DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN POONCH DISTRICT OF JAMMU & KASHMIR: CULTURAL PREJUDICES, STRUCTURAL BARRIERS, AND SOCIO-LEGAL RESPONSES

Domestic violence remains one of the most pervasive forms of gender-based violence in India. While national statistics highlight the scale of the problem, district-level realities often remain underexplored, particularly in border and rural regions such as Poonch district. This paper examines domestic violence against women in Poonch through the lens of cultural prejudices, patriarchal norms, economic dependency, and limited institutional access. Drawing upon secondary data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), government crime records, and regional socio-cultural studies, the paper argues that underreporting and social stigma significantly mask the actual prevalence of violence. The study highlights the intersection of gender, rural marginality, and border-region vulnerabilities, and proposes culturally sensitive policy interventions for effective redressal.