The extent to which women are using Sri Lanka's Prevention of Domestic Violence Act

What is it about?

In this article, I argue that more than a decade after its passing, Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Domestic Violence Act (PDVA) remains a remedy of last resort for female survivors of intimate partner violence because judges are reluctant to give civil protection orders. However, large numbers of women are accessing the Maintenance Act of 1999 to exit violent relationships without the censure and stigma that attaches to the PDVA. The key to understanding this phenomenon is to consider how familial ideology works in unpredictable ways within the Sri Lankan judicial system. This article examines the reach and different impacts of familial ideology within the judiciary. Keywords: Civil Protection Orders, Prevention of Domestic Violence Act 2005, familial ideology, maintenance, Sri Lanka

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Why is it important?

Protection Orders laws are recognised as an important legal remedy for women experiencing violence within the home by the global women's rights movement. This study is important as it provides an insight into the implementation of such a law within a particular local context in Sri Lanka.