Violence against Women in the Slums of India: An Unequal Representation of Justice

Abstract

The present paper discusses the findings of a cross-sectional study conducted in the urban slums of two major metropolises in India: Kolkata and Mumbai. The study was conducted to understand the nature and extent of violence in the lives of women and girls and their unequal access to justice. Violence against women is allpervading—it affects women of all classes and regions. For women in slums, however, the situation is far worse, with the socioeconomic conditions of the slums precluding a life of dignity and well-being. They are denied basic education, married off at an early age, and become victims of several types of violence in and outside the family. The authorities and the justice system are generally not supportive of this cause. The study attempts to probe the issues underlying the lives of these women in terms of social justice and the failure of the rule of law to secure (representative) justice.