Gender violence causes more death and ability among women aged 14-44 than cancer, malaria, tmffic accidents, or even war.

It is necessary to draw attention to the tradition of over legislation in India. In the 1980's and 90's there has been focus on various issues in the women's movement, especially on legislative reforms. The result is the highest number of laws on violence against women.

If oppression were to be tackled by enacting laws, then the last decade (19809) could be declared as the golden era for Indian women, when laws were given on a platter.

Before discussing the subject, first let us see the definition of rape.

India probably is the only nation in the world which exclusively enshrines female deities in artistically built temples. The Meenakshi temple at Madurai, Ambabai temple at Kolhapur and the Shantadurga and Mahalaxmi temples at Goa are ample proof of the Hindu reverence for female deities.

Legal reforms have been at the centre of the agenda for strategizing gender justice in India. This has been so, right from the time of nine-teenth century social reforms movements, through the period of nationalist struggles, down to the contemporary women's movement.

The women's movement in India launched campaigns against rape, domestic violence, sexism in advertisements as well as against state repression during caste and communal riots in the early eighties.

In this paper I am going to discuss some important matters regarding domestic violence and women and support structures, both regarding the issue in general and our experiences in this field.

THE United Nations Commission on the Status of Women defines violence against women to include "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women..." [Economic and Social Council 1992].

Women in India have been facing violence in all spheres of life for thousands of years. They face domestic, political and social violence also, making it a multifaceted and complicated issue.