Increased domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic: India's response

Motivation: Domestic abuse of women, despite being illegal, is common in India: on average, every 4.4 minutes a woman suffers abuse. During the pandemic, owing to curfew and lockdowns, women had additional caring responsibilities, but they lacked social support. A legal system made lethargic by lockdowns, lack of safety protocols for dealing with cases of domestic violence during the pandemic, extended delays in processing cases, and limited protection for victims—all combined to increase domestic violence nationwide. Purpose: What was the response of the Indian government to domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic? We evaluate policies and interventions through the lens of intersectional feminism and social equity. Methods and approach: We review publicly available documents and scholarly journals published between 2018 and 2022. We identify the national anti-domestic violence and state-specific programmes offered to women in India. We critically evaluate the country's anti-domestic violence campaign. The policy analysis draws on the cultural knowledge and professional expertise of the authors. Findings: The government's efforts to address domestic violence during the pandemic were limited. Pre-existing vulnerabilities such as economic hardship, the gender-based digital divide, and strict gender roles were exacerbated by the pandemic. Although the government tried to address domestic violence, through helplines, keeping shelters open and offering virtual court sessions, it also released convicted abusers from prison, increasing women's vulnerability. Government and non-governmental organization interventions were not scaled up to meet demand. Many programmes had little oversight and quality control, resulting in differential results that often further victimized victims of domestic violence among vulnerable populations. Policy implications: Our findings highlight the importance of services and policies on domestic violence being explicit and sensitive to the culture and context in disaster preparedness and public health emergency planning.