Pune: Men will be sent to quarantine centre for domestic violence against Women
Amit Singh
Pune, April 17, 2020: Due Coronavirus outbreak there is lockdown since March 24 in Maharashtra and people have been asked to stay at home. However, the administration is getting many complaints about domestic violence in the last few days.
Pune Zilla Parishad (ZP) CEO Ayush Prasad said, “We’ve taken a measure to prevent any form of domestic violence against women. In case of an incident of domestic violence against women, we will first do counselling, if that fails, then the harasser will be quarantined at designated institutions with the help of police. We have formed village level woman vigilance committee across Pune rural. The committee will assist the victims.”
As per the latest data released by the National Commission for Women (NCW), there is a huge spike in cases of domestic violence. NCW launched a dedicated WhatsApp helpline number for women to reach out to NCW Chief and her team. The 24-hr helpline number for reporting violence is 7217735372. Women can contact local police by dialing 100 or 1091.
Increase in domestic violence during lockdown seems to be happening across the globe. “COVID19 confinement is isolating many women with violent partners, separating them from the people and resources that can best help them. Yet, violence against women is not inevitable. It’s preventable, even during the coronavirus crisis”, tweeted United Nations (UN) Women yesterday.
“The social and economic costs of violence against women and girls are substantial, with broader costs associated with delivering services to victims, as well as the costs related to the criminal justice response24. The global cost of violence against women and girls (public, private and social) is estimated at approximately 2 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP), or US$1.5 trillion25. That figure can only be rising as violence increases now, and continues in the aftermath of the pandemic. A predicted rise in the different forms and manifestations of violence against women and girls will not only exacerbate the economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis but will also slow down economic recovery across the world”, the UN report states.
According to state health department officials, there are 288 new COVID19 cases and 7 more deaths today. Total Coronavirus cases in the state stand at 3,204 and deaths at 194. In Pune district, the number of positive cases has increased to 531 today. Across India, the number of Coronavirus Positive patients has reached 13,387 out of which 11,201 are still undergoing treatment, while 1748 have been cured and 437 people have died.
The lockdown in Maharashtra began on March 24 and it will continue till May 3. Except for essential services, all other establishments, educational institutions, offices are closed. To prevent the spread of Coronavirus, people have been asked to stay at home.
