Men who beat, threaten or yell at their wives or live-in girlfriends could be jailed and fined under India's first law specifically targeting the often-tolerated problem of domestic violence.
The new law, which took effect yesterday, also applies to men or their families who harass wives for larger dowries, the government said.
The measure aims to prevent cases in which a husband or his family kills a wife because her family did not give a big enough dowry.
ABUSE DEFINED
The Domestic Violence Act defines abuse broadly, including verbal, physical, sexual, emotional and economic mistreatment. Violators face up to a year in prison, a fine of 20,000 rupees (US$435), or both.
"We have been trying for long to protect women from domestic violence. In India, around 70 percent of women are victims of these violent acts in one or another form," said Renuka Choudhury, the junior minister for women and child development.
Attitudes toward women, especially among educated urbanites, have changed considerably in the past few decades.
But much of the country remains conservative, and many look the other way when husbands abuse wives.
POLICE BYPASSED
The framers of the new law made provisions for abused women to complain directly to judges instead of police, who often side with men and rarely act on abuse complaints by women.
Now, when a woman files a complaint the onus is on the man to prove that he did not abuse his wife. The law also ensures the woman's right to stay in the family home.
Women's rights activists and civic groups have welcomed the new law.
"It's a victory for the women's movement in this country which has been fighting for years for laws that protect the basic rights of women," said Ranjana Kumari of the New Delhi-based Center for Social Research.
IMPLEMENTATION
However, she said the law needs to be backed by adequate implementation funds to allow federal and state governments to pay for protection officers and provide legal aid and counseling.
"While this is a giant step forward, it will only be meaningful if government sets aside funds to provide shelter and protection to a woman against further abuse if she files a complaint," Kumari said.
Describing the legislation as a "tool in the hands of millions of women in India," she said women's rights groups would soon launch a campaign to educate women about the law.
A UN Population Fund report said up to 70 percent of married women aged 15 to 49 in India are victims of beating or coerced sex.
DITCH TACTICS: Kenyan officers were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch suspected to have been deliberately dug by Haitian gang members A Kenyan policeman deployed in Haiti has gone missing after violent gangs attacked a group of officers on a rescue mission, a UN-backed multinational security mission said in a statement yesterday. The Kenyan officers on Tuesday were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch “suspected to have been deliberately dug by gangs,” the statement said, adding that “specialized teams have been deployed” to search for the missing officer. Local media outlets in Haiti reported that the officer had been killed and videos of a lifeless man clothed in Kenyan uniform were shared on social media. Gang violence has left
US Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday accused Denmark of not having done enough to protect Greenland, when he visited the strategically placed and resource-rich Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump. Vance made his comment during a trip to the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, a visit viewed by Copenhagen and Nuuk as a provocation. “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance told a news conference. “You have under-invested in the people of Greenland, and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this
A fire caused by a burst gas pipe yesterday spread to several homes and sent a fireball soaring into the sky outside Malaysia’s largest city, injuring more than 100 people. The towering inferno near a gas station in Putra Heights outside Kuala Lumpur was visible for kilometers and lasted for several hours. It happened during a public holiday as Muslims, who are the majority in Malaysia, celebrate the second day of Eid al-Fitr. National oil company Petronas said the fire started at one of its gas pipelines at 8:10am and the affected pipeline was later isolated. Disaster management officials said shutting the
Japan unveiled a plan on Thursday to evacuate around 120,000 residents and tourists from its southern islets near Taiwan within six days in the event of an “emergency”. The plan was put together as “the security situation surrounding our nation grows severe” and with an “emergency” in mind, the government’s crisis management office said. Exactly what that emergency might be was left unspecified in the plan but it envisages the evacuation of around 120,000 people in five Japanese islets close to Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has stepped up military pressure in recent years, including