ABSTRACT
The culture of violence with impunity is linked to and propagates the culture of silence. The sense of privilege and entitlement a man enjoys in a patriarchal society propels him to use violence against women despite knowing the fact that his actions are legally and morally wrong. This entrenched belief that no matter how wrong or illegal his actions are, he can get away with them generates a sense of impunity. A woman’s sense of worth, her dignity, and pride are questioned while his ego is pampered. The policies, laws, and strategies for women empowerment could not alter the deeply embedded belief of male supremacy; rather, the system propagates the culture of violence in which men go to the extent of using law as a tool to suppress women by filing retaliatory litigation cases known as SLAPP suits (strategic lawsuits against public participation). Courts, therefore, become tools in the hands of resourceful men who deploy various strategies to silence women. Anti-SLAPP legislation is required in general, and specifically in the cases of domestic violence, there is a need to ensure that complainants are not harassed by the batterers while using the family court as a further site of violence.
