Violence No Barrier to Status

From Gulf News:

A recent government survey said one in three Indian women were victims of domestic violence.

A total of 185,312 crimes against women were reported in India in 2007, compared to 164,765 in 2006. Rights groups say many more cases go unreported.

Domestic violence has long been in the public eye and the media regularly features cases of wife-beating over issues such as dowry, as well as torture and killings of women, especially in poorer homes.

India's economic boom has brought a rise in affluent women, often with careers, who enjoy greater freedom than their parents' generation. They dress in Western clothes and visit restaurants and night clubs.

These changes sometimes clash with hardline elements of what remains a largely conservative society. Even among India's upper crust, women's freedom can be superficial.

The domestic violence act was meant for the first time to give protection and compensation for all kinds of abuse in the home.