Responses to Domestic Violence in Karnataka and Gujarat

Abstract

In order to survey and assess these responses in their various forms, domestic violence was first defined broadly to comprise those acts of intimidation and cruelty such as mental, emotional, financial, and physical abuse of a woman, which may make a woman or her family members seek the support of agencies outside of the family and kin group. The study, therefore, is designed to examine the response by these public agencies to matters previously relegated to the private sphere. This study does not address, however, the nature, causes, or effects of domestic violence. Instead, the research concentrates exclusively on how state and voluntary organizations respond to the problem. These responses vary considerably and include: measures taken by the criminal justice system, voluntary community “sensitization” and awareness programs, state welfare policies, and voluntary economic and social empowerment programs for women.