Sad that violence against women is considered a norm – Women Helpline 181
DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 2 (MExN): Since its launch in June 2016, the Women Helpline has received thousands of calls for various kinds of cases, out of which, cases of domestic violence has been the highest.
This was informed through a press release today by the Women Helpline 181 Nagaland, which is undertaking 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. The campaign started on November 25, which was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and will culminate on December 10, which is Human Rights Day.
The Women Helpline 181 Nagaland termed it “sad not only to see and know that violence against women exists in our State to this extent, but also to learn that violence against women is considered a norm and termed as an everyday affair.”
“It is disheartening to hear our women victims - threatened, traumatized and scared, and to hear their many horrific stories of torture and hurt. Though many have been victims, only few have been bold enough to raise their voice against violence,” it added.
Terming it sad to see women suffering in silence, the Women Helpline 181 Nagaland informed that the few who do report such cases, also tend to withdraw the case “for various reasons.” The reasons include “being threatened/forced to withdraw; some feel that it is more important to protect and honour the family’s name and reputation; thus, suffer in silence and sacrifice their lives for their children; and most of the women victims, no matter how ugly they may appear to their abusers and no matter how intensely violence is being inflicted on them, always tend to forgive their abusers.”
These reasons, it however stated should not be considered to portray women as weak and pathetic in any way, “for the abusers would not be able to endure such agony if meted out to them.” “In our society, gender equality has always been a contested area. It is high time for our people to seriously contemplate on this issue and move towards a change in mindset, because the pandemic of violence against women is unfortunately already deeply embedded in our society,” it added.
As such, considering the present status of women and violence, and also realizing the fact that, violence against women is a violation of Human Rights which also stands as an obstacle in the full and rightful development of Women, the Women Helpline 181, Nagaland, in its attempt to contribute towards curbing this menace, has over the past eight days, been reaching out to the general masses through open house in various colonies across Kohima, as well as going door to door to convey the message of Women Helpline 181.
It has also been distributing IEC materials to the masses to educate and sensitize as many as possible. It informed that the team will continue its activism for the next 8 days, culminating on December 10.
It said that the response received so far has been “very positive and encouraging.” The Women Helpline 181 Nagaland said that the history of suppression and violence meted out to women is old and long, which is being passed on from one generation to the other –making violence an intrinsic part of the society that we are living in.
Some of the contributing factors, it observed could be “the desire to gain control over the partner or another family member; the desire to exploit someone for personal benefits; the flare to be in a commanding position all the time, showcasing one’s supremacy; psychological and social influences also adds to the vehemence; to add more, many a time, it is the orthodox and idiotic mindset of the society which subjugates and imprisons women as a subordinate being.”
At such a juncture, where the nation is ravaged by violence and where in Nagaland State, cases of violence against women is increasingly on the rise, the State Resource Centre for Women implementing the scheme of the Women Helpline 181 is a timely intervention, it stated.
This scheme has been designed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, to exclusively support women affected by violence both in private and public spaces including in the family, community, workplace, etc. Women who are victims of physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic abuse, irrespective of age, class, caste, education status, marital status, race, culture, and geography will be provided support. Under the umbrella of this scheme, a woman facing any kind of violence due to attempted honour related crimes, acid attacks, witch-hunting, sexual harassment, child sexual abuse, trafficking, etc. will also be provided with immediate and emergency services.
