Violence Against Women

The book "Violence Against Women: Varied Perspectives" is an assorted conglomeration of research papers read and debated upon in a National Seminar on Violence against Women at Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, New Delhi. The national seminar was addressed by Hon'ble Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Chief Justice, High Court of Himachal Pradesh, and presently Justice of the Supreme Court of India; Smt. Dhaneshwari Thakur, Chairperson, H.P. State Commission for Women; Sh. Shrawan Dogra, Advocate General, H.P.; and Prof. A.D.N. Bajpai, Vice-Chancellor of H.P. University Shimla on August 21 and 22, 2013. The book is an assortation of twenty-eight best research papers out of the two hundred seventy presented.The book provides us an insight into the national scenario regarding violence women are facing, whether domestic, at workplace, communal or perpetuated. Right from the case study of pains and sorrows of women of Kashmiri Pandits, to forced prostitution and trafficking of women in Bhubaneswar in Odisha, to pornographic commodification of women, to the domestic violence in Imphal in Manipur, and to the role of NGOs in preventing violence against women in Banaras in Uttar Pradesh, this book represents India in microcosm witnessing the dynamics of violence against women.The book builds up the vivacity of the reader by focussing not only on the issues and intricacies of gender violence but the needs to modify legal regime; good governance preventing brutal business of trafficking; and the state responsibilities in protection of women's human rights. Whereas, poverty and hunger emerge as reasons for flesh trade, legalising voluntary prostitution as a solution to curb violence against women also adds to the variegated approach of this book.The varied perspectives as mentioned in the book find their presentation incomplete if cost estimation of violence against women stands uncalculated. The editors as authors in their paper have attempted to investigate the methodological aspects of estimating the costs of violence against women on the victim, family, and the State.It is the constellation of renowned and established authors which makes this book enriched with multitudes of concepts. Not only do the authors belong to different universities but also different genres. Whereas we have Prof. Chhaya Datar, Professor and Head (Retired) from Centre for Women's Studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai; we have Dr. Pamela Singla, Professor, Department of Social Work and Dr. Manjeet Bhatia, Women Studies and Development Centre, University of Delhi too. Their expertise on the subject is of encyclopaedic range. There are contributors from the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai; Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi; Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore; Panjab University, Chandigarh; and Himachal Pradesh University. Besides there are also contributors from the civil society including Dr. Mala Bhandari, Director, SADARG, Noida, UP and Mrs. Pinki Ramaul from Stellar Society, HP.Hence, the reader shall find himself steered to evaluate, conceptualise, plan, and execute the promise of providing care to women.About the Editors: Dr. Nalin Kumar Ramaul has published research papers in reputed journals of Springer and Sage Publications, completed four research projects. Presently working in a Government College in Himachal Pradesh, he had qualified Civil Services Examinations conducted by UPSC.Dr. Vivek Negi is an Assistant Professor in English in Govt College Paonta Sahib HP. His expertise is in studies in Vivekananda and has guided M.Phil. scholars. He is fond of editing too.Mrs. Pinki Ramaul is a free-lance journalist writing articles in The Tribune, The Times of India, Divya Himachal, and Himachal This Week.Blog: http: //ramaul.blogspot.com/