39 pc Indians think it’s ok to beat wives
UN report says 70 pc women are not aware of their rights
The latest findings of United Nations on the progress of women worldwide reveal that a large percentage of population in India does not have any reservation about wife-beating.
A UN report based on prevalence surveys in some countries of Asian region says, “Thirty-nine per cent of men and women in the country think it is sometimes or always justifiable for a man to beat his wife.”
The report also informs that the number of victims of physical violence by their intimate partners is also as high as 35 per cent in India.
The report, Progress of the World’s Women in Pursuit of Justice (2011-2012) was released on Thursday by the UN’s wing for gender equality.
However, in neighbouring Bangladesh 49 per cent of the respondents were found to be victims of physical violence, and 18 per cent complained of sexual harassment. These surveys have also exposed the inefficacy of high pitched campaigns for changing social attitude and democratisation of the decision making process within the family.
“Close to 63 per cent of women in India, between the ages of 15-49,lack autonomy which is defined as having no say in any of the vital every day decisions: own health care, large household purchases for daily needs and visits to family or relatives,” says the UN report.
Long road ahead
While commending the government initiatives of strengthening laws against gender violence, the report has pointed out lack of implementation of these laws.
The report says the legal literacy is very low and “70 percent women in the country are not aware of their rights”.
“India significantly lags behind the rest of the world, with women making up just three per cent of judges.
“Women judges are under-represented in most of the courts in the country,” says the report.
UN Women Deputy Executive Director Laxmi Puri pointed out the lack of proper representation in the police force and failure in establishing all-women police stations.
