Domestic Violence (DV) or Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) has been an epidemic plaguing our society since time immemorial. As per the most recent estimates, globally over a quarter of all ever-partnered women of reproductive age have experienced physical or sexual or both forms of IPV, which averages around 35% in South Asia. In India, 32% of ever-married women reported having experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence by their husbands in their lifetime.
The most common type of spousal violence, in India, is physical (28%), followed by emotional (14%), and sexual (6%). While a recent pan-India survey reported a drop, from 31% to 29% (in 5 years) in physical and sexual violence combined, nonetheless, the magnitude is still unacceptably high.
So why do we observe an entire month as “Domestic Violence Awareness Month”? Will such observance bear fruits, or are they in danger of being just another social media trend?