Telangana: 7,000 domestic violence victims sought help in a year

HYDERABAD: In a worrying trend, a staggering 6,829 women facing domestic violence across the state, approached state government over the past one year, seeking support and intervention.
A total of 3,988 cases were registered in nine sakhi centers (one stop women support centers) in different districts (earlier common districts) up to January 2019 over the past one year.

Turns out, 3087 of these cases were domestic violence in nature. Details in possession of TOI show that a total of 5782 calls were registered in Women Help Line (WHL-181) and out of these, 3742 were of women facing domestic violence at home.
Ranga Reddy had highest number of cases referred at Sakhi centers with 901 cases, followed by Nalgonda with 458 cases. Among these, 79% of domestic violence cases are of women in the 18 -35 age group. About 19 % cases are of women of age between 36 - 60 and only two per cent of domestic violence cases are registered above 60 years of age.
The centre say that in domestic violence, 75 percent of women seek reconciliation with family and husband. ‘They don’t want go to the extent of ending their marriage, with few seek legal support, but in most cases, husbands also come to terms that their family affairs are under scrutiny and cannot take their wives for granted,” an official said. In case of women above 45 years of age, they seek separation from the husbands.
In case of women employees, the disputes are over women seeking their control on their own money. Such cases are referred to counsellers Officials say that more number of cases occur as women are more aware of support systems “Once they know support is provided, they open up, and we even provide shelter for ,women who are abandoned by the families,” Jagadeeswar M, principal secretary, women and child welfare department told TOI.
At present, Sakhi is functioning (Karimnagar, Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Warangal urban and Adilabad). In the third Phase, 8 districts have been selected for setting up of sakhi centeres in Siddipet, Mancherial, Nagarkurnool, Kamareddy, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jangaon and Jagtial. Dowry harassment occupies the next place after domestic violence with 205 women approaching sakhi centres. These cases are high in Nizamabad (82) and Ranga Reddy (67).