When a girl dreams of her wedding, she thinks of a happily ever

after. She dreams of a home where she will get a lot of love and
affection from her husband and in-laws. Unfortunately for many
women, this precious dream gets shattered as soon as they get
married, courtesy domestic violence. any domestic violence cases
go unreported. !nd, among the cases that come into the limelight,
will send a chill down your spine, as "# per cent women suffer such
violence to an e$treme degree.
The National Crime Records Bureau says that one dowry
death takes place every 77 minutes in the country.
What do the statistics say?
%&n &ndia alone, around '#( of women are victim of these violent acts
in one or the other form,% as told by )enuka *howdhury, the former
+unior minister for Women and *hild ,evelopment, to the -.&.
.he scenario does sound very scary, but the fact remains that a
ma+ority of &ndian women are undergoing abuse every single day.
Why so many cases of domestic violence go unreported/
&n some cases, women feel helpless against domestic violence, as
many families in &ndia do not support women who complain against
such abuse. 0ven in the modern world, there are thousands of
educated and career oriented women who suffer in silence because of
the fear of the society1s reaction.
2ere is what ,elhi-based advocate, 3eha 4upta, says on why women
don1t report such cases in &ndia, ost of the women who are
physically abused by their husbands are not aware of the legal
remedies available to them. .hey do not have any support from family
or friends or are hesitant to discuss the same with their peers. any
are financially dependent on husbands and have no source of income.
So they stay in such an atmosphere as they have nowhere to go.% She
further adds, .here is also a fear of being thrown out of the house by
the husband and in-laws. !nd, they are also scared for their kids5
security.
What all Women ust 6now about the &ndian 7aw
Well, women in &ndia should be aware that they have a strong legal
system for their help and protection. !ll they need to know is, what
are their legal rights/
Speaking on legal right of &ndian women, in cases of physical and
mental domestic abuse, advocate 3eha 4upta, shares what actions
women can take. She says, &t is as simple as dialing the 8## number
immediately and lodging a report. Women can also go and lodge a
written complaint at police station and keep a copy with them. .o
protect themselves and their kids from the after effects of lodging a
report, women can also file a complaint under section 89 of -rotection
of Women from ,omestic :iolence !ct 9##;, where they can seek
protection orders, right to residence and custody orders. She also
suggested that women can approach 34<s and legal aid cell or
nearest women cell to seek legal help in case of domestic violence.
=es, law is there to empower and protect women from such domestic
abuse. .he problem is that the society does not protect women
against such violence or help them to stand against such acts> and
that is why, thousands of cases go unreported. ?or this too,
4overnment of &ndia has made a number of initiatives to spread
awareness and help women come to the forefront to report the
domestic abuse.
&n 9#8#, the inistry of Women and *hild ,evelopment supported a
campaign named @ell @a+ao, which was based on domestic violence.
.his campaign showcases as to how by simple means Alike ringing the
door bell of the victim5s houseB neighbours can interrupt domestic
violence, and help the victim.
The fact is that domestic violence is wrong. iolence is
violence whether it is against women or men. !t is not
difficult if we as the society "ecome a little active. #tart
reacting when you see domestic violence against women.
$nd% stop making mockery when you see domestic violence
against men. This can "e small "ut effective steps to keep
the faith in the institution of marriage alive&