Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on Prevalence of complaints related to violence against women in India - A cross-sectional comparative research study from 2014 to 2022?

Abstract Violence against women is a global problem, affecting women around the world irrespective of age, races, education, ethnicity, groups, economy classes and nationalities. Sometimes in situation of disaster like covid-19 pandemic it may be a life-threatening situation for an individual woman. In India due to a huge female population, illiteracy, equity issues, gender issues, religious issues, lack of positive deviance, illiteracy, socio-economic factors, migration after marriage and in search of job from rural to urban areas, inaccessibility to seek legal help, the safety of women is of prime concern. The key aim of this observational retrospective cross-sectional comparative mixed research study is to find out impact of SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 Pandemic era on Prevalence of complaints of violence against women in India, across 36 different states and union territories from the beginning of the pandemic i.e. January 2020 and comparing it with previous six pre-pandemic years. The objective is to find out that the ongoing covid-19 pandemic years has a positive or negative effect over prevalence of complaints of violence against women. Data from NCW (National Commission for Women) which set up by Act No. 20 of 1990 of Govt. of India as constitutional/ legislative body in January 1992 under the (National Commission for Women) NCW Act, 1990, is extracted, observed, analysed for this research study with Microsoft office and stata software. The period of study is from January 2014 to 2022 December (projected). This is an observational retrospective cross-sectional comparative mixed research study. The ongoing three years of covid-19 pandemic i.e. 2020 and 2021, 2022 is compared to previous pre-pandemic years to know the impact of covid-19 on complaints of violence against women in India. Increase in prevalence of complaint of violence against women in India is revealed in this research study during covid-19 pandemic years as compared to pre-pandemic era under observation except 2014. During the 2021, second year of covid-19 pandemic the total numbers of violence complaint Report of the Complaints Received by NCW was 30865 which is an increase by 55.03 percent compared to 2018 and 56.43% as compared to 2019. This research study found that National Commission for Women is expected to receive 35287 complaints of crimes committed against women in 2022 as per current trends, the highest in the last eight years. The barriers in delivery of legal and protective system and helpful services etc. should be rectified. A proper dynamic plan for women protection services working even in pandemics and natural disasters should be enforced and implemented.