Bengaluru: In the backdrop of the ongoing struggle of women against gender-based violence and discrimination, Aweksha, a women’s support group co-founded by women’s rights activist Donna Fernandes, conducted a closed-door discussion with women, many of whom are victims of domestic violence.
About 20 women gathered at Aweksha in Richmond Town on Friday, having broken free from the confines of their marriages and been cast out of their homes by their husbands. What unites these women is the shared experience of being suppressed by their family members, both physically and emotionally.
For most of these women, pursuing education and a career is out of reach, and escaping toxic relationships and marriages becomes a constant battle to validate their decisions. Abhilasha and Afrin Banu, both PhD scholars at Nimhans, specialising in research and support for domestic violence victims and burn victims, facilitated the discussion by providing an anchor for the thoughts and emotions shared by the group.
Donna Fernandes, who has dedicated over 40 to 45 years to empowering women, emphasised the importance of women’s support groups as a safe space to vent and connect with others.
Speaking to DH, she stressed that women often become easy targets of violence due to patriarchy’s pervasive influence, particularly within the institution of marriage and family.
“Women, for a long time, were dependent on men, emotionally and financially. Even if they earn their livelihood, men take away all their salaries by means of violence and threats. The problem is with the institution of marriage because this is based on the idea of confining women to the boundaries set by men,” she said.
She added, “Marriages collapse when women start asserting their priorities which is indicative of the fact that marriage is possible only when they submit or make adjustments to match their husband’s claims. It is because of this fear that women, who are most often victims of domestic violence do not speak up.”
Published 26 January 2024, 22:47 IST