‘Domestic violence higher than pre-Covid levels’

Ahmedabad: A 17-year-old girl was spotted in the nick of time by a security guard on the promenade of Sabarmati riverfront last week when she was recording a video while attempting to jump into the river.
She was rescued and a team of volunteers from Abhayam 181 women’s helpline was called in.
“When we questioned her, she told us that she was shocked to find out about her boyfriend’s other relationships and did not wish to live. When her parents were called to the spot, they confessed that they did not have any idea of her relationship and her suicide bid,” said a counsellor.
Analysis of calls made to Abhayam 181 helpline in 2022 indicated that the women or their relatives called the helpline the most to seek help against domestic violence. Officials of Abhayam said that the cases saw a sharp rise from an average of 60,000 in 2018–2020, to 79,675 in 2021 and 87,732 in 2022, accounting for 10 calls every hour.
“The reason behind the increase in the number of domestic violence cases during lockdown and Covid period was the near-constant presence of the spouse coupled with stress and financial problems. But the trend continued even in 2022. The triggers ranged from marital discord to altercation with in-laws and consumption of alcohol,” said a senior helpline official.
Sejal Dand, the director of ANANDI NGO, which works with rural and tribal women, said that they not only saw a rise in the number of domestic violence cases last year, but also in severity. “In one instance, a mother of two children aged 10 and 14 years fled home following repeated instances of violence. Despite cases piling up in family courts, we don’t see a substantial increase in the number of shelter homes or rehabilitation or counselling facilities,” she said.