The reason behind this being that they want to highlight that this is a global and not domestic story.

Violence against men seems to be a largely untold story and is something that they are really interested in featuring.

The show that she is researching on behalf of, Taboo, is National Geographic’s most successful show.

Taboo is a long-running prime-time documentary series on the National Geographic Channel. The series presents an in-depth analysis of human behaviours and customs from around the world. As the title suggests, the focus is on practices that some countries or cultures might consider strange.

But often things that are considered taboo are not well understood. In each episode, personal stories are presented alongside analysis from leading academics and experts in the relevant field.

Part of the reason for this success is their observational documentary style of shooting. In recent years female violence against men has become more public affair, it would seem that there a quite few contributing factors, but above all, there seems to be very little support by way of shelter for men that are in this situation.

Violence against men seems to be a largely untold story and is something that they are really interested in featuring.

If you are able to assist Sarah, please contact her at the details below.

Sarah Isaac / researcher
Beyond Productions
109 Reserve Rd, Artarmon NSW 2064
E: sarah_isaac@beyond.com.au
L: +61 (0)2 9437 2000
M: 040 6897171
F: +61 (0)2 9437 2090

See also: One in Three page.

BHUBANESWAR: Agitated over her father’s claim that she featured in a porn CD, a college girl on Monday slapped him in full public view outside the office of the State Commission for Women here.

As he lodged a complaint with the SCW alleging his daughter was being ‘misused’ by a man, the 18-year-old girl appeared before the SCW office in the company of that man and asked her father to withdraw the complaint, police said.

Full news from Times of India.

Something that the feminists of India can celebrate!

In one stroke the entire male population can be put to shame – be it he father, the brother, the husband and his male relatives!

A father who was concerned about his teen-aged daughter being exploited for making Porn videos has been slapped in public repeatedly. This has happened where? In front of the State Women’s Commission! Now you understand what the Women’s commissions including NCW and SCW’s are encouraging actively.

If this is the fate of the father, then what is in store for the poor male idiot who is going to marry this girl some day!

Having read that news, watch this father-slapping video too!

Definitions.- In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a) ” aggrieved person” means any woman who is, or has been, in a domestic relationship with the respondent and who alleges to have been subjected to any act of domestic violence by the respondent;

” respondent” means any adult male person who is, or has been, in a domestic relationship with the aggrieved person and against whom the aggrieved person has sought any relief under this Act: Provided that an aggrieved wife or female living in a relationship in the nature of a marriage may also file a complaint against a relative of the husband or the male partner;

How blatantly biased, one-sided and preposterous and cruel towards males in India!

It negates the very essence of domestic relationship! This law seems to have been ushered in for the express purpose of exterminating the very institution of matrimony and family on Bharat, that is India!

Now read about a weak, tender and nubile wife who just killed her husband; poor girl!

Woman arrested for assaulting husband with knife

Source: Times of India | Apr 4, 2011, 01.50am IST

PUNE: The Mundhwa police on Sunday arrested a 32-year-old call centre employee for allegedly assaulting her husband with a knife following a domestic quarrel. The incident took place on March 13 at their residence on B T Kavde Road.

The police have identified the woman as Dorothy Powell. Her husband, Uday Powell (34), lodged a complaint with the police on Saturday, after he was discharged from the hospital. Dorothy was arrested under section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) of the Indian Penal Code. She was produced before the court on Sunday and released on bail.

According to sub-inspector Durgesh Sable of the Mundhwa police station, Uday and Dorothy got married around two years ago. They have a one-and-a-half-year-old son. Uday works with a construction company and Dorothy works with a call centre. “The couple was staying in a rented house for two to three months,” Sable said.

He said that following some domestic dispute, the couple entered into a brawl. “Uday has claimed in his complaint that Dorothy assaulted him with a knife. He then locked her in the house and rushed to a doctor. After getting preliminary treatment, Uday was shifted to a private hospital in Hadapsar. “On Saturday, Uday lodged a complaint with the police,” Sable said.

Speaking to TOI, Dorothy’s uncle Ruben Jadhav said that the allegations Uday had made against Dorothy were false. “The couple was staying in Dnyaneshwar building for two to three months. Dorothy had asked Uday to give her money to pay the house rent. However, Uday refused to give her money, saying that he wanted to buy a motorcycle,”
Jadhav said.

Jadhav added that on March 13, the couple started quarreling over the same issue. Uday then went into the bathroom and when he came out he had injuries in the stomach. He locked the house from outside and ran out. He went to the doctor, who suggested that Uday should be shifted to a hospital. “Dorothy paid the doctor’s bill and also deposited cash in the hospital for Uday’s treatment,” Jadhav said.

Jadhav said, “Dorothy is innocent. We do not know why Uday has implicated her in a false case.”

Uday has claimed in his complaint that Dorothy assaulted him with a knife. He then locked her in the house and rushed to a doctor. After getting preliminary treatment, Uday was shifted to a private hospital in Hadapsar. On Saturday, Uday registered a police complaint.

Demanding the arrest of Rakhi Sawant in connection with the recent controversy on her TV show, a group of male activists from the Indian Family Foundation (IFF) came together on International Men’s day on Friday, raised the grievances of men and spoke about the alleged misuse of women-centric laws in the country.

“If a woman was called impotent on national TV, we are sure that the National Commission for Women would have ensured that the male host was behind the bars,” says Bunty Jain, vice-president, IFF. “We are not against women but we are looking for gender neutrality in the country,” says Jain.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, in the last 12 years, 1,70,000 married men have committed suicide due to domestic violence. Reflecting upon the rising figures of suicide rates among Indian husbands, the IFF questioned this bias and demanded separate machinery to record complaints by men under cognisable offences.

Together, we can change things for the better!

INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY – 2010

All India Men’s Welfare Association (AIMWA)

International Men’s Day (IMD) is celebrated on 19th November the world over.

This year, on the occasion of IMD, AIMWA is felicitating three positive male role models namely, Dr. Viswanath Gogte, Sri. A.V. Gurunadh and Sri. Gangadhara Sastry for their extraordinary contributions to academic, civic and spiritual education, respectively. (Click here for invitation!)

Why celebrate Men’s Day?

In the recent years, it has become common practice to neglect, ill-treat and demean men in the society. Male bashing (both physical and verbal) and portrayal of men as villains, idiots and inferior creatures is seen as an innocuous way of increasing profits of media houses and other businesses. Discrimination of men under law and violation of their human rights have become synonymous with empowering and protecting women.

Undermining the positive contributions of majority of men and exaggerating the misdeeds of a few has serious impact on the psyche of men and the self-image of young men and boys. Discrimination against men in areas of social services, social attitudes, social expectations and law is very demoralizing to the common men who lead decent, honest lives.

International men’s day is about celebrating and honoring men in our lives for all the contributions, services and sacrifices they make for the well-being of the family and society. It is an opportunity to revive respect towards men and improve gender relations. It is an occasion to promote positive male role models, to reinforce the self-esteem and pride of young men and boys about being male. It is a day to remind everyone of the fact that men are human too and that they desire and deserve love, care and respect just as much as women do.

In an attempt to shed light on the various issues affecting men, All India Men’s Welfare Association (AIMWA) is organizing a conference where experts in various fields will share their observations and recommendations. (See invitation for details!)

* Physical Health of men – Dr. Sudhir, BHMS, Kakinada

The National Family Health Survey does not consider men’s health important – enormous focus on women and children, and the mention of men only in relation to how they should contribute to the health and welfare of women and children, clearly indicates the apathy of the Government towards men’s health. No funds are allocated to conduct research on or develop remedies for diseases specific to men such as prostate or testicular cancers. Since men define their lives largely by their professions and protecting and providing for their families, they tend to ignore illnesses, lead less healthy lifestyles than women, miss getting medical attention in time, and as other stresses in life increase, the diseases catch up with them. Men are more likely to die from heart disease, prostate cancer, stroke, infectious diseases, accidents and suicide. Males have a higher overall mortality rate than females at all ages (roughly 1.6 times greater). It is necessary to understand the genetic, environmental or age related illnesses which can affect men, and provide them with insurance to get the right kind of medical attention at the appropriate time.

Men as protectors – Sri. A.B. Pratap Reddy, A.P. Police Department, Hyderabad

Men as individuals and as a group are expected to protect not just their own respective families, but also, all women and children in the society. Right from the age of 7, a boy is trained to be an “unpaid bodyguard” to girls and women. Accordingly, anytime a girl or woman is in distress, one always sees men rushing to her rescue. The fire department, police, armed forces and all other security forces are filled with men. Even in forces where women are recruited, combat and other risky operations are considered the exclusive job of men. The country pays tributes once a year to all the fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country. We also need to remember that the so-called protector too needs certain kinds of protection and support in order to perform his job efficiently on a daily basis. Government should pay close attention to improving working conditions, salaries, housing and professional development opportunities for men in uniform.

Men as providers – Sri. Manoj David, President, National Litigant Bench, Chennai

Men and boys are always expected to be and conditioned to become protectors and providers. Even though more women are entering the job market and defying their traditional roles within the family and the society, resulting in reduced employment opportunities for men, the society refuses to free men of their traditional duties of protecting and providing for women, children and the aged. Men who cannot provide for the family are considered incapable, unmanly and unfit for marriage and having children. So, men often undertake some of the most risky and challenging jobs in the society and put their lives at stake just to be a provider. Financial hardships drive thousands of farmers, artisans and providers of crucial services to commit suicide. Treating men as ATMs and expendable commodities is nothing but abuse of their human rights, which must be opposed by individuals, society and Government.

Emotional Health of men – Dr. Praveen Chinta, MBBS, DPM, MRCP, Hyderabad

Boys are discouraged from expressing their pain and feelings from the age of 7-8 yrs. This leads to fear of self-expression and even numbness to abuse for the rest of their lives. Men find emotional confrontations extremely painful when they grow up as they are no longer good at articulating their emotions. A lot of men take refuge in addictions like smoking or drinking to combat stress. Most men enduring emotional turmoil in marriage contemplate suicide and a substantial percentage of them (around 56,000 a year) actually commit suicide. Twice as many married men, compared to married women, commit suicide every year. Scientific research is necessary to understand the emotional health issues of men, especially the Indian male. There is a need for psychiatrists and psychologists to specifically focus on issues pertaining to men.

Men in old age – Smt. Kamakshi, Secy. Senior Citizens Forum, Hyderabad

While men in the “productive” age bracket are subject to the pressures of professional competition, family issues and financial problems, one expects that they would be relatively stress-free during their post-retirement years. However, due to the breakdown of the joint family system, and the advent of nuclear family and individualistic culture, more and more aged men are suffering from anxiety, loneliness, financial hardships and despair. Many aged men also suffer neglect and abuse in their homes, but they appear to be better adjusted than women in similar situations, because men in general are not expressive about their emotions. Overemphasis on professional and family responsibilities at the expense of their own health, and the ensuing stress could be the reasons why life expectancy of men is much lesser than that of women. As the physical and emotional health of aged men depends, to a large extent, on their lifestyles during their younger years, men need to maintain a healthy lifestyle so that they are more resilient and capable of coping with the challenges posed by age and age-related diseases and disabilities.

Men and anti-male laws – Smt. Rama Subhadra, Mahila Satta Legal Cell, Hyderabad

Many laws have been made in the last 60 years in the name of protecting women within and outside the home. These so-called pro-women laws such as IPC Section 498A, Domestic Violence Act, adultery laws, laws against rape and sexual harassment and family laws (divorce, maintenance and child custody) aggravate problems rather than mitigate them. These discriminatory laws are anti-male and anti-family, and serve as weapons that promote family destruction and large scale human rights abuses against men, women and children. They are tools of blackmail and extortion in the hands of unscrupulous women, law enforcement personnel, lawyers and judiciary. There is an urgent need to eliminate discrimination against men under law, make all civil and criminal laws equally applicable to men and women, and also to ensure that strict penalties are imposed on those who misuse the laws.

Respecting male sexuality – Smt. Uma Challa, President, All India Men’s Welfare Association, Hyderabad

Sexual arousal is easily discernible in men, whereas it is not obvious in women. As a result, men constantly face the allegation of being obsessed with sex. It is also believed that men always indulge in sex voluntarily, whereas women are thought to take part in sex either to fulfill the sexual or emotional needs of men or because they are forced to do so by men against their will. Male sexuality is often attacked to break a man down emotionally. Sexual exploitation and rape of men/boys by women is not acknowledged as an offense, and in fact it is considered as a non-existent problem. Today, male sexuality is ridiculed, insulted, misunderstood, undermined, disregarded, criminalized and everything but respected. Proper awareness on male sexuality is very important for both men and women. Provisions and laws for protection against sexual assault and abuse are as necessary for men as they are for women.

SALEM: A national-level coordination forum of men has called for protection from wives and live-in partners whom they charged with exploiting women’s welfare legislation that arm them with ‘unbridled’ power to act against men.

The men, who claim to be ‘victims’ of such legislation from all over the country, spent three days in a resort at the hill station of Yercaud near here to deliberate on how to protect themselves and their kith and kin from harassment and to kick-start a campaign to impress upon policy-makers to think about their plight before enacting such lop-sided laws.

The forum said that many women were abusing these laws for nefarious gains by filing charges against their husbands and partners.

The provisions in these statutes, they called, were ‘anti-men’ leading to suicide of nearly 60,000 men as against 32,000 women annually.

Between 2004 and 2008, seven lakh men and family members were arrested including 500 minors and 5000 aged people, they claimed.

They pointed out that, for instance, laws such as the Dowry Prohibition Act, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, Sec 125 of Cr. PC and above all Section 498A of Indian Penal Code were too stringent and non-bailable.

Women’s lobbies

“Though a debate is going on in legal circles on whether to amend or not especially Sec 498A to prevent its abuse, a few powerful women’s lobbies are blocking it,” said Suresh Ram, National Collegium member, All India Men’s Welfare Association, which organised the 3rd Men’s Rights Conference of the Delhi-based Save Indian Family Foundation at Yercaud in Salem district.

Delegates from Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and from the U.S. attended the deliberations.

A majority of them were from Karnataka, mainly young Information Technology professionals. They said that they would urge the government to replace the words ‘Husband and Wife’ with ‘Person’ in the said acts. They said that cases before Family Courts should be expedited and settled within two years.

The government would be approached to form National Commission for Men, they add.

Thanks: The Hindu