-be-corn-amid-covid\/129996638a4372c1e9c79399a76\">https:\/\/new.rediff.com\/commentary\/2020\/may\/07\/2-crore.indian-babies-will-be-corn-amid-covid\/129996638a4372c1e9c79399a76<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[15]<\/span><\/strong> <span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/Uei3bEDC\">Article 51-A of the Constitutio<\/a>n.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[16] <\/span><\/strong><span class=\"s1\">Francis Coralie Mullin v. Administrator, Union Territory of Delhi, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/3cde1BX5\">(1981) 1 SCC 608<\/a> .<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[17]<\/span><\/strong> <span class=\"s1\">Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation v. Nawab Khan Gulab Khan, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/x15oL71e\">(1997) 11 SCC 121<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[18]<\/span><\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/55d5s4bW\"><span class=\"s1\">The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence act, 2005<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[19]<\/span><\/strong> Ibid<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[20]<\/span><\/strong> Id.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">[21]<\/span><\/strong> Id.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong><\/span> The Week<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Pooja Soni &#038; Mitali Goyal*\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8808,"featured_media":231679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1191],"tags":[39924,42305,3171,9391,40154,18701,42304],"class_list":["post-231678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-op-ed","tag-covid-19","tag-crisis-intervention-centre","tag-Domestic_Violence","tag-gender","tag-lockdown","tag-national-commission-for-women","tag-patriarchal-society"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.4 (Yoast SEO v26.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Analysing the Hidden Pandemic: Domestic Violence | SCC Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Analysing the Hidden Pandemic: Domestic Violence\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by Pooja Soni &amp; Mitali Goyal*\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SCC Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-07-02T09:30:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-03T09:57:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/domestic_abuse.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1330\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"887\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bhumika Indulia\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bhumika Indulia\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/\",\"name\":\"Analysing the Hidden Pandemic: Domestic Violence | SCC Times\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/domestic_abuse.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-07-02T09:30:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-03T09:57:31+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/919ec47cc1b871b362af05740398033a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/domestic_abuse.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/domestic_abuse.jpg\",\"width\":1330,\"height\":887},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Analysing the Hidden Pandemic: Domestic Violence\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"SCC Times\",\"description\":\"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/919ec47cc1b871b362af05740398033a\",\"name\":\"Bhumika Indulia\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Me-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Me-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Bhumika Indulia\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/editor_1\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Analysing the Hidden Pandemic: Domestic Violence | SCC Times","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Analysing the Hidden Pandemic: Domestic Violence","og_description":"by Pooja Soni & Mitali Goyal*\u00a0","og_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/","og_site_name":"SCC Times","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/","article_published_time":"2020-07-02T09:30:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-10-03T09:57:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1330,"height":887,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/domestic_abuse.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Bhumika Indulia","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Bhumika Indulia","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/","name":"Analysing the Hidden Pandemic: Domestic Violence | SCC Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/domestic_abuse.jpg","datePublished":"2020-07-02T09:30:31+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-03T09:57:31+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/919ec47cc1b871b362af05740398033a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/domestic_abuse.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/domestic_abuse.jpg","width":1330,"height":887},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/02\/analysing-the-hidden-pandemic-domestic-violence\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Analysing the Hidden Pandemic: Domestic Violence"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/","name":"SCC Times","description":"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/919ec47cc1b871b362af05740398033a","name":"Bhumika Indulia","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Me-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Me-150x150.jpg","caption":"Bhumika Indulia"},"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/editor_1\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/domestic_abuse.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":228469,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/04\/19\/jk-hc-rising-domestic-violence-amid-lockdown-court-suggests-measures-and-directions-takes-cognizance-suo-motu\/","url_meta":{"origin":231678,"position":0},"title":"J&#038;K HC | Rising domestic violence amid lockdown \u2014 Court suggests measures and directions, takes cognizance suo motu","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"April 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Jammu & Kashmir High Court: A Division Bench of Gita Mittal, CJ and Rajnesh Oswal, J. took suo motu cognizance of increasing domestic violence cases against women during COVID-19 lockdown and suggested measures to handle the situation. The Court also passed direction upon the Government and various authorities. The matter\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":278768,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2022\/11\/30\/victimological-perspective-of-domestic-violence-against-women-in-the-city-of-hyderabad-during-covid-19\/","url_meta":{"origin":231678,"position":1},"title":"Victimological Perspective of Domestic Violence Against Women in the City of Hyderabad During Covid-19","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"November 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Prof. B. Vijayalaxmi*","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Op Eds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Op Eds","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/op-ed\/legal-analysis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-315.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":232900,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/07\/27\/law-on-domestic-violence-protection-of-women-from-domestic-violence-act-2005\/","url_meta":{"origin":231678,"position":2},"title":"Law on Domestic Violence [Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005]","author":"Editor","date":"July 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Shubhodip Chakraborty, Editorial Assistant has put this story together","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Law made Easy&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Law made Easy","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/law-made-easy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DV.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DV.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DV.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DV.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DV.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":231125,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2020\/06\/19\/covid-19-all-hc-uttar-pradesh-government-to-file-status-report-on-measures-taken-to-address-domestic-violence-victims-grievances\/","url_meta":{"origin":231678,"position":3},"title":"[COVID-19] All HC | Uttar Pradesh Government to file status report on measures taken to address domestic violence victims grievances","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"June 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Allahabad High Court:\u00a0A Division Bench of Pankaj Mithal and Yashwant Varma, JJ., addressed a Public Interest Litigation wherein the issue pertained to the grievance of Domestic Violence Victims. Present petition was filed to seek direction upon the respondent for the appointment of Nodal Officer in order to monitor the grievances\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":310780,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/01\/06\/legal-realism-and-sociological-jurisprudence-changing-the-domestic-violence-culture-ecosystem\/","url_meta":{"origin":231678,"position":4},"title":"Legal Realism and Sociological Jurisprudence: Changing the Domestic Violence Culture Ecosystem","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"January 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Sayaboyena Nikhil Sai Krishna*","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Op Eds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Op Eds","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/op-ed\/legal-analysis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Legal Realism and Sociological Jurisprudence","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ecosystem-1.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ecosystem-1.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ecosystem-1.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ecosystem-1.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":343965,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/03\/20\/paradox-of-the-protection-order\/","url_meta":{"origin":231678,"position":5},"title":"Paradox of the Protection Order","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"March 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Vilasini Balasubramanian*","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Op Eds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Op Eds","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/op-ed\/legal-analysis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Paradox of the Protection Order","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Paradox-of-the-Protection-Order.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Paradox-of-the-Protection-Order.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Paradox-of-the-Protection-Order.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Paradox-of-the-Protection-Order.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8808"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=231678"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231678\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/231679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=231678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=231678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=231678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}