Violence, Gender and the State

This book examines the adequacy of laws in India as a response to sexual and gender-based violence against women. It addresses questions such as: is law doing enough in responding to violence against women in India? Where are the barriers and bottlenecks, particularly for women from marginalised communities? What can be done to ensure that justice is rendered? Based on women’s experience of violence, not solely on the basis of gender, but a combination of caste, class, religious and gender identities, the book examines law as a response to gendered violence against women in India through the lens of intersectionality. It combines socio-legal and feminist analyses of relevant statutes on sexual and gender-based violence, their judicial interpretations, their implementation by law enforcement agencies, and their ramifications for women’s lives.This book will be of interest to academics, research scholars and students in a range of disciplines, including law, women’s studies, gender and sexuality studies, victimology, sociology, political science, and human rights. It will also be useful for policy-makers, advocates, judicial officers, paralegal workers, women’s rights campaigners, non-profit organisations and globally, anyone interested in and concerned with justice for women in India.

'This book by Prof. Saumya Uma is an encyclopaedic work that will be of immense value to all those working on violence against women and seeking to understand the reasons for the failure of the legal system to provide justice to the women victims/survivors of crimes against them.' Prof. (Dr.) V.S. Elizabeth, Vice-Chancellor, Tamil Nadu National Law University, India'This book addresses an urgent need. Various forms of gender-based violence exist, affecting women negatively, particularly those with marginalised identities. How does one make law real for all women? The author discusses this from many angles with clarity.' Prabha Sridevan, Judge Madras High Court (Retd)'Violence, Gender and the State in India is not just a legal analysis but a brave coverage of herculean challenges facing women in contemporary India. It shows the way forward in the collective pursuit of justice.' Sophia Khan, Director, Social Action Forum Against Repression

Saumya Uma is Professor at the Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, India, and teaches, writes and speaks at the intersections of gender, human rights and the law.