Non-profit CARE India on Saturday called for stronger, resolute action from key stakeholders to address vital gaps in the implementation of the 'Protection of Women against Domestic Violence Act (2005).
According to a release issued by the CARE India, December 10 marked the closing of the '16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence' campaign, which had began on November 25 --International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
CARE India MD and CEO Rajan Bahadur said that prevention and elimination of domestic violence against women was one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030.
"Domestic violence is widespread in South Asia. Countries such as India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have promulgated several laws over the years, to criminalise domestic violence. However, the implementation of these laws remains a major challenge, as multiple barriers impede their implementation," Bahadur said.
CARE India, in partnership with Mahila Jagran Kendra (MJK), recently released its 'State-facilitated Support Services under PWDV Act, 2005: Review of Status of Implementation in Bihar 2016'.
The report highlighted "the gaps and quality of services being rendered by state-facilitated support institutions and stakeholders and the experience of survivors in accessing justice".
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Some of the key findings in the report showed that 82 per cent respondents were dissatisfied with complaint redressal by government institutions such as helplines and police stations while only 72 per cent of stakeholders interviewed during the study could refer to the all the various provisions under the PWDV Act.
The findings further indicated that only 67 per cent of the protection officers and 42 per cent of police station in-charges register cases and only 60 per cent of key stakeholders could comprehend each other's roles and responsibilities.
It also revealed that all survivors responded that lack of knowledge about various provision of the Act made them to run from one institution to another for relief.
Seventy per cent of women in India suffered from domestic violence in 2014, as per the National Crime Record Bureau.
--IANS
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