Domestic violence continues to be pervasive in many Indian households even today, with many people (including survivors of this violence) insisting that it’s a “personal” or “family matter”. This becomes a way for the topic to remain in the dark, as a shameful secret. But shameful for whom?
Over 531 cases of domestic violence were reported in 2014. Women in particular face violence from not only from their partners but also their in-laws (over matters like dowry) and many even commit suicide. Not to mention the fact that marital rape continues to be decriminalized in India. In a reality like this, where women are shamed for coming out with their stories, instead of the perpetrator, an intervention becomes more than necessary, as this award-winning video explains. It’s never just a ‘family matter’ if one member of it is being beaten up behind closed doors, no matter how much you turn up the volume to block it out.