Frequently asked Questions

What is domestic violence ?

Domestic violence is any form of violent or aggressive behavior within the home environment,  typically involving the violent abuse of a woman by her partner, or male members of her family or relatives. Domestic violence can take place in family relationships, married relationships, partnerships like marriage, and can involve violence against children in the family.

Domestic violence can take many forms including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious, and sexual abuse, and can range from subtle, coercive forms of abuse to marital rape and violent physical abuse.  Domestic murders include stoning, bride burning, honor killings, and dowry deaths. also remain far too common in India.

What is violence against women ?

Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence, covers all violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women. Sometimes considered a hate crime, gender based violence targets the victim based on their gender, meaning that the acts of violence are committed against women expressly because they are women.

Violence against women expands into several broad categories. The first is violence carried out by “individuals”. Examples of violence by individuals include rape; domestic violence; sexual harassment; coercive use of contraceptives; female infanticide; prenatal sex selection; obstetric violence and mob violence.  Also included are harmful customs and traditional practices such as honor killings, dowry violence, female genital mutilation, marriage by abduction and forced marriage.

The second category is violence carried out by “groups”.  Examples of violence condoned by a group include war rape; sexual violence and sexual slavery during conflict; forced sterilization; forced abortion; violence by police and other authorities; stoning and flogging.. Many forms of VAW, such as the trafficking of women and forced prostitution are often perpetrated by organized criminal networks.

What are children’s rights ?

Children’s rights are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to minors. A child is defined as any human person who has not reached the age of eighteen years. Children’s rights includes their right to association with both parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for physical protection, food, universal state-paid education, health care, and criminal laws appropriate for the age and development of the child, equal protection of the child’s civil rights, and freedom from discrimination on the basis of the child’s race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability, color, ethnicity, or other characteristics.

Who can a woman complain against if she experiences violence?

A woman can file a complaint against any perpetrator of an act of violence through .the police, probation officer or service providers in areas such as legal services, counselling and social work.  


In the case of a woman who is married or in a relationship that is of the nature of marriage, she can file a complaint against both the partner and any male or female relatives of the male partner who have engaged in violence against her.

How can a woman get help if she faces domestic violence ?

Either the woman herself or any other person on her behalf can give information of the incident of violence by dialing any of the following helpline numbers: 1090/1091, 181, 100. These helpline numbers are available during the day or even at night and have been designated by the government to ensure the protection of women.

A complaint can also be reported by contacting the Women’s Empowerment Center either by visiting the center between 9.30am and 6:00pm Monday to Saturday, or by dialing our helpline number 7525045198 (between 7am to 10pm).

How to assist a lost/abandoned child ?

Steps to take if a child is sighted without any guardian or found abandoned-

i- Ask the child if he or she is lost or knows the name / address / telephone no. / location of his or her parent/guardian.
ii- Dial 100 for police or 1098 for CHILDLINE
iii- Comfort the child, however avoid physically touching him/her.
iv- Ask other adults in the area for assistance in reporting the incident.
v- Remain in the immediate location, and do not take the child elsewhere.
vi- Wait with the child until help arrives.
vii- If you cannot contact an authority for help, take the child to the nearest police station.

What is physical violence against children ?

Physical violence against children includes all corporal punishment and all other forms of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as well as physical bullying and hazing by adults or by other children. Physical (or ‘corporal’) punishment is defined as any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however mild. Most involves hitting (‘smacking’, ‘slapping’, ‘spanking’) children with the hand or with an implement – a whip, stick, belt, shoe, wooden spoon, etc. But it can also involve, for example, kicking, shaking or throwing children, scratching, pinching, biting, pulling hair or boxing ears, caning, forcing children to stay in uncomfortable positions, burning, scalding or forced ingestion.

What is sexual violence against children ?

Sexual violence against children comprises any sexual activities imposed by an adult on a child against which the child is entitled to protection by criminal law. This includes:
​(a) The inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful or psychologically harmful sexual activity;
​(b) The use of children in commercial sexual exploitation;
(c) The use of children in audio or visual images of child sexual abuse; and
(d) Child prostitution, sexual slavery, sexual exploitation in travel and tourism, trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation (within and between countries), sale of children for sexual purposes and forced marriage.
​Sexual activities are also considered as abuse when committed against a child by another child if the offender is significantly older than the victim or uses power, threat or other means of pressure. Consensual sexual activities between children are not considered as sexual abuse if children are older than the age limit defined by the State Party.

What is sexual harassment at THE workplace ?

The Supreme Court of India defines sexual harassment as any unwelcome sexually determined behavior (whether directly or by implication) such as;
1. Physical contact and advances,
2. A demand or request for sexual favors,
3. Sexually colored remarks,
4. Showing pornography,
5. Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature.
Sexual harassment at the workplace can involve employees, managers, contractors, clients, customers or other persons connected with, or attending the workplace.

What is child protection ?

Child  Protection  is  about  protecting  children  from  or  against  any  perceived  or  real danger/  risk  to  their  life,  their  personhood  and  childhood.  It  is  about  reducing  their  vulnerability  to  any  kind  of  harm  and  in  harmful  situations. It  is  also  about  protecting children  against  social,  psychological  and  emotional  insecurity  and  distress.  It  must ensure  that  no  child  falls  out  of  the  social  security  and  safety  net  and  those  who  do, receive necessary care and protection to be brought back into the safety net.

Child Protection refers to protection from violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect. It is integrally  linked  to  every  other  right  of  the  child. Every  child  has  a  right  to  protection. This  not  only  includes  children  who  are  in  difficult  circumstances  and  those  who  have suffered  violence,  abuse  and  exploitation  but  also  those  who  are  not  in  any  of  these adverse  situations  and  yet  need  to  be  protected  in  order  to  ensure  that  they  remain within the social security and protective net.