RIGHT INTENTION, NOT SO RIGHT OUTCOME: ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THROUGH WOMEN'S CELL

Year 2011, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 437 - 445, 01.06.2011

Sawmya Ray

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to understand the ways in which the Indian State
responds to and constructs the issue of domestic violence through collaboration
with civil society organizations. Women’s groups have for a long time attempted
to infuse gender sensitivity into state machineries in various ways for a better
handling of women’s cases. For this purpose they have conducted gender
sensitization campaigns, workshops and conferences with police, lawyers and
judges. Another such attempt is the establishment of women’s cell within the
premises of the police stations. These women’s cells run by Non Governmental
Organizations (NGOs) in collaboration with, and within the structure of police
system aims at helping the police deal with cases of domestic violence in a gender
sensitive manner.
My paper attempts at an understanding of the functioning of one such women’s
cell at Orissa, India. The paper looks at the terms on which the Orissa police
collaborate with local NGOs and studies the impact of such an initiative upon
women’s quest for justice. In this effort it is to be seen whether the state
machinery (i.e. the police system) subsumes the civil society organization (i.e the
NGO) or vice versa, or is it mutually beneficial for both. My paper also focuses in
critically analyzing the different functions performed by such women’s cells
(members of which come from both police force as well as NGOs) especially its
everyday dealing with cases of domestic violence. The attitude of women’s cell
personnel as regards the issue of domestic violence is analyzed. Methods such as
observation of cases at women’s cell within police stations, content analysis of the
monthly booklet published by such cells and interviews of women’s cell
personnel is used to collect data for the study. This study brings forth the ways in which women’s cell personnel interpret and
implement existing laws on domestic violence and in the process construct and
reinforce concepts such as ‘women’, ‘marriage’, ‘family’, ‘masculinity’ and
‘femininity’. My paper also illustrates that the capacity of the women’s cell to
fulfill many of their original objectives is necessarily limited by their problematic
position within the police bureaucracy. Yet in the current social scenario, where
general police stations are dominated by a masculinist culture these women’s cell
do provide a more gender friendly environment. Thus women complainants might
find this space more accessible and compassionate than a police station where
they fear sexual harassment in addition to other problems.

Keywords

Domestic Violence, All Women Police Stations, Patriarchy

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