A Disturbing Incident
Hi –
This morning I opened my door and got a nasty surprise. The maid who had been working for me for a week, a young mother of 5 (!!), came inside and started crying. She told me that her husband had beaten her up the day before, and her face was so swollen that she couldn’t come to work. It seems that he drinks and then comes home and hits her. I don’t know how long this has been happening or if this is the first time he hit her, but her plight was heart wrenching. I don’t want to be a typical silent bystander. How can I help this person? I am in Delhi. She is a very poor woman and obviously does not have recourse to any help, legal or otherwise. Is there a non-legal means of diffusing this situation? Would it be worth threatening her husband with police action if he ever lays a hand on her again?
Thanks.
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Kritika from BreakthroughMay 14, 2009 at 8:54 am
Hi Meenakshi, the concern and sensitivity towards your domestic help is touching and we certainly don’t get to see enough of it. Here’s what you can do: File an FIR in the nearest police station with a photograph of the husband and the wife. Insure that she keeps a received copy. Find out if she owns the house or her husband does. If her Husband owns the house then talk to him on the phone. Ask him why he abused her and threaten to take police action against him. Usually just talking to the husband and threatening him (even if you don’t intend to take police/legal action gainst him) and letting him know that YOU know of his abusive behaviour reduces the instances of violence greatly, but may not stop it totally. Inform your domestic help about the PWDVA (Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act) and let her know of her legal recourse options. Reassure her that by reporting the matter to the police, her husband will not be put behind bars and that she can claim compensation on medication and time lost at work. If you need further advice or help, either mail me at kritika@breakthrough.tv or ask me further questions on the blog. You can also check out our wikipedia page on Domestic Violence by clicking on the “Learn More” tab n the top red navigation bar. I could also put you in touch with a protection officer incharge of South Delhi if you want any further help. Hope this helps and all the best.
PravalMay 21, 2009 at 3:32 pmAuthor
@Kritika: I wonder how many women(and their families) would be strong enough to take such legal actions like lodging an FIR at the police station. There is no point talking about the behavior of most (if not all) policemen. PWDVA and other NGO’s do help in such cases but there are not just one or two cases in all. A better idea would be to set up a team of men(and women) who could communicate with people like Meenakshi, get the details, speak to her maid and carry on the legal procedure at your end. Blogging about a radical change and making it happen has a long mile of difference. My two cents.