Karnataka has the dubious distinction of having a majority of its people think it is normal for husbands to beat wives if they do not carry out what are perceived to be their duty. The most trite and ordinary of reasons are enough for violence within the family and it is justified as right and deserved by women. The country as such also thinks there is nothing wrong with it, as almost half of the men and women are found to agree with the idea that domestic violence is natural. These are the findings of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5). The survey showed that one in three women in the country is likely to have been subjected to physical, emotional or sexual abuse in the family. Domestic violence is a complex issue that changes from family to family, region to region and in various environments, but what is common is the reality of violence, women becoming its easy target, and social acceptance of the practice. It is even accepted as a custom.
The survey has findings on different aspects of domestic violence, its prevalence and the ways in which it is handled. There is a fall in the percentage of women who justify wife-beating, compared to NFHS-4 held in 2015-16, but that does not help. There are more men who support it now. There are more people in the “socially and educationally advanced” South who think domestic abuse is normal than in the “backward” North. It is accepted more in rural areas than in urban areas. More cases are reported and filed now than in the past. But it is also still true that only a small percentage of cases are reported. Even among cases which are pursued, convictions are low.
The survey also revealed that about 44 per cent of married women said they had faced domestic violence. Notably, this is 24 per cent more than in the last survey. It is necessary to find out why there is more violence within the family now. The survey was done before the pandemic, and domestic violence is widely reported to have increased during the pandemic. The economic, social, cultural and other reasons for the problem need to be addressed at various levels. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, has not been very effective in preventing violence or in punishing the guilty. The idea of woman as the property of man is deeply entrenched. It has to change. The survey shows that there is a need for change in women’s self-image also and for better awareness of their rights. There are questions about the methodology of the survey, but the reality of domestic violence and its wide acceptance is reconfirmed by it.