Woman abuse describes any kind of abuse a woman faces due to her gender, including physical, sexual, psychological, social, economic, and spiritual abuse. Abuse can occur within intimate relationships as well as other contexts. The UN defines woman abuse as any act of gender-based violence resulting in physical, sexual, or psychological harm. Prevention strategies include restricting alcohol, controlling media, strengthening marriage, education, moral/religious values, and strict legal protections and codes of conduct.

1. WOMEN
ABUSE

2. • The term woman abuse describes any kind of abuse a woman is
subjected to because she is a woman. This kind of abuse may also be
called "gender-based violence", "family violence" or "gender-based
abuse".
• The United Nations General Assembly (1993) defines woman abuse
as, “any act of gender-based violence that results in or is likely to
result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women
occurring in public or in private.”

3. • This abuse can happen in a woman’s intimate relationship (dating,
common-law, marriage), in which case it may be called "domestic
violence" or "intimate partner abuse".
• Sexual violence, including sexual harassment and sexual
assault/abuse is gender-based violence. The perpetrator of sexual
violence could be the woman’s partner/spouse, someone she is
dating, someone she knows at school, work or in the community or a
stranger.

4. Physical abuse
• Physical abuse is the most obvious kind of woman abuse, but it is not
the most common and is not necessarily the most serious. It includes
such actions as:
• slapping, punching, strangling, kicking, burning, stabbing and/or
shooting
• using a weapon or other objects to threaten, hurt or kill
• abducting a woman or keeping her imprisoned

5. Sexual abuse/assault
• Sexual abuse is any form of forced sexual activity, including:
• rape/sexual assault
• forcing a woman to watch or take part in pornography
• ridiculing sexual performance or sexual organs
• touching or acting in any way that a woman does not want
• forcing or pressuring a woman into sexual acts
• forcing a woman into prostitution

6. Psychological/emotional abuse
• Psychological or emotional abuse includes:
• verbal aggression/abuse including insulting a woman
• belittling a woman through name-calling or descriptions
such as “stupid,” “crazy” or “irrational”
• controlling a woman’s actions, time, dress, hairstyle, etc.
• forcing a woman to do degrading things
• engaging in deliberately threatening behaviours
• threatening to harm or kill children, other family
members, pets or prized possessions

7. Social abuse
• Social abuse is behaviour that takes place in front of a woman’s
family, friends or co-workers or that is intended to isolate her from
those people and can include:
• putting her down or ignoring her in public
• not letting the woman see her friends or family
• making a scene or embarrassing her when she is with friends, family
or co-workers
• embarrassing the woman in front of her children, using children as a
weapon, not taking responsibility for children placing limits on a
woman about the people with whom she can talk on the phone or visit
• cutting a woman off from friends and family

8. Economic abuse
• Economic abuse includes any act or behaviour that gives the abuser the control
of financial resources or maintains a woman’s financial dependence. It can
include the following:
• withholding money for basic necessities (e.g. food, clothing, diapers,
medication, transportation, etc.) or for emergencies
• forcing her to pay a disproportionate share of household expenses
• preventing a woman from getting to work, controlling where she works, not
allowing a woman to work, forcing her to work
• spending or mismanaging family income
• using credit cards without her permission and destroying her credit rating

9. Spiritual abuse
• Some abusers use a woman’s spiritual or religious beliefs to control
her. This could include:
• punishing or ridiculing a woman for her religious beliefs
• preventing a woman from practicing her religious beliefs
• forcing a woman to practice certain beliefs and engage in rituals
• preventing a woman from going to church, synagogue, temple or
other religious institution of her choice

10. Prevention of women abuse
• Restriction on use of alcohol
There should be prohibition of alcohol use in mass gatherings in
institutions, public places like trains and buses. The number of alcohol
outlets should be decreased. The age for purchasing alcohol may be
raised to 30 years. Special checks on festive occasions are
recommended with the help of breath analyzers. Involuntary treatment
of persons with alcohol dependence should be carried out.
Control on media
Sexual material should be censored. Good themes, which condemn
violence and glorify rehabilitation of the victim, should be projected.
Ban on pornography should be strictly implemented. The sites may be
blocked.

11. • Strengthening the institution of marriage
• Law enforcement
• Code of conduct: Code of conduct at work place, school and home, with
respect to interaction with persons should be outlined and implemented.
• Gender sensitization :Gender sensitization by parents and teachers is
needed regarding the sensitivities and boundaries of man-woman
relationships.
• Education and employment :Improvement in quality of education and
employment opportunities for youth.
• Recreation and talent: Recreational avenues and opportunities for talent
development in young people.
• Moral and religious values: Parents and teachers should strive to infuse
good moral and religious values in children and serve as role models.

12. Legal protection
• Factories Act 1948: Under this Act, a woman cannot be forced to work
beyond 8 hours and prohibits employment of women except between 6 A.M.
and 7 P.M.
• Maternity Benefit Act 1961: A Woman is entitled 12 weeks’ maternity leave
with full wages.
• The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961: Under the provisions of this Act demand of
dowry either before marriage, during marriage and or after the marriage is an
offence.
• The Equal Remuneration Act of 1976: This act provides equal wages for equal
work

13. • The Child Marriage Restrain Act of 1976: This act raises the age for
marriage of a girl to 18 years from 15 years and that of a boy to 21
years. Indian Penal Code: Section 354 and 509 safeguards the
interests of women.
• The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971: The Act
safeguards women from unnecessary and compulsory abortions.
Amendments to Criminal Law 1983, which provides for a punishment
of 7 years in ordinary cases and 10 years for custodial rape cases.
• 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Act: reserved 1/3rd seats
in Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies for women.

14. • The National Commission for Women Act, 1990: The Commission was set
up in January, 1992 to review the Constitutional and legal safeguards for
women.
• The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993
• Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005: It protects the
women from physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, psychological, economic
abuse.
• Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill,
2010:, which aims at protecting the women at workplace not only to
women employee but also to female clients, customer, students, research
scholars in colleges and universities patients in hospitals..