Legislation not enough to eradicate domestic violence

New Delhi, Jan 14 (UNI) A clarion call was given here by legal experts for making the recently-passed Domestic Violence Act effective as it would go a long way in improving the welfare of women and they highlighted the role civil society can play in enabling this to happen.

The call for improving the lot of the women, particuarly protecting them from domestic violence was given by the experts at an 'Awareness Campaign' here. Those who took part in the event included Delhi High Court Judge Vikramjit Sen and Mr Sanjay Ghosh and Ms Leena Prasad, both advocates practising in the capital.

The Act ensures protection against 'domestic violence' in an all encompassing manner. These include all manner of physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuses. These pernacious actions can harm and cause injury to women and can even endanger the life, health and safety of the fairer sex. Attrocious actions of a man or even a women can be traumatic enough for a women, damging her mental stability. This has often been the case in Indian society which still has remnants of feudalism and other forms of primitive behaviour, including wide-spread display of male chauvnism.

The speakers stated that in most parts of India the dominant mode of family system was patriarchal, where women merely adopt different roles to fit the socio-cultural milieu. For instance, the same women is a mother, a worker in the fields, a cook at home and may also go to the market place to sell the farm produce. The moot question is whether the Act is comprehensive and far-reaching enough to protect her against domestic violence.

The legislation is titled:'The Protection Of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2005' and was passed by a near consensus in both houses of Parliament.

Justice Sen said while all sections of society should work towards obliterating domestic violence, youth needs to take the lead in this regard.

Mr Ghosh and Ms Prasad stressed the import of making concerted efforts in rural areas, where civil society groups have not yet penetrated in an effective manner.

The experts were of the view that the legislation would go a long way in improving the status of a woman if implementation is taken care of. The key to effective implementation was in determined social and political will.

The proof of the pudding ultimately lies in its eating and the legislation should be judged as to whether a woman deeply seeped in a family set can raise her voice against any form of domestic violence, they said.

The experts said the buzz word was grass roots, necessary to eradicate the centuries- old evil from its roots.

UNI