Assessing India’s Domestic Violence Laws

ICRW is evaluating the implementation of India’s Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act of 2005 (PWDVA), which is designed to protect the rights of women who experience domestic violence and facilitate their access to justice. In collaboration with the Lawyers Collective Women’s Rights Initiative (LCWRI), we are monitoring efforts to improve the ability of key agencies to implement the law.

ICRW is working to document how various interventions conducted by LCWRI strengthen India’s overall response to violence. Interventions include capacity development workshops for law enforcers (police, protection officers and magistrates), legal aid to women facing violence at home, and awareness-building campaigns about the law among women and the public. ICRW is using surveys, interviews and group discussions in three major states to assess various stakeholders’ attitudes toward the law. ICRW is also designing a monitoring system to track the effectiveness of the PWDVA on a yearly basis.