Increasing domestic violence against women

A recent survey on domestic violence against women has revealed that violence against pregnant women in Sri Lanka has increased by 40 percent, Matara General Hospital Director Dr M A S C Samarakoon said.
This situation would lead to frustration, suicidal syndrome, maternal death, disorder in reproduction system and unwanted pregnancy among women, she said.
According to the survey both men and women are vulnerable to exploitation in the home. The exposure for the violence on women is higher than on men in the society.
The Government initiated a program called Mithuru Piyasa based on each hospital in the island to prevent domestic violence through counselling, treating and improving the quality of domestic lives.
The first Mithuru Piyasa was set up in 2007 in the Matara Hospital and over 1,500 victims of domestic violence have been served up to date, Samarakoon said.
Though Health Ministry has supported to take action against domestic violence the intervention of multinational companies and NGOs in this regard are mandatory, she said.
The objective of setting up these centres is to inculcate moral values and thereby create a non-violent domestic life without gender discrimination.
As incidence of domestic violence are on the rise in
Sri Lanka, the attention should be focused on more preventive methods. The Government plans to establish Mithuru Piyasa Centres almost all the hospitals in the country by 2013.
Family health programs will be conducted throughout the country as a joint venture of Government hospitals and all health offices to make people aware of domestic violence and preventive methods, the report said.
Daily News - Suraj A Bandara