Skip to main content

Lockdown: NCW 'highly under-reporting' sharp rise in domestic violence cases

By A Representative
Taking into account sharp rise in domestic violence against women across the world during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, a web policy talk, organised by the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI) in association with the GenDev Centre for Research and Innovation has been told that in India there has been a huge rise in domestic violence, though regretting, the National Commission for Women (NCW) is “under-report cases.”
Prof Balwant Singh Mehta, research director, IMPRI and fellow, Institute of Human Development (IHD) said, one in every three women in the world experience physical and/or sexual violence in her lifetime, while one in every four women faced domestic violence in India, adding, “One in every three married women in age group 15-49 experienced physical and/or sexual violence.”
Quoting studies, Prof Mehta said, “The most surprising part is eight out of ten such women reported their current husbands as the main perpetrators, which is justified by half of the women in certain circumstances like neglecting the house or the children, or going out of the house without permission.”
Pointing out that there has been a “sharp rise in cases of violence against women after the novel coronavirus outbreak and lockdown in Germany, Canada, Spain, UK, China, France, US of America and many other countries”, the NCW has also confirms “a significant increase in gender-based violence in India, with reported cases of domestic violence going up to 914 in May 2020 from 271 in January 2020.
However, he regretted, NCW has “highly under-reported cases due to various reasons, and needs urgent attention from government and other stakeholders.”
Prof Govind Kelkar, chairperson, Gender Impact Studies Centre, IMPRI, and executive director, GenDev Centre for Research and Innovation, said , women spend 312 minutes per day in urban and 291 min per day in rural areas in “unpaid care work”, while men spend only 29 minutes per day in urban and 32 minutes per day in “care work”. 
Worse sufferers include government-sponsored Asha women health workers, who face the cycle of delayed payments-rising expenses-debt cycle
Prof Kelkar said, two worst outcomes of the current pandemic is rise in income inequality and increase in domestic violence against women, noting, the lockdown has put “a lot of pressure on women particularly their burden of household and care work has increased multiple time. Worse sufferers include government-sponsored Asha women health workers, “who face the cycle of delayed payments-rising expenses-debt cycle”, which is “life threatening.”
Dr Manorama Bakshi, senior adviser, Tata Trusts, said, as per the cost-benefit analysis done by Copenhagen Consensus Centre, gender-based violence costs 25 times more than wars, adding, the girl child is the “most affected” post-pandemic with a likely rise in cases of child labour and child marriages due to poverty.
She added, “Patriarchy and other social norms that hinder the gender equality”, suggesting, “The government’s positive actions will decide the situation of gender inequality post-pandemic.”
Suhela Khan, country programme coordinator, WeEmpower Asia, UN Women, said that the pandemic has not only resulted rise in domestic violence but also spiked the cases of sexual and ethnic violence. “Lack of privacy at home for women is also a major reason for violence against women”, she said.
According to the UN expert, “Many men have lost their job, Lack of income and frustration among them is converting into violence against women at home”, adding, “Work from home has increased during the pandemic, which is providing a new way of work for women who can make the work-life balance by working from home.”
Dr Indu Prakash Singh, facilitator, CityMakers Mission International regretted that “inactiveness” on the part of the police force to help women who are in trouble is a major reason why violence against women continues unabated. He wondered how men seek to justify violence against women in our society.
The web policy talk was initiated by Dr Simi Mehta, CEO and editorial director, IMPRI, pointing out thatviolence against women continues to be one of “the most prevalent and least recognised human right violations.” Two research assisants, IMPRI, Anshula Mehta and Ritika Gupta, gave specific instances of women suffering from mental and physical harassment.
Dr Arjun Kumar, director, IMPRI, who summed up the discussion, suggested that families and teachers should teach their wards, especially boys, about the importance of gender equality in society and the need to remove evil societal norms such as patriarchy and male domination and violence against women. “Without removing such social evils, we cannot think about achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of gender-equal society by 2030”, he said.

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.