The number of domestic violence cases on the rise in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu has earned the reputation of being a progressive state, owing to remarkable development in various sectors. But the new findings of the NFHS(National Family Health Survey) have revealed disconcerting facts about domestic violence against women in the state.

As per the available data, 44.7% of married women are victims of physical or sexual violence in Tamil Nadu. This number is the second-highest in the country. However, the shocking or rather saddening fact is that around 80 % of women believe that a husband has the right to hit or abuse his wife. It is the third-highest number in India.

Around 81% of the women maintain their silence on facing domestic violence, unable to share it even with their own families. Among those who actually sought help, 81.6% approached their own families for help. Only a mere 2.8% file a complaint against domestic violence to the police. The low number of cases registered against cruelty by husbands under section 498 A in Tamil Nadu validate these statistics.

Activists are of the opinion that the glaring contradiction between the progression of women in the educational and financial sectors and the increasing
number of domestic violence cases is unsurprising.

The founder of the non-governmental organisation in Tamil Nadu, Prajnya, Swarna Rajendran, says that the general belief that better education or financial stability automatically ensures better gender equality is nothing but a myth.

The recent findings reveal the statistics of domestic violence in Tamil Nadu. It is a clear indication that this social illness is still prevalent in our country.