DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN AGANIST WOMEN IN CHENNAI-A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract
This article investigates the stubborn implementation gap between the progressive design of
the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (PWDVA) and what actually
happens on the ground in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Using a mixed-method socio-legal analysis of
judicial decisions, institutional practices, and survivor narratives, it shows that although the
PWDVA is a landmark legislative step, its real-world impact is sharply curtailed by patriarchal
institutional cultures, chronic resource shortages, and a persistent inability to take non-physical
abuse seriously.1 The central claim is that meaningful change won’t come from minor legal
tinkering, but from a deeper overhaul of support systems, police orientations, and courtroom
processes so the ecosystem is genuinely survivor-centric.