Implementation of Law preventing Domestic Violence

State Governments and UT Administrations are responsible for implementation of The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005. The Central Government issues advisories and provides financial assistance and other support of spreading awareness about this law. 

As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data which is available up to 2016, a total number of 426 cases in 2014, 461 cases in 2015 and 437 cases in 2016 were registered under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.  The number of cases filed under the Act shows that women are taking recourse to this law to get reliefs from domestic violence. Further, there was a drop in the number of registered cases from 2015 to 2016 as per NCRB data.

Awareness generation among men and women in the society is undertaken through media campaign.  Further, a letter from the Ministry of Women & Child Development was issued on 12th July, 2018 requesting the Chief Ministers of State Governments to appoint sufficient number of Protection Officers having independent charge of the PWDVA, who should be approachable and should also cover the spread of population, and to allocate separate budget for smooth functioning of Protection Officers, providing support to survivors, training and capacity building of police, judiciary, medical officers, service providers and for creating mass awareness around the Act. 

In addition, it has also requested that the information regarding Protection Officers and service providers should be published and made available in public domain at panchayat offices, police stations and through wall writings.

For prevention and early intervention, States and UTs have been requested to undertake mass awareness generation programs and gender sensitization trainings at all levels. They have also been requested that the Form IV under Rule 8(1)(ii) of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Rules, 2006, which provides information on rights of aggrieved persons under the PWDVA, should be made available in local languages so that aggrieved women are able to understand their rights in a simplified manner.

For effectively creating mass awareness about this law, innovative approaches such as spreading of social/ informative messages through LPG gas bills in regional languages, television and radio spots, use of creatives for IRCTC and displays at airport, in metro and on access cards have been undertaken as part of the media campaign by this Ministry.

This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.