Who is Going to Protect Women from their Protectors?

(Source: Carlos Torres, 2018)

 By Anusuiya Dutta

“If women were treated equally in India, there should have been 512 million women in the present population of one billion. However, estimates show that there are only 489 million women. Where are the missing 25 million? Some are never born, and the rest die because they are not given the opportunity to survive.”

- United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) India’s report on Violence Against Women in India, 2004.

India had a total population of 1.1 billion in 2004, out of which 495.95 million were women. According to the 2001 census, the sex ratio stood at 933 women for every 1,000 men. Ironically, the women's labour force participation rate peaked at 35% in 2004-05. In 2024, the same employment rate has only marginally improved to 37% for 705 million women against a population of nearly 1.4 billion. 

Around 70% of women in India remain outside the formal labour market despite being more educated than ever. The question raised here isn’t just about workforce participation. It’s about how when a woman steps towards financial independence, the toughest battle she faces has historically been in her own home. 

The question is that we saved the beti, we educated her, but who is going to protect our betis?

THE PROMISE OF “NARI SHAKTI”

The 2024 Indian General Election was the largest the world has ever seen, with approximately 309.37 million women casting their ballot. “Nari Shakti” has long since been the favourite tokenistic rally cry for Indian political parties. But the rhetoric around "saving" and "educating" girls often falls short when it comes to protecting them from harm, especially within the sanctified institution of marriage, where offences such as domestic violence have been historically downplayed or overlooked.

UNDERSTANDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Sociologically, “Domestic violence” can be described as a systematic pattern of controlling behaviour used by one ‘intimate partner’ against another. The abuse might include physical violence, sexual coercion, emotional manipulation, economic control, and psychological threats that enable perpetrators to maintain power over their partners.

Psychological pressure is the most widely reported form of domestic violence, closely followed by physical, emotional and sexual violence. According to World Health Organization data, nearly one in three women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner. To put this in perspective: that's equivalent to the entire population of India, or more than the combined populations of North and South America.

Source: Developed by Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, Duluth, MN, (https://www.theduluthmodel.org/)

In his book, "Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State,” Friedrich Engels theories that when humans shifted from nomadic to farming communities, the concept of private land ownership became central to society. Land became valuable property that needed to be passed down through generations. 

This system of inheritance restricted women’s roles to procreation and maintaining family bloodlines. Women started to become viewed as property, subordinate to male authority within the household. When perpetrators sense their dominance being challenged—whether through their partner's financial independence, career success, or simple assertion of basic rights—they may resort to violence to reinforce their control.

The key cause of domestic violence isn't about anger management or relationship conflict. It has always been about the power imbalance in a relationship. Rigid gender roles often result in the expectation that women be submissive to male family members and vice versa.

An Oxfam research revealed that both men and women globally believe that violence is acceptable, and even necessary, when used by men to discipline women for not delivering on their perceived responsibilities or when their behaviour transgresses social norms. 

Rates of acceptability about violence against women, 2018 (Source: Statista)

In a survey conducted across 1,107 respondents in major Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Chattisgarh, 54.4% people believed that it was acceptable to beat a woman if she left the left the house without permission while 41.2% found it acceptable if she didn’t cook for male family members.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AFTERMATH OF ABUSE 

The psychological trauma of domestic violence extends far beyond physical wounds. 

Survivors often experience severe anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), living in a constant state of hypervigilance and fear. The repeated pattern of abuse erodes their self-worth, leading to feelings of shame, helplessness, and isolation. 

Many survivors internalise their abuser's behaviour, blaming themselves and struggling with decision-making due to years of emotional manipulation. This psychological damage can persist long after leaving an abusive relationship, affecting their ability to form healthy relationships, maintain employment, or trust others. 

The impact is particularly severe when children witness or experience abuse, often leading to intergenerational trauma and normalised views of violence. Approximately 71% of children in India report experiencing maltreatment directly or witnessing it inflicted upon the female figures around them—whether on open roads or within the confines of their homes. For many, seeing a woman suffer is more familiar than seeing her being treated well.

ARE LEGAL REFORMS ENOUGH? 

Domestic violence, rather than being an isolated incident, is a deeply ingrained “societal problem” born from cultural norms and attitudes themselves. This cycle of reinforcement depends heavily on women’s unpaid labour, perpetuating itself through the systematic, patriarchal devaluation of their work.

While legal frameworks such as The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, The Dowry Prohibition Act, and Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code exist, these measures are largely reactive. 

Recently, Section 86 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita expanded the definition of 'cruelty' to include harm to a woman’s mental health. Yet, laws alone offer limited impact when societal norms remain unchanged, and grassroots awareness and shifts in patriarchal values are lacking.

So, the next time society’s so-called torchbearers claim that men must protect women, ask them—from whom, exactly?

About the author: 

Anusuiya Dutta (she/her) is a third year Mass communication student at MIT-WPU. She is a part-time enthusiastic information engulfer and a part-time daydreamer, with a penchant for exploring human vulnerabilities through her poetry. As the Editor-in-Chief of Samvaad, she aims to contribute to the long journey of dismantling the structures that seek to silence those who wish to exist outside its androcentric boundaries.