Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Conceptualizing Domestic Violence 2. Legislating the Laws Relating to Domestic Violence 3. Fighting Against Domestic Violence: Weaving Stories of Pain and Courage 4. Women’s Experiences with the Law and the Legal System 5. The Economics of Love: Women’s Rights within Families and Changing Economic Paradigm 6. Adjudicating Domestic Violence in Courts 7. Conclusion: How Easy is Access to Justice?

About the Author

Shalu Nigam is an advocate, researcher and activist working at the intersection of gender, law, governance and human rights issues. She is currently practicing at the courts in Delhi and is associated with the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Delhi, India. She has previously worked with the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi, as well as the Centre for Women’s Development Studies, New Delhi. She was awarded a Senior Fellowship by the Indian Council for Social Science Research, New Delhi. She is the co-author of The Founding Mothers: 15 Women Architects of the Indian Constitution and has published several other books. She has been a regular contributor to countercurrents.org and has published her essays in journals such as the South Asia Journal, Social Action, International Journal of Gender and Women’s Studies and Legal News and Views.