Promising practice: India’s civil law, Protection of Women from
Domestic Violence Act, includes dowry-related harassment as a
form of domestic violence (Section 3(b)). It is important dowry-
related violence and deaths be prohibited under criminal laws,
as well. (See Harmful practices against women in India: An
examination of selected legislative responses, p. 10.) The
Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act (2005) of India
defines domestic violence as follows: 3. Definition of domestic
violence.-For the purposes of this Act, any act, omission or
commission or conduct of the respondent shall constitute
domestic violence in case it - (a) harms or injures or endangers
the health, safety, life, limb or well-being, whether mental or
physical, of the aggrieved person or tends to do so and includes
causing physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal and emotional abuse
and economic abuse; or (b) harasses, harms, injures or endangers
the aggrieved person with a view to coerce her or any other
person related to her to