By
Motilal Mahamallik
Sponsored by Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES), Government of Rajasthan

By
Renu Singh, K; Anuradha; Shobhita Rajagopal; Mukta Gupta; Rahul, S
Sponsored by National Commission for Women, New Delhi
August 2021

By
Mohanakumar S
Sponsored by Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad
January 2019

By
Kanchan Mathur
Sponsored by UNICEF State Office, Rajasthan
December 2019

By
Kanchan Mathur and Shobhita Rajagopal
Sponsored by Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi

Belief in witches and witchcraft is an extreme form of gender based violence. Women branded/ labeled as witches face prolonged humiliation and often are stigmatized for life. Terms used for woman labeled as witches are Dakan, Dayan, Tohani. Specific Laws to prevent witch-hunting have been passed in several States but implementation is weak. This two year qualitative / participatory study focuses on three states two states where the Anti-Witchcraft Act has been introduced more than a decade ago i.e. Bihar and Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan where labelling women as witches is rampant but where legislation has been introduced recently have been selected for study. A sample of 75 women, 25 in each state will be covered to document narratives and case studies. The effort is to study the differences in forms and manifestations of violence against women labelled as witches and to get an insight into efficacy of laws and intervention strategies. Besides an extensive review of literature the study has entailed wide ranging fieldwork in each of the three states to get an insight into the forms and manifestations of violence meted out on women branded as witches through their narratives. The team is also involved in probing the effectiveness of laws in protecting women labelled as witches and accused of witchcraft. The role of police, courtroom decisions and legal representations, the role of NGOs/civil society organizations, local healers, public health care providers and community leaders will also be being analyzed to highlight the efficacy of laws and arrive at intervention strategies.