Behind Closed Doors: Domestic Violence in India (Hardcover-2024)

To be assaulted, abused and raped by someone as intimate as a husband or lover, is the most degrading experience for a woman. Not recognized as ‘real’ violence, abuse of this nature is experienced daily by countless women in every culture. Behind closed doors of family, custom, values and traditions that are taken for granted and never questioned—are muffled voices of terror and trauma, which do not reach beyond the threshold nor attract the attention of lawmakers or redress agents. Edited by a renowned women’s rights activist and a former victim of domestic violence, the book takes us inside these closed doors. It puts together the life stories of seventeen women from diverse cultural, class, educational and religious backgrounds in India who were victims of domestic violence. Apart from being a first person account, this powerful book is a tribute to the courage and determination of women who decided to break their silence. The book will inspire other victims of this ‘hidden crime’, to speak out, share their plight and change their fate. A window into the ugly yet largely ignored world of domestic violence, this book will be of immense importance for students and scholars of social work, gender studies, lawyers and groups working for women. It is an essential read for all who dream of a gender egalitarian world—and also for those who prefer to turn a blind eye to this heinous crime.

About the AuthorRinki Bhattacharya is a well-known critic, columnist, writer, freelance journalist and documentary film-maker based in Mumbai, India. Char Diwari, her documentary film on domestic violence, received international acclaim. She has worked as a volunteer at the Nari Kendra (Mumbai) and later founded a crisis hotline for battered women called HELP. Presently, Rinki is Director, Bimal Roy Memorial and Film Society, Mumbai.