This book discusses the pervasiveness of violence against women (VAW) in India and traces its evolution as a public health concern. It highlights the fundamental relationship between health and violence and identifies institutional gaps, which hinder comprehensive healthcare and support to VAW survivors. The volume brings together in-depth case studies from various states and civil society organisations on their initiatives to help bring adequate support and health services to women affected by VAW. These include engagement with hospitals to increase awareness and sensitivity among health service providers and community-run health clinics for marginalised women. The book documents the mobilising efforts of feminists, community-based organisations, state institutions, and CSOs in developing comprehensive healthcare responses and bringing violence against women into the public health discourse. It provides insights into the lack of guidelines for responding to sexual violence in medical and nursing education, and the way that the police and the justice system function in India. This book will be of interest to public health professionals, and students and researchers in public health, gender studies, social work, and sociology. It will also be useful for policymakers and for professionals working for thinktanks or CSOs working on developing health system responses to VAW.

This book documents the journey of the survivors of sexual violence as they navigate the gruelling criminal justice and health care systems and the stigma and hostility in their communities in the aftermath of the incident. Through personal narratives of survivors and their family members, the book examines critical gaps in the existing networks of criminal procedure, health, and rehabilitation for survivors of sexual violence and rape. Using qualitative research, it distills the narratives gathered through interviews with survivors and their family members to understand their experiences and offers. The book contributes to the corpus of literature on different forms of violence against women in India with an emphasis on understanding the effectiveness of institutions, both formal and informal, in responding to sexual violence, and offering suggestions for changes in the health and support systems available to them. It documents post-incident interactions of survivors with family, community, the police, courts, lawyers, and hospitals and highlights the impact of rape on physical and mental health, work, relationships, education and housing for survivors and their families. This book will be of interest to those engaged in providing support to survivors of sexual violence as well as students and researchers of social work and social policy, health and social care, law, gender studies, human rights and civil liberties, gender and sexuality, social welfare, and mental health.

This book documents the journey of the survivors of sexual violence as they navigate the gruelling criminal justice and health care systems and the stigma and hostility in their communities in the aftermath of the incident. Through personal narratives of survivors and their family members, the book examines critical gaps in the existing networks of criminal procedure, health, and rehabilitation for survivors of sexual violence and rape. Using qualitative research, it distills the narratives gathered through interviews with survivors and their family members to understand their experiences and offers. The book contributes to the corpus of literature on different forms of violence against women in India with an emphasis on understanding the effectiveness of institutions, both formal and informal, in responding to sexual violence, and offering suggestions for changes in the health and support systems available to them. It documents post-incident interactions of survivors with family, community, the police, courts, lawyers, and hospitals and highlights the impact of rape on physical and mental health, work, relationships, education and housing for survivors and their families. This book will be of interest to those engaged in providing support to survivors of sexual violence as well as students and researchers of social work and social policy, health and social care, law, gender studies, human rights and civil liberties, gender and sexuality, social welfare, and mental health.

This book discusses the pervasiveness of violence against women (VAW) in India and traces its evolution as a public health concern. It highlights the fundamental relationship between health and violence and identifies institutional gaps, which hinder comprehensive healthcare and support to VAW survivors. The volume brings together in-depth case studies from various states and civil society organisations on their initiatives to help bring adequate support and health services to women affected by VAW. These include engagement with hospitals to increase awareness and sensitivity among health service providers and community-run health clinics for marginalised women. The book documents the mobilising efforts of feminists, community-based organisations, state institutions, and CSOs in developing comprehensive healthcare responses and bringing violence against women into the public health discourse. It provides insights into the lack of guidelines for responding to sexual violence in medical and nursing education, and the way that the police and the justice system function in India. This book will be of interest to public health professionals, and students and researchers in public health, gender studies, social work, and sociology. It will also be useful for policymakers and for professionals working for thinktanks or CSOs working on developing health system responses to VAW.

Mainstream counselling in domestic violence often fails to address critical issues, such as gender socialisation processes and the abuse of power that allows violence against women, and focuses primarily on the intra-psychic nature of individual women. In contrast, feminist counselling is an effective alternative model, owing to its ability to address the fundamental correlation of abuse with power. In going beyond the individual, it helps women locate the source of their distress in the larger social context of power and control, manifesting in intimate, interpersonal relationships, and enables them to resist systemic oppression. This volume offers one of the first systematic documentations of feminist psychosocial interventions in India. It situates the issue of domestic violence in the historical context of the women's movement, and examines institutional factors such as family and marriage that perpetuate abuse. Using extensive case studies, it discusses the methods, principles, techniques, skills and procedures followed by feminist organisations across the country, and their role in women's empowerment. The book will serve as a practical reference guide to practitioners such as social workers, counsellors and para-counsellors, health activists, grassroots workers, protection officers and service providers. It will also be useful to scholars and students of psychology, sociology, women's studies, law and public policy.

Mainstream counselling in domestic violence often fails to address critical issues, such as gender socialisation processes and the abuse of power that allows violence against women, and focuses primarily on the intra-psychic nature of individual women. In contrast, feminist counselling is an effective alternative model, owing to its ability to address the fundamental correlation of abuse with power. In going beyond the individual, it helps women locate the source of their distress in the larger social context of power and control, manifesting in intimate, interpersonal relationships, and enables them to resist systemic oppression. This volume offers one of the first systematic documentations of feminist psychosocial interventions in India. It situates the issue of domestic violence in the historical context of the women's movement, and examines institutional factors such as family and marriage that perpetuate abuse. Using extensive case studies, it discusses the methods, principles, techniques, skills and procedures followed by feminist organisations across the country, and their role in women's empowerment. The book will serve as a practical reference guide to practitioners such as social workers, counsellors and para-counsellors, health activists, grassroots workers, protection officers and service providers. It will also be useful to scholars and students of psychology, sociology, women's studies, law and public policy.