Domestic Violence: Women being subjected to Increased Abuse and its Legal Purview

Women in India face a lot of issues and challenges, and married women are the most vulnerable category. Their rights and powers are not really respected and are misused to a great extent. Married women experience several cases of domestic violence which might be physical, emotional, sexual and even economic. Such violence against women occurs due to the alleged existence of patriarchy in the Indian society. Most domestic violence cases are due to dowry demands, which even lead to the death of the female spouse. But it is pertinent to note that a lot of these cases go unreported. Cases of domestic violence are in breach of the law. One can read at least one case of domestic violence in the daily magazine even in 2024. It violates certain provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act, the latter being enacted exclusively for women who are victims of domestic abuse. In this research, the researcher highlighted relevant laws and precedents governing PWDV and identified gaps in implementation and lack of awareness as reasons for the effectiveness of PWDV legislation.