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Twenty-three-year-old Anita (name changed) from Rajasthan had decided to escape a life of marital rape and violence in January 2020. But the pandemic and multiple lockdowns delayed her escape, until she finally managed to leave her abusive husband and in-laws late 2021. With the help of Delhi-based NGO Shakti Shalini, she is now pursuing a case against her husband.
According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, released on 29 August, India saw a total of 4,28,278 instances of crimes against women in 2021 – a 15 percent increase from the previous year.
Anita is one of the 1,36,192 women across India who registered cases under 'cruelty by husband or his relatives' in 2021. She is also a survivor of 'shadow pandemic' – a name given by sociologists and social scientists for the spike in domestic violence cases during the pandemic. COVID-19 pandemic, experts point, could be one of the reasons for a high number of such cases in 2021.
West Bengal reported the highest number of cases of cruelty against women by spouses or their relatives in 2021, according to NCRB. A total 19,952 cases under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with violence against women by husbands and their relatives, were registered in the state.
During the same period, India recorded 13,534 cases under the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 last year, a 25 percent rise compared to the cases registered in 2020 (10,046), as per the NCRB data. One-third of these cases (4,594) were registered in Uttar Pradesh – the highest in the country.
There has, however, been a slight decline of 3.85 percent in the number of dowry-related deaths in 2021, which recorded a total of 6,589 such cases, compared to 6,843 cases in 2020.
At least 45 percent of women, surveyed across 13 countries, reported that they or a woman they knew experienced some form of violence since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, revealed a survey by UN Women, released in November 2021.
The report revealed that women who experienced violence were 1.3 times more likely to report mental and emotional stress than those who had not. Seven in 10 said they thought verbal or physical abuse by partner became more common during the pandemic, and three in 10 were of the opinion that violence against women, in their community, had increased.
According to the the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), which was conducted during the period, one in three women in India – between ages 18 and 45 – experienced spousal abuse.
One of the project coordinators, who works at a shelter home, run by the Delhi Commission for Women, said that organisations had to fend for themselves as they received "no help from the government."
Between 25 March and 31 May 2020, the National Commission for Women (NCW) received 1,477 complaints of domestic violence. Nearly 727 of these complaints were received on its WhatsApp helpline (+917217735372 ) set up in April to ensure women, who couldn’t access emails or send complaints by post, could receive help. However, the total complaints during the 68-day period were 1.5 times of complaints received during the same year in 2020.
While the increase in cases is alarming, it is not always a 'bad sign,' says Sonali Shelar, an advocate who works with survivors of physical and sexual abuse. On one hand, the increase in cases of 'cruelty by husbands' may actually be a good sign.
The project coordinator, who works in government-run shelter, too, asserted that there is more to these numbers.
"I feel numbers can be deceiving. You'll get data only if it's registered. Many women suffer in silence, we have to tune into the silences to carefully hear the cry for help. During the lockdown, women were locked inside the four walls with their abusers. The rise in numbers we see is because the survivors were pushed beyond their limit and they had to file a case. Another thing I witnessed was due to unemployment there was a growing tension of finances in many households. In one case, a husband who recently lost his job forced the woman for more dowry," the coordinator said.
As Patgiri pointed, India was neither prepared, nor had systems in place to tackle the 'shadow pandemic' – but there has also been no effort to take the learnings forward.
"Now that we have the NCRB data as proof, efforts should be made to actively include study about consent, about violence. There needs to be a policy that addresses providing financial support to survivors, so that they are empowered to come out with stories of abuse. There need to be more subcommittees, and just the organisation like NCW is not enough," Patgiri added.
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