A probe into rural women’s awareness and attitude toward seeking help for domestic violence in Odisha during the pandemic

The impact of the pandemic and the fear for COVID-19 has gripped the whole world in different measures. The precautionary measure taken by different nations is lockdown which has created further issues for women who were victims of violence. Rural women in Odisha have less access to health services and mental health care professionals including legal protection against violence done to them being the weaker section of the society. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 gives legal protection to domestic violence victims while also providing specific relief for their health needs but the lockdown has seen a rise in the reported cases of violence too in many other cities which raises the concern for rural women and their safety. This study examines the safety of women in a marital relationship or otherwise too and how much support they are getting from other members of their social system as well as the level of preparedness of the Government system to address domestic violence in rural Odisha.