Every year, as millions of women marry, they dream of starting a family, of having their homes filled with tiny cries and the happy laughter of gurgling babies. In India however, pregnancy is too often followed by the question of
whether the unborn child is a girl or a boy.

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 o

It was in Deorala village in Rajasthan on September 3, 1987 that the last incident of sati was reported. Then an 18-year-old Roop Kanwar had committed sati by jumping into the funeral pyre of her 23-year-old Rajput husband, Maal Singh.

The English common law or law created by English judicial decisions treated the wife as the husband's chattel, allowing the husband to do as he pleased in the private domain of his home.

The sensational murder of a Delhi model has triggered off endless debate on the break- down of traditional values and the rise of the cash and carry culture. Many have proffered the pernicious argument that since she was bar tending dressed in shorts, she was perhaps asking for it.

The sad truth is that society in general tends to judge the rape victim, not the rapists. It is she who has to hide her face in shame, not the criminals. And those who are shocked by it believe rape is a closet issue best kept locked in the social cupboard.

Domestic violence against women is increasingly recognised as a major health and social problem in India. It is also a concerns for public health.

The available literature on evolution of Indian culture and civilization reveals that although the ancient writers pretended to record their revered admiration for the womanhood yet in actual practice women have always been suppressed and exploited by the dominant male members of the society.

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.

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].