Women in Difficult circumstances - Summaries of Research

219 Pages·2008·4.71 MB·English

Women in Difficult Circumstances
Summaries of Research
National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development
5, Siri Institutional Area, Hauz Khas, New Delhi - 110016
Number of Copies
English 800
Hindi 200
© National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, 2008
Printed at Power Printers, 2/8-A, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi-110002. Ph.: 23272445, 23283911
Project Team
Guidance and Support : Dr. A.K. Gopal
Encouragement and Support : Dr. Dinesh Paul
Dr. Sulochana Vasudevan
Text : Meenakshi Sood
S.K. Sobti
Shikha Vij
Deepa Garg
Punita Mathur
Abhilasha Mishra
Dr. Anindita Shukla
Vipula Bahri
Computer Assistance : Ashok Mahto
Support Services : H.K. Barthwal, Editing
A.J. Kaul, Publishing
Jyoti Sethi, Proof Reading
Hindi Translation : Rekha Juneja
Sushma Juneja
Vijay Kaushik
Institutional Cooperation : Government Ministries and Departments
Autonomous Organisations
United Nations Organisations
International Organisations
Research Institutions
Voluntary Organisations
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Foreword
Societies in many parts of the world are plagued with the problem of discrimination against
the fairer sex and gender inequality. Son preference is widely prevalent, so much so that parents
abort the female foetus if the sex of an unborn child is disclosed. Declining child sex ratio has set
alarm bells ringing as the child sex ratio (0 – 6 years) has fallen below 800 in several districts of
the country. Girls are discriminated against in schooling, nutrition and personality development as
their mobility is restricted during adolescence, and they are not allowed to move out of the house
to learn skills which would enable them to earn a livelihood and become financially independent.
Restrictions imposed on them in the name of safety impede their personality development and
reduce their self confidence and self esteem. Marriage is set up as the only desirable goal of life,
and if by chance problems arise in the marital home, alternatives are very limited. Women stay on
in the marital home and the rising graph of crimes against women is an indicator of a deep set
malaise in society. This document is an effort to assess the life situation of women in various
adverse circumstances. ‘Women in difficult circumstances’ is a broad term covering various groups
of women, namely destitute/ deserted/ divorced women; displaced women; women victims of
domestic violence; women victims of armed conflict or terrorist violence; trafficked women or
women in sex work; kidnapped women; women branded as witches; widows; and women prisoners.
Research over the years has revealed that systematic exploitation of these women takes place,
and they have no place and no one they can turn to. This study is an effort to collate and compile
the needs of these vulnerable women so that policy decisions can be taken and implemented
adopting a needs based approach. The widely scattered research has been collected and collated
to facilitate its use by government agencies, planners, administrators, researchers, scholars, social
workers, functionaries of voluntary organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders working for the
cause of women. If the recommendations of various experts and researchers who have undertaken
these studies could be used to initiate appropriate action at various levels to give these women a
safer, secure and violence free life, the objectives of this compilation would be achieved.
Valuable guidance and support for the Project was provided by Dr. Dinesh Paul, Additional
Director and Dr. Sulochana Vasudevan, Joint Director of the Institute. I would like to put on record
my appreciation for the painstaking effort put in by Ms. Meenakshi Sood, Ms. S. K. Sobti, and her
Project Team comprising Ms. Shikha Vij, Ms. Deepa Garg, Ms. Punita Mathur, Ms. Abhilasha
Mishra, Dr. Anindita Shukla and Ms. Vipula Bahri for preparing the various summaries and scouting
the reading rooms and libraries of various institutions in Delhi. I would like to thank various
Government Ministries, autonomous organizations, research institutes, international organizations,
voluntary organizations (NGOs), schools/ departments of social work, university departments and
researchers who very kindly agreed to share their research studies with NIPCCD. Without their
cooperation and collaboration it would not have been possible to bring out this compilation.
I would also like to thank Shri Ashok Mahato, Project Data Entry Operator who provided unstinting
computer support, and Shri A. J. Kaul, Publication Officer for layout, printing and design of the
report.
(A. K. Gopal)
Director
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Introduction
In India, women have been accorded high status in literature, and are worshipped as
Goddesses, but in day to day life and in society their situation is far from satisfactory. Women are
accorded lower status as compared to men, and if any misfortune befalls them, their situation
becomes even more vulnerable. Since Independence in 1947, and adoption of the Constitution in
1950, the Government of India has made several efforts to improve the situation of women and
bring women at par with men. But in spite of various initiatives, gender disparities are widely
prevalent. But times are changing, however slowly, and women are stepping out of their homes in
search of livelihood and to seek their own identity. In the process, they are exposed and exploited,
and being physically weaker, they are vulnerable to many dangers such as kidnapping, trafficking,
sexual assault, etc. They are not safe even in their own natal homes, as is indicated by the
declining child sex ratio; nor are they safe in their marital homes, as the rising crime rate of dowry
harassment, domestic violence, dowry deaths, cruelty by husband and relatives, etc. indicates.
Special measures, hence, are required for women who are in special vulnerable situations at
different stages in life. Women in difficult circumstances is a burning issue in contemporary times,
and the women who fall in this category are destitute/ deserted/ divorced women; displaced women;
women victims of domestic violence; women victims of armed conflict or terrorist violence; trafficked
women or women in sex work; kidnapped women; women branded as witches; widows; and women
prisoners.
Although exact figures about all these groups of women are not available, the information
available about some categories of women in difficult circumstances is given below:
1. Widowed/ Divorced/ Separated Women ~ 20 million
7.8% of total population (SRS Statistical Report 2004)
Married Women 47.6%
Never Married Women 44.6%
2. Female Headed Households in India 11.3%
(National Sample Survey Report 2004-05)
3. Dowry Cases (2005)(Crime in India 2005) 3204
4. Dowry Deaths (2005)(Crime in India 2005) 6787
5. Cruelty by Husband and Relatives(Crime in India 2005) 58,319
6. Kidnapping and Abduction (Crime in India 2005) 15,750
7. Rape Victims (Total) 18,376
Upto 10 Years 557
10 – 14 Years 1174
14 – 18 Years 2344
18 – 30 Years 10,809
30 – 50 Years 3381
Above 50 Years 111
(Crime in India 2005)
8. Estimated Number of Sex Workers 500,000 – 900,000
9. Women Arrested under Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (ITPA) 5908
(Crime in India 2005)
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10.Women Prisoners (2005) 13,986
Central Jails 4323
District Jails 4649
Sub-Jails 1745
Women Jails 2961
Borstal Schools 136
Open Jails 14
Special Jails 128
Other Jails 30
(Prison Statistics in India 2005)
11. Women Prisoners with Children (2005) 1251
12. Children in Prison with Mothers (2005) 1413
These categories of women are in specially vulnerable situations and are in need of special
services. This document outlines the situation of these women and also includes the various
recommendations offered by researchers who have studied the problems faced by these women
in depth. It is hoped that ameliorative action would be taken by concerned agencies to ensure the
basic human rights of these forgotten vulnerable segments of Indian society.
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Contents
S. Title of the Document/ Personal Author/ Page No.
No. Corporate Author/ Place
I Deserted / Destitute and Divorced Women
1. Desertion of Married Women by Non Resident Indians (NRIs) 3
in Andhra Pradesh
- Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Department of Women’s
Studies, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh (2004).
2. Destitute Women in Kerala: Psychological Resources and 5
Psycho-Social Needs
- M. S. Razeena Padman
Centre for Development Studies, Kerala Research Programme on
Local Level Development, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala (2003).
3. A Diagnostic Study of Wives Deserted by NRIs (Punjab) 7
- M. K. Jabbi
Council for Social Development, New Delhi (2005).
4. Divorce and Muslim Women 9
- S. A. H. Moinnuddin
New Delhi : Rawat Publishers (2000).
5. Problems in Women Headed Households Resulting from
Desertion
- Anna Mathew
Roda Mistry College of Social Work and Research Centre,
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (1998). 11
II Devdasis/ Jogins
6. Devadasis Vulnerable among Vulnerable
- S. Vijaya Kumar 15
- Council for Social Development, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (2002).
7. National Seminar on the Rehabilitation of Jogins, Bonded Labour 17
and Persons Engaged in Unclean Occupations April 1 to April 3, 1990.
Council for Social Development, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (1990).
8. Reform? Or a New Form of Patriarchy? Devadasis in Border Region 19
of Maharashtra and Karnataka
- Chhaya Datar
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Unit for Women’s Studies, Mumbai,
Maharashtra (2003).
III Displaced Women
9. Development-Induced Displacement in India: Impact on Women 23
- Balaji Pandey and Binaya Kumar Rout
National Commission for Women (NCW), New Delhi (2004).
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