The Formal Systems Response to Violence Against Women in India: A Cultural Lens

• Published in: American journal of community psychology Vol. 62; no. 1-2; pp. 51 - 61
• Main Authors: Menon, Suvarna V., Allen, Nicole E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Science Ltd 01-09-2018
• Subjects: Domestic violence; Formal response; Gender-based violence; Government agencies; Help‐seeking; India; Intimate partner violence; Narratives; Police; Sexual assault; Sociocultural factors; Violence; Violence against women; Women; India; Domestic violence; Violence against women; Formal response; Sexual assault; Help-seeking; India
• ISSN: 0091-0562; 1573-2770
• DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12249

Violence against women (VAW) has become an increasingly salient issue in India, with women at risk for different forms of gendered violence. While there may be universal elements in the international phenomenon of violence against women, it is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon that takes shape in a particular sociocultural context. The current study employs a narrative framework to systematically examine how culture is expressed in the formal systems response and women's help‐seeking in two metropolitan cities in India. Specifically, we sought to understand, among formal system responders (a) what characterizes the dominant cultural narratives on violence against women in India; and (b) how these are reflected in community narratives of formal responders. Interviews were conducted with formal responders working in different types of local agencies (e.g., police, health centers, and non‐governmental agencies). The paper illustrates the major themes that emerged from participants’ narratives describing the multilevel influences that shape the formal system response to violence against women and women's help‐seeking efforts. The implications of these findings for effective response and directions for future research are summarized.
Highlights
Findings highlight how culture is implicated for formal response to VAW and women's help‐seeking.
Found clear distinction between community‐based organizations and traditional agencies (e.g., police).
Providers in women's organizations were more likely to endorse structural understandings of VAW.
Providers from traditional agencies tended to engage in victim blame.
Efforts at collaborations across traditional agencies and women's organizations can be beneficial.