• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Login
NRI Affairs
Youtube Channel
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
NRI Affairs
No Result
View All Result
Home Other

A clinical psychiatrist reveals how Indian women in Australia experience family violence – and how to combat it

Review: Daughters of Durga: Dowries, Gender Violence and Family in Australia by Manjula Datta O’Connor (MUP)

Reuters by Reuters
June 16, 2022
in Other
Reading Time: 7 mins read
A A
0
Manjula O'Connor's new book Daughters of Durga

Manjula O'Connor's new book Daughters of Durga

176
SHARES
1.6k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Advertisements

Manjula Datta O’Connor is a clinical psychiatrist and chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Family Violence Psychiatry Network. She has a particular interest in the mental health experiences of migrant women affected by family violence. She has been supporting women in her clinical practice for the past three decades.

Her new book, Daughters of Durga, draws on her research and clinical experience. It introduces readers to the complexities of family violence as experienced by South Asian migrant women in Australia, with a primary focus on Indian women.

Daughters of Durga unpacks the historical context of gender roles in Indian society under the Manusmriti laws. The Manusmriti, India’s ancient legal text, sets out laws, rights, duties, virtues and conduct. Written during the first century AD, it redefined Indian women. Once strong and fearless, they were recharacterised as dependent, submissive creatures. This ideal of women as submissive has persisted throughout India’s history, although to varying degrees.

Manusmriti was written by the highest caste for the highest caste. British colonisation introduced several legal reforms, including the universal application of Mansumriti to all castes. Originally intended to preserve the purity of the highest caste, Manusmriti became a rigid law that undermined gender equality for all Indian women.

Film Review: ‘All That Breathes’ by Shaunak Sen

Daughters of Durga critically examines the influence of social change over time on women’s inferior status. It describes how women of India organised themselves to resist the effects of British colonial rule. Datta O’Connor particularly draws on the experiences of educated women who have sought equality in their relationships and better opportunities for their families in Australia.

The book sets the scene by describing the lives of women in India and those who migrate to Australia. After the United Kingdom, Australia is the country with the largest population of Indian migrants, who currently make up 2.8% of Australia’s total population. Indians also make up around 15% of Australia’s international university student population and around 20% of Australia’s skilled migrant visa program.

Indian women, men and families therefore form a significant part of Australia’s multicultural population. It is critical for Australia to better understand the experiences of Indian women who migrate to Australia.

Datta O’Connor unpacks the cultural context of dowries – the amount of money or assets expected to be brought into a marriage by an Indian bride. She also examines the underlying assumptions that make dowries a potential tool of ongoing abuse.

In Indian culture, daughters are valued less than sons. Parents are likely to achieve significant financial gain from a son’s marriage, whereas the parents of a daughter start saving during her childhood to be able to afford her wedding and marriage. Daughters of Durga describes how women’s families are often solely responsible for wedding costs, including presents, garments, jewellery, and the different phases of the wedding ceremony and celebration.

Datta O’Connor notes that the families of many of the women she sees in her clinical practice acquired significant debts through this process. She helps the reader understand the complex nature of Indian marriages and the financial expectations placed on the bride and the bride’s family during (and often well beyond) the wedding procedures. Contributing factors include India’s patriarchal society and the reinforcement of gender stereotypes.

Dowries remain a common practice in Indian marriages, but the coercion of women and their families to make repeated dowry payments to the groom or his family after the wedding has been recognised as a form of family violence in Australia.

While family violence affects a large number of Indian women, Datta O’Connor reminds the reader that many grooms and their families do not engage in dowry-related abuse. Daughters of Durga criticises the patriarchal system that enables men’s violence against women, but it also describes men who are “benevolent patriarchs” – in other words, men who may be the final decision-makers in family matters, but do so without violence and coercion.

Many of the experiences described by Datta O’Connor are universal for those affected by family violence. As I have observed in my own research for over a decade, coercive control, financial abuse, and the negative impact of status incompatibility are common issues.

Throughout the book, Datta O’Connor investigates the status of women about to be married to an arranged partner. Modernisation has generated greater access to education for women in India. Today’s Indian women are better educated and wealthier than their mothers and grandmothers. Families increasingly invest in the education of their daughter to increase her desirability as a potential wife.

Advertisements

Many Indian women thus complete university degrees that set them up with future career and earning opportunities. Yet as soon as a woman is married, her potential career is traded for her role as a “good” wife and mother. For many Indian women, this means being subordinate to their husbands and in-laws and giving birth to at least one son – because sons promise prosperity, while daughters are a financial burden.

Daughters of Durga illustrates how increasing a woman’s status through education also increases her risk of family violence. Many men – Indian and otherwise – continue to feel threatened by highly educated women with career prospects, particularly where these may exceed their own.

Educated women in India have a chance at gender equality in theory. But in practice a woman may still find herself trapped in a patriarchal relationship that reinforces her inferiority.

The reinforcement of societal values that regard daughters as worth less than sons harms the mental wellbeing of the whole family. Again, this is not restricted to the Indian community: Datta O’Connor’s findings consider mental health costs associated with family violence more broadly.

Australia’s hyper-masculine culture has contributed to men’s mental health problems, including staggeringly high suicide rates among Australian men. Daughters of Durga empathetically explores how expectations of what it means to be a “real man” in Indian society similarly affect men’s mental well-being and the functioning of their relationships.

Social pressure to be the dominating head of the family has contributed to the deteriorating mental health of modern Indian men who seek equal relationships with a female partner. So long as the culture promotes gender inequality, Indian men who try to break out of the “man box” (which prescribes male dominance, strength and power within intimate relationships) will be reminded that they have failed as men.

This comes on top of gender inequality’s obvious cost to women. Family violence has detrimental short-term and long-term effects on women’s mental health. Datta O’Connor’s clinical practice and research highlight the devastating consequences of family violence for Indian women living in Australia.

Like many other advocates, Datta O’Connor argues that addressing men’s violence against women at its roots – by improving social attitudes to gender equality – would reduce the costs associated with the recovery needs of women and children, and mental health support for men. This would not only improve individual wellbeing, but promote healthy, respectful and safe relationships.

Daughters of Durga makes a significant contribution to our understanding of domestic and family violence in multicultural Australia. It also adds to current conversations around educating the community and service providers about women’s experiences of non-physical forms of abuse, such as coercive control.

Datta O’Connor clearly situates the culturally specific experiences of South Asian women experiencing family violence within a broader context of universal, cross-cultural experiences. She highlights the importance of a nuanced understanding of family violence that considers culture, migration and gender.

She concludes by reimagining the Manusmriti in a way that reflects gender equality and freedom from individual and structural violence for women.

Indian women have made significant progress towards empowerment and equality in recent decades. Until men join them on this journey, women’s increasingly elevated status through education will remain a risk factor for family violence.

Indian societal expectations need to shift away from women being “good” and obedient wives and mothers in order to prevent men’s violence against them. Men need to be expected to support gender equality by contributing to housework and childcare, and by supporting women’s career opportunities and financial independence.

To achieve this, Datta O’Connor concludes, we need to educate boys and engage men as allies in the fight against family violence – and violence against women more broadly.

Man who threw coffee at a café worker in Parramatta, charged
Share70Tweet44Send
Reuters

Reuters

This article has been written by the news agency Reuters. NRI Affairs has not edited it except the headline and the intro.

Related Posts

paddy o sullivan rsmlgiahfoU unsplash scaled e1675763470723
Other

When faith actors combine forces with climate activists

February 7, 2023
The Big Short: How Hindenburg Research triggered Adani Group’s price plunge
Other

The Big Short: How Hindenburg Research triggered Adani Group’s price plunge

February 5, 2023
A harmonious convergence of teaching, learning and humanitarian goals – Indian-origin, Australian PM Awardee Ms. Veena Nair sets an example
Other

A harmonious convergence of teaching, learning and humanitarian goals – Indian-origin, Australian PM Awardee Ms. Veena Nair sets an example

January 17, 2023
Next Post
Nupur Sharma BJP

US condemns India party official Nupur Sharma's remarks on prophet

Hundreds of women wear sarees at the Royal Ascot event in Britain

Hundreds of women wear sarees at the Royal Ascot event in Britain

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) chose the site to celebrate June as the Pride Month, to "reflect on the progress we have made as a Nation in the fight for justice, inclusion, and equality," and to support LGBTQIA+ rights.

'Very special,' new U.S. citizen candidates take oath of allegiance at Stonewall Monument

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Parents are immediate family members

Treat parents as immediate family: Australians demand

2 years ago
Stranded Australians ‘should accept whatever vaccine is available, wherever they are’: Immigration Minister

‘A good outcome’: Federal government withdraws Character Bill, again

12 months ago
Vishal Jood

Vishal Jood taken into custody for deportation

1 year ago
NRIs

Thousands of super-rich Indians to move overseas this year: Report

10 months ago

Categories

  • Literature
  • Multimedia
  • News
  • nriaffairs
  • Other
  • People
  • Top Stories
  • Uncategorized
  • Views
  • Visa

Topics

Air India Australia california Canada caste CECA COVID COVID-19 cricket ECTA Europe free trade FTA Geeta Germany h1b visa Hindu immigration India india-australia Indian Indian-American Indian-origin Indian Students Khalistan London Melbourne Modi Muslim New Zealand NRI NSW oci quarantine Singapore Sydney travel UAE uk Ukraine US USA Victoria visa women
NRI Affairs

© 2021 NRI Affairs.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other

© 2021 NRI Affairs.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT