1) Introduction

The lockdown slogan Stay Home. Stay Safe was a reassuring one for most people. But for many others, especially women, it was a time of enforced brutal confinement with their tormentors. [1] With numerous uncalled deaths, this pandemic also brought out the worst in humans in terms of their behavior and tolerance. Even though not parallel to the number of deaths, there was a significant rise in the rate of domestic violence cases during the pandemic period when every member of the family was locked together in the same house for more than a year. The report, Grappling with the Shadow Pandemic: Womens Groups and Domestic Violence in India says that The first lockdown, from March to May 2020, severely impacted women. Like others in cities and towns all over India, women too lost jobs, saw their savings dwindle, and witnessed family and friends falling seriously sick. What was not foreseen, however, was that the slogan Stay home, stay safe, urging people to follow the lockdown rules and isolate, would mean something entirely different for women. With family members at home all the time, women were doubly impacted not only with economic and other losses but also with a heavier burden of housework and with the ugly specter of domestic violence looming over them. [1]

2) What is domestic violence?

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act of 2005 is the subject of this discussion. Being among the first in this field, this Act has specifically addressed the issue of domestic abuse while taking into account all relevant laws and has made an effort to lessen the many side issues that these laws typically have (such unworkable measures). This legislation, which reflects the thinking of Indian men, is aptly situated within the Indian environment and social backdrop. The Act defines "domestic violence" broadly, a phrase that was not even used in legalese earlier than now. This is a bold departure from previous legislation. The Act provides a broad definition of domestic violence, including abuse on all fronts: mental, physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, and financial, acts of threatening abuse against the victim or anybody connected to her and harassment for dowry. As a result, the Act addresses abuse types that were either not previously addressed or were treated in ways that were not as comprehensive as they are now.

The Protection Of Women from Domestic Violence Act of 2005 states that a person has committed domestic violence if

(a) harms or injures or endangers the health, safety, life, limb or well-being, whether mental or physical, of the aggrieved person or tends to do so and includes causing physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal and emotional abuse, and economic abuse; or

(b) harasses, harms, injures, or endangers the aggrieved person with a view to coerce her or any other person related to her to meet any unlawful demand for any dowry or other property or valuable security; or

(c) has the effect of threatening the aggrieved person or any person related to her by any conduct mentioned in clause (a) or clause (b); or

(d) otherwise injures or causes harm, whether physical or mental, to the aggrieved person. [2]

3) Pandemic's contribution in the increasing cases of Domestic Violence

The rise in numbers demonstrates that some of the lockdowns suggested by international health experts to combat the epidemic have unforeseen repercussions. Lockdowns are justified in protecting the public's health, but we also need to consider their unintended and collateral effects. This is not to argue against lockdowns, but rather that we need to allocate more resources to deal with their knock-on effects. A lockdown raises the risk factors for domestic violence in several ways, including increased financial strain from lost income from unemployment and the inability to provide safe havens for those in high-risk situations. People's interactions with their partners are restricted to specific times of the day when they work outside the home, which also reduces the likelihood of conflict. Not only do lockdowns eliminate breathing spaces, but they also create an environment that is more conducive to domestic violence. Beyond that, getting assistance during a lockdown is difficult, as a victim or survivor, you are cut off from your support network and unable to contact your family, friends, or other essential people during a lockdown, which further restricts your capacity to receive assistance. Violence is more likely in all those aspects and all those ways.

4) Steps taken by the Government to deal with this problem

The Supreme Court of India has released guidelines for the operation of courts while under lockdown byholding video conferences. The Court instructed the National Informatics Centre (NIC) State officials to communicate with the corresponding High Courts and develop a strategy for the operation of virtual courts in which users participate in hearings via video or phone conferences.

The Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) is working with Mother Dairy booths, pharmacists, and chemists around the nation's capital to provide information on victims of domestic abuse during the lockdown. The DSLSA also launched an app to provide legal aid to these people. Involving mother dairy booths and pharmacists is intended to encourage them to notify the DLSA of any information they learn about domestic abuse victims. Additionally, DSLSA has ties to Anganwadi and ASHA employees who may encounter domestic abuse instances in their communities. Additionally, DLSA established a phone number, which may be contacted by SMS and WhatsApp messaging. Thus far, more than 700 incidences of domestic violence have been documented from across the country during all three lockdowns. [ 4]

the Ministry of Women and Child Development holds orientation sessions.

workshops on the "Safety and Wellbeing of" using video conferencing

Menstruation hygiene for female migrant labor, quarantine, and shelter homes, along with women's interactions with one-stop centers, women's helplines, and women's homes the epidemic context. The workshops cover the following topics:

(a) Menstrual hygiene for female migrant workers, female refugees, and shelter homes

(b) Psycho-social counseling for participating institutions and women experiencing violence or distress

(c) Legal advice for participating institutions and women experiencing violence, particularly domestic abuse.

5) Conclusion

During the pandemic, there were undoubtedly gaps in the laws protecting women from domestic abuse, but the government and other groups were aware of these issues and implemented mitigating measures to address the issues.

While these actions were done during the pandemic to mitigate the effects of an increase in domestic violence, ongoing efforts and systemic improvements are still needed to effectively address this issue. Collaboration between governmental and non-governmental organizations, communities, and individuals is necessary to stop domestic abuse in India and offer victims comprehensive assistance.

6) Citations

1) Akshara Centre, Grappling with the Shadow Pandemic: Womens Groups and Domestic Violence in India (January 2022).

2) The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005.

3) The Indian Express, available at:

https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2020/may/24/delhi-statelegal-services-authority-comes-to-the-aid-of-domestic-abuse-victims-2147172.html (last visited on December 23, 2023).