Plight of women due to domestic violence

The various Tamil Nadu governments ruling this state  all these decades have been   trumpeting about  higher data on social indicators  of Tamil Nadu in comparison with other states of India . That includes data on status of  women too.  But,  the article, “ No safe haven for women at home” by Vignesh Radha Krishnan and Rebecca Rose Varghese   in the Hindu have shown the excising reality about domestic violence suffered by women . The history of uneducated , poor , unemployed and timid  women with no exposure to outside world  to know about the social , legal and political changes that are taking place in women’s life in India can be narrated as a history of silence. They suffer all types of violence against them in the name of family honour, children’s future and   personal image. They suffer silently due to cultural ,economic and social factors.

Study after study on violence on women indicate that, alcoholism is the main factor responsible for domestic violence  .   The “NFHS data reveals that , the consumption of alcohol by men in Tamil Nadu is the highest in the country. “It is shocking to know that Tamil Nadu holds 4^th rank in women’s suicide   and “Husband’s alcoholism is one of the top reasons women give when we quiz them later about why they tried to commit suicide,” said Dr Anish Cherian, from the Department of Psychiatric Social Work at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore.  Is Tamil Nadu going to ignore this situation and watch silently the agony of women?

 Host of measures are needed to protect women from domestic violence. Women need to have higher education, job in the organized sector, have  legal awareness about women protection laws, information on supporting  NGOs,courage to face challenges  of life than rushing towards suicide, sensitisation of police  on gender abuse matters .  These measures at least would help women to come out of unbearable abusive situations. It is also time for the Finance  Minister of Tamil Nadu to search into other new sources of revenue that would ,compensate for the excessive dependence on liquor revenue if ,they really are interested in women’s welfare in Tamil Nadu .