Safety and Welfare for Women in Need: A Study of a Short Stay Home in Paravai, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Women are a vulnerable social group whom different forms of gender-based violence and discrimination, including domestic, sexual, and physical violence, may render destitute. The government of India introduced the concept of sheltered homes for women in difficult situations, and this has developed and expanded through welfare policies and programs for women. The present study explores the safety and well-being of women in a Short Stay Home (SSH) at Paravai (Madurai district), Tamil Nadu, and investigates their situations and the reasons that made them take shelter there. The study finds that nearly 63% of the inmates faced a severe level of domestic violence from their husbands. Alcohol abuse may result in physical and verbal violence and suspicious behavior towards the wife. Fifty-five percent of the women were admitted to the SSH for their own safety. The study concludes that for women who are repeatedly targeted by several form of violence, the failure to properly apply legislation and a lack of awareness of women’s rights aggravates the threats they face in the domestic sphere, leading to destitution and referral to SSH for their own protection.