Save Indian Family Foundation
| File:SIFF Logo.png | |
| Founded | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Rajesh Vakharia |
| Focus | Men's rights, Fathers' rights, Domestic violence, Gender Equality[1] |
| Location | |
Key people | Anil Kumar Murthy (Co-founder), Rukma Chary, Pandurang Katti |
| Website | www |
| Part of a series on |
| Masculism |
|---|
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Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF) is India's largest[3] men's rights group in India. It is a registered, non-funded, non-profit educational and civil rights non-governmental organization (NGO) and works with various like-minded NGOs in India.[4]
Main goals of the men's rights movement are introduction of gender-neutral legislation and repeal of laws that are biased against men.[5] SIFF is organized around legal issues such as anti-dowry laws, divorce, and child custody, which are misused against men through rampant false cases.[6] They also assert that the frequency of domestic violence against men has increased with time with many cases going unreported as men are shamed into not reporting abuse, or fear false accusations against them in reprisal. Some men's rights activists also consider India's rape reporting laws and sexual harassment laws in India to be biased against men.
History
Founded in 2005, SIFF is an advocacy group against what it calls misuse of Indian laws related to dowry harassment.[7] It is an umbrella organisation of a number of men's and family rights organisations spanned across Indian cities and provinces.[8] SIFF has supported the founding of other like-minded organisations, such as the "All India Mother in Laws Protection Forum"[9] and "All India Men's Welfare Association".[10]
In 2010, the group claimed on its website to have "30,000 members on the ground and over 3,500 on the internet who are fighting this legal terrorism with vigour and passion like commandos".[8]
Activities
SIFF created an app and a helpline for men, which got over 25,000 phone calls in four months.[11]
The group campaigned against domestic violence legislation (such as Section 498a of the Indian Penal Code, (1983) and the Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence Act 2005), stating that these laws have been mis-used, and manipulated by Indian women. They assert that men are abused physically and are subject to legal, mental and social harassment by their wives because of these laws,[12] and that lawyers and women use them to extort money and family property and to deny child custody to fathers.[13] SIF members have sought to have the laws made gender neutral and be amended include protection of men against abuse by women.[14][15] The media comments that organization is insensitive to high rates of domestic physical abuse committed against women in India [16] In addition, they note the organization's use of 'strong language', including describing as "terrorist activity" the support given by women groups for the domestic violence legislation, and describing the women politicians who spearhead the legislation as “modern Surpanakhas”.[16][17][18]
SIFF asserts that dowry harassment of women and their families is a figment of the feminist imagination,[19] and that the woman is the abuser in almost all cases of family abuse.[20] They campaign for decrimininalisation of anti-dowry offences, with the threat of imprisonment removed.[21] In contrast, police and women's groups have denied the group's claims of widespread misuse of anti-dowry laws, stating that only a small minority abuse the law,[15] and the approximately 7000 deaths of women every year who die due to dowry demands.[22][16]
SIFF has also advocated for the creation of a Men's Commission in India.[23] SIFF also protested against the 2010 Amendment to the Marriage Act.[24]
SIFF also spoke out against a 2022 court petition which could criminalize marital rape, and sponsored a "marriage strike".[25]
Elections
SIFF ran an independent candidate, Satish Babu SN, in the 2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election from B.T.M Layout constituency; he finished 7th, gathering 333 votes (0.24% of the total valid votes).[26]
See also
- Patriarchy
- Antifeminism
- Feminism
- Dowry system in India
- Masculism
- Misandry
- Misogyny
- No-fault divorce
- Domestic violence against men
References
- ^ "Save Indian Family Foundation - FAQs". Save Indian Family Foundation. 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ^ "फेमिनिस्टों को क्या मालूम कि पुरुषों पर कितना अत्याचार होता है ?". Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ^ "Decriminalize Dowry Act, demand Men's Activists". Ground Report India. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ^ "SIFF - About Us". Save Indian Family Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
- ^ "A DEMAND FOR A NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR MEN IN INDIA | New Male Studies".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Chowdhury, Romit (2014). "Conditions of Emergence: The Formation of Men's Rights Groups in Contemporary India". Indian Journal of Gender Studies. 21 (1). SAGE Publications: 27–53. doi:10.1177/0971521513511199. ISSN 0971-5215. S2CID 144978025.
- ^ ANI (29 November 2006). "Wife harassing you? Call for help". IBNLive. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
OPENwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ George, Daniel P. (6 September 2009). "Moms-in-law of the world unite." The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ^ Sengupta, Sudipta (31 October 2009). "Now, a forum for 'tortured' husbands". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ^ "Save India Family Foundation: Men's helpline gets 25,000 calls over four months in Kolkata". The Times of India. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ Singh, Jangveer (26 November 2006). "Sour dates in India's Silicon Valley". Tribune News Service. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
- ^ Karnad, Raghu (3 December 2007). "Now, Is That Malevolence?". Outlook magazine. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
- ^ Sandhu, Veena (7 November 2006). "Men new "victims" of domestic violence". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
- ^ a b Ramesh, Randeep (13 December 2007). "Dowry law making us the victims, says India's men's movement". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
- ^ a b c Gupta, Monobina (27 October 2006). ["Malevolence for women's law - Men go to PM against female 'terrorist activity' "Malevolence for women's law - Men go to PM against female 'terrorist activity'"]. The Telegraph, Calcutta. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
{{cite news}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ Bhattacharya, Chandrima S. (30 October 2006). "What are men scared of?". The Telegraph, Calcutta. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
- ^ Sengupta, Sudipta (31 October 2009). "Now, a forum for 'tortured' husbands". TOI. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ^ Karnad, Raghu (3 December 2007). "Now, Is That Malevolence?". Outlook magazine. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
- ^ Das, Radhika (8 June 2007). "Is the law biased against men?". Times of India. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
- ^ Ramesh, Randeep (13 December 2007). "Dowry law making us the victims, says India's men's movement". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
- ^ Ash, Lucy (16 July 2003). "India's dowry deaths". BBC News. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
- ^ Ovais, Dar (24 February 2019). "Rally seeking national panel for men on March 3 at Delhi's Jantar Mantar". Indian Express. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Men's rights groups sore at marriage laws bill". Hindustan Times. 16 February 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ Frayer, Lauren (8 February 2022). "Marital rape is still legal in India. A court decision could change that". NPR. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
- ^ "Men's rights NGO to field independents in elections". 15 April 2018.
