title: Possible psychosocial strategies for controlling violence against women.
abstract: Women, the fair sex, are considered to be the weaker sex and one of the most powerless and marginalized sections of our society. Violence against women and girls continues to be a global epidemic. It is present in every country, cutting across boundaries of culture, class, education, income, ethnicity and age. A growing body of research studies indicates that 20% to 50% (varying from country to country) of women have experienced domestic violence. A multilayered strategy that addresses the structural causes of violence against women is needed. Strategies and interventions attempting to address violence against women should be guided by 5 underlying principles: Prevention, protection, early intervention, rebuilding the lives of victims/survivors and accountability. When planning interventions, there are a variety of stakeholders who should be borne in mind. Key areas for intervention include encouraging women empowerment; advocacy and awareness raising; education for building a culture of nonviolence; encouraging active participation of women in political system; resource development; direct service provision to victims, survivors and perpetrators; networking and community mobilization; direct intervention to help victims/survivors rebuild their lives; legal reform; monitoring interventions and measures; early identification of 'at risk' families, communities, groups and individuals; and data collection and analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatric Social Work, RINPAS, India.
authors.forename: Sapna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumari
authors.forename: Richa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Priyamvada
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaudhury
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prakash