UN report says Indian women justify wife-beating

Nearly 39 per cent of men and women in India think it is justifiable for a man to beat his wife.

This is a figure cited in the latest UN Women report which highlights that 35 per cent respondents had reported to be victims of physical violence by their partners, while 10 per cent faceds*xual violence at the hands of their partners.

The report entitled Progress of the World's Women: In Pursuit of Justice also observes with regard to women's representation in the justice system: "India significantly lags behind the rest of the world, with women making up just 3 per cent of judges."

Lakshmi Puri, UN assistant secretary general and deputy executive director of UN Women, said comprehensive progress of women would also ensure comprehensive progress of societies - that could happen only with the help of legal reforms and better access of justice for women.

"That would be possible only with better access of justice for women. This would mean greater number of women parliamentarians, judges, lawyers and activists. India is, however, way off the mark," Puri added while launching the report.

UN Women also calls for greater representation of women in the police force to give victims of violence greater confidence while registering complaints.

The report quotes a Sakshi survey of 109 judges of various courts including the Supreme Court as well as women lawyers and litigants, which says half of those interviewed felt that women abused by their spouses had themselves to blame. About 68 per cent of the respondents said provocative clothing invited rape. "Close to 63 per cent of women in India, between ages 15-49, lack autonomy in the house and have no say in any of the vital everyday decisions: own healthcare, large household purchases, purchases for daily needs, and visits to family or relatives," says the India factsheet, released with the report.

The report makes a note of khap panchayats which "governs the affairs of family members of a clan covering several villages". The UN Women has expressed concern about the parallel system of justice meted out to women in these regions.