BENGALURU: Daughters-in-law are the main perpetrators of abuse of elderly women in Bengaluru, according to a report by HelpAge India. The report, “Women and Ageing: Invisible or Empowered?”, released on the eve of “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day” is said to be the first of its kind, focusing on elderly women in 20 states, including Karnataka, and two Union Territories and five metro cities, including Bengaluru.
Of the 7,911 samples from various socio-economic categories in the country, 578 were from Karnataka. According to the survey, 49% of the respondents in Bengaluru considered abuse to be prevalent and 52% believed disrespect to be a form of abuse. According to the report, 36% of the abuse was economic exploitation, failure to provide necessary care (30%), and physical abuse (10%).
The Bengaluru study revealed that 51% of the abuse was by daughters-in-law, 40% by sons, 18% by sons-in-law and 24% by relatives. At the national level, sons (40%) were the main perpetrators, followed by relatives (31%) and daughters-in-law (27%).
Dr Indira Jai Prakash, former professor of psychology and gerontologist, who is on the advisory board of HelpAge India, said, “In this study, we focused on the gender angle for the first time. According to the national data, 81% of elderly women live with their families, which is a good sign. Of the abused women, only 16% reported it and 43% feared about getting physically harmed.”
She said 56% of elderly women lacked awareness of redressal mechanisms, only 15% were aware of the Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act, and 78% of them were not aware of any government welfare schemes.
“We should raise awareness among the people against abuse of elderly women and promote elderly-friendly working environment to improve their quality of life. So that they too can live with dignity,” she said. Dr Manjula, Secretary, the Department of Women and Child Development, said the report will help the government to structure programmes to help reduce abuse of elderly women.