Violence against women: Where are the solutions?

Abstract

Byline: Indira. Sharma If all men are born free, how is it that all women are born slaves? Mary Astel 1668-1731: Some Reflections upon Marriage (1706 ed.) Dear friends, I am deeply honoured by the trust you have reposed in me and elected me to the highest office of the Indian Psychiatric Society. At this point of time, I would like to pay my respects to my revered teachers and seniors who taught me the ABC of psychiatry, mentored and blessed me all along my journey to this point. I salute (Late) Professor BB Sethi who admitted me to psychiatry. Dear Sirs, Prof. A. K. Agarwal, Prof. N. Lal, Prof. S. C. Gupta, Prof. Mata Prasad, Prof. C. K. Rastogi, Prof. A. K. Tandon, Prof. Prabhat Sitholey, and Dr. Ashok Trivedi, I thank you all wholeheartedly for all that you have taught me. I would like to give the credit to you all for this achievement. At this moment, I would like to remember my father (Late) Pandit Harish Chandra Sharma, a practicing lawyer at the Allahabad High court, for the enthusiasm he infused in me and for his lofty ideals, a few of which I have imbibed. I would like to dedicate this address to him. I have chosen against Women: Where are the Solutions? as the theme of my address on the following accounts: *Violence against women is a social, economic, developmental, legal, educational, human rights,and health (physical and mental) issue. *It is a preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in women *The relationship between violence against women and mental illness has not been adequately explored. *Application of laws related to violence in the setting of mental illness is difficult *Despite the social and religious sanctions against it in all cultures, it has continued. Responses by communities, religious institutions, government (various commissions), international conventions, stringent legislations and penal measures have failed miserably in containing the menace. The recent gang rape of a medical student on 16.12.2012, by 6 persons (under the effect of alcohol) in a bus (the safest transport), in the presence of her friend (a male), during busy traffic hours (9.30 pm), for an extended period (>1 h), in the National Capital Region, whose Chief Minister is a lady, and with a lady as the president of the ruling party has rocked the country. Violence against women is on the national agenda. Government is making frantic efforts to find solutions. The Justice JS Varma Commission has been set up. The world has entered into a new millennium, but from the dawn of civilization till date, the woman of the patriarchal society of India continues to be oppressed and ill-treated. She is dependent, weak, exploited and faces gender discrimination in every sphere of life. The gender-based violence that threatens the well-being, dignity and rights of women, extends across social, cultural, economic and regional boundaries. Instances of violence against women in ancient India are mentioned. Mahabharat cites the violence meted out to Dropti. Yudhishtir staked his wife Dropti in gambling and lost her, following which Duryodhana ordered his brother Dushasan to strip her in the royal palace and he attempted to do so, but Lord Krishna came to her rescue. Kans killed seven newborn babies of his sister Devaki. In modern societies also violence against women is a major public health problem affecting women and children. While deliberating on violence against women and mental illness two cases deserve mention. First, the Bobbitt case [sup][1] of an American couple, whose difficult relationship gained worldwide notoriety for an incident in 1993 when the wife severed her husband's penis with a knife. The penis was subsequently surgically re-attached. The wife stated that her husband sexually, physically, and emotionally abused her during their marriage, flaunted his infidelities, and had forced her to have an abortion. …