Scenario 1: Thailand: Rakata has not yet prepared dinner for husband Akito, as there is no grain in the house. Akito works as a farm laborer, but gambles away whatever he earns. Rakata and the two little children are emaciated, often ill, and fearful. Today all three are huddling in a corner of the house, fearing his fury.

Scenario 2: Madhya Pradesh, India: Rani, a domestic worker who supports her two children and an alcoholic husband, is knocking on the door of her mistress at 2 am, with a bleeding head and a broken arm. Her husband, who saw her talk to a male neighbor has given her a good thrashing, to 'teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget.'

Scenario 3, Bangladesh: Rehana, a worker in a local garment factory has been beaten black and blue by her husband. Reason: she refused to part with the money she had kept for the children’s school fees for his amorous adventures.

A 7-year study conducted by the World Health Organization on the much-neglected subject of domestic violence has focused on alarming figures reflecting the physical threat faced by women worldwide. One in every 6 women is a victim of domestic violence, suffering in silence. However, the continuous physical violence by an intimate partner is far less highlighted, compared to rapes and other forms of sexual and physical abuse by strangers and acquaintances.