The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Alas, they are all silent victims of domestic violence

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 16, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Alas, they are all silent victims of domestic violence

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: At least 18 women are killed everyday for dowry and 132 face various kinds of harassment in the country. This was highlighted in a publication titled `Violence against women — violation of human rights' brought out by Andhra Pradesh Women's Network, a body, comprising individuals and voluntary organisations, working against various forms of violence on women.

The report claims that as many as 87 women are subjected to sexual harassment everyday and 44 are victims of atrocities. One woman becomes a victim of one or other forms of atrocities every 35 minutes while five women are subjected to sexual harassment every one hour. Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, network representatives — Radha Priyadarshini, Suryakumari and others — urged the State Government to designate a special protection officer in every district to ensure effective implementation of the Central law against domestic violence.

They said that 26 voluntary organisations working on women's problems in 18 districts came together to form the body with an objective to ensuring equal rights and participation of women in social, economic, cultural and political development.

Call for sensitising people

Faulting the Government for not giving enough publicity to the law against domestic violence, they said the network launched a campaign to create awareness and sensitise the State and the public for opposing various forms of violence against women.

Based on newspaper reports, it published statistics relating to violence against women in eight districts, including Hyderabad, in 2005. It was stated that 2,120 women were victims of violence, of whom 170 were killed and 455 committed suicide.

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Andhra Pradesh