THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: To spread awareness on the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence (PWDV) Act 2005, the Kerala State Social Welfare Board (KSSWB) has come out with a documentary, which was released on Thursday by Social Justice Minister M K Muneer.
The minister said that 61 per cent of domestic violence cases was due to alcohol and substance abuse in families. He said that 16 per cent of the cases was attributed to extramarital affairs, 15 per cent to the influence of social media and 8 per cent to other causes. He said that dowry, which was once the primary reason for domestic violence, was at present counted in the 8 per cent.
“The critical issue in the present times is alcohol and drug abuse,” he said. He said that earlier though alcohol and narcotic substances were readily available, it was when joint families gave way to nuclear families that the situation worsened.
He said that the new family structure only led to parents and children growing estranged - the reason why old age homes was mushrooming, he said.
Muneer said that a World Bank programme in which panchayats would be declared women-friendly and child-friendly, was about to be implemented. Towards that, cases of domestic violence and child abuse, as well the standards of health and nutrition, would be studied.
He said that the government was planning an amendment in which Jagratha Samithis, panchayat-level committees to keep a watch on domestic violence, would be made mandatory.
Ward members failing to take the initiative would be disqualified and would not be allowed to contest for five years, he said.“Most of the people do not know the provisions in the PWDV Act even though it was enacted in 2005,” said Kerala State Social Welfare Board chairperson Qamarunnisa Anwar.