Topic: Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
1. Amidst the coronavirus confinement, women are at high risk not only from the perspective of the disease but mainly with respect to domestic violence. Critically analyse. (250 words)
Reference: Indian Express
Why this question:
The article explains how as the lock-downs impose stricter control on one’s mobility, they put women in abusive relationships at extremely high risk of damage from physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
Key demand of the question:
One should present the case of domestic violence- physical, sexual and emotional abuse that women face along with the risk of getting exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Directive:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Briefly state the necessary facts/data to establish the context of the question. India reported double the usual number of domestic abuse cases in the first week of nationwide movement restrictions, according to the country’s National Commission for Women.
Body:
First discuss the possible factors owing to which Lockdowns around the world have brought rise in domestic violence –
- Increased abuse is a pattern repeated in many emergencies, whether conflict, economic crisis or during disease outbreaks, although the quarantine rules pose a particularly grave challenge.
- According to our statistics, 90% of the causes of violence [in this period] are related to the Covid-19 epidemic.
- Channels of communication are closed, thus the situation worsens. Etc.
Discuss what needs to be done
- Helplines to remain open, assault victim shelters to serve amidst the lockdown. For ex. Police in India’s Uttar Pradesh state, which has one of the worst track records on violence against women in the country, have launched a new domestic violence helpline as cases surge.
- Setting up emergency warning systems in pharmacies and groceries, and for safe ways “for women to seek support, without alerting their abusers.” Etc.
Conclusion:
Conclude with need to recognise the urgency of the issue and work to resolve it as a coordinated effort between govt., citizens and other NGO’s and socieities.
