Panaji: Goa might be considered as one of the few developed states in the country as far as
women empowerment and safety is concerned, yet 13% of married women in Goa have experienced spousal violence of which over 15% are from urban areas, while nearly 9% are from rural areas.
The revelation was made in the National Family Health Survey-4. The survey was carried out under the category, ‘Women empowerment and gender-based violence in the age group of 15-49 years’. Among women, aged 15-49, 12 % have experienced physical violence and 1% have experienced sexual violence. Overall, 13% of women in Goa have experienced physical or sexual violence. Among those who experienced physical violence since the age of 15, the most common perpetrator for married women was the husband (88%), the survey said.
Almost 11% of married women report having been slapped by their husband; 2-3% report being pushed, shaken, or having something thrown at them; having their arm twisted or hair pulled; being punched; or being kicked, dragged, or beaten up, the survey said.
Less than 1% have been choked or burned on purpose, or threatened or attacked with a knife, gun, or other weapon. Almost 1% report that their husband forced them with threats or other ways to perform sexual acts they did not want to perform, the survey said.
Overall, 13% of married women have experienced
spousal physical or sexual violence from their current husband or, if not currently married, from their most-recent husband. The survey states that 5% report spousal emotional violence. Few married women (2%) have initiated violence against their husband, the survey said.
The survey also said that 1.6% of married women have experienced violence during any pregnancy out of which 1.9% women are from urban areas and 0.9 % women are from rural areas.
Also, 2% of women have experienced physical violence during one or more of their pregnancies, the survey said.
Violence against women has decreased by nearly 4% between 2005-2006 and 2015-2016. Speaking to TOI, crime branch superintendent of police, Karthik Kashyap, said that after the Arnesh Kumar judgement - where it stated that arrest in domestic violence cases are not mandatory - domestic violence cases are on the decline in Goa over the last two years.
Kashyap also said that after complaints of mental harrassment and dowry cases were registered, police used to arrest the woman’s husband along with in-laws, but now that is not the case. “Now, most of the domestic violence cases are being filed before the deputy collector,” he said.