Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF) is a
men's rights group in India. It is a registered, non-funded, non-profit,
non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
(NGO) and works with various like-minded NGOs in India.
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History
Founded in 2005, SIFF is an advocacy group against what it calls misuse of Indian laws related to
dowry
A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...
harassment.
It is an umbrella organisation of a number of men's and family rights organisations spanned across Indian cities and provinces.
SIFF has supported the founding of other like-minded organisations, such as the "All India Mother in Laws Protection Forum"
and "All India Men's Welfare Association".
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".
Activities
SIFF created an app and a helpline for men, which got over 25,000 phone calls in four months.
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,
and that lawyers and women use them to extort money and family property and to deny child custody to fathers.
SIF members have sought to have the laws made
gender neutral
Gender neutrality (adjective form: gender-neutral), also known as gender-neutralism or the gender neutrality movement, is the idea that policies, language, and other social institutions (social structures or gender roles) should avoid distinguish ...
and be amended include protection of men against abuse by women.
The media comments that organization is insensitive to high rates of domestic physical abuse committed against women in India
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”.
SIFF asserts that dowry harassment of women and their families is a figment of the feminist imagination,
and that the woman is the abuser in almost all cases of family abuse.
They campaign for decrimininalisation of anti-dowry offences, with the threat of imprisonment removed.
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,
and the approximately 7000
deaths
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
of women every year who die due to
dowry
A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...
demands.
SIFF has also advocated for the creation of a Men's Commission in India. SIFF also protested against the
2010 Amendment to the Marriage Act.
SIFF also spoke out against a 2022 court petition which could criminalize
marital rape
Marital rape or spousal rape is the act of sexual intercourse with one's spouse without the spouse's consent. The lack of consent is the essential element and need not involve physical violence. Marital rape is considered a form of domestic vi ...
, and sponsored a "marriage strike".
Elections
SIFF ran an independent candidate, Satish Babu SN, in the
2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election
The 2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election was held on 12 May 2018 in 222 constituencies to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The election was postponed in Jayanagar and Rajarajeshwari Nagar, following the death of the MLA B. N. Vijaya ...
from
B.T.M Layout constituency; he finished 7th, gathering 333 votes (0.24% of the total valid votes).
See also
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Patriarchy
Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males a ...
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Antifeminism
Antifeminism, also spelled anti-feminism, is opposition to some or all forms of feminism. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, antifeminists opposed particular policy proposals for women's rights, such as the right to vote, educat ...
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Feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
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Dowry system in India
The dowry system in India refers to the durable goods, cash, and real or movable property that the bride's family gives to the groom, his parents and his relatives as a condition of the marriage. Dowry is referred to dahez in Hindi and as ''jahez ...
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Masculism
Masculism or masculinism may variously refer to ideologies and socio-political movements that seek to eliminate sexism against men, equalize their rights with women, and increase adherence to or promotion of attributes regarded as typical of men ...
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Misandry
Misandry () is the hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against men.
Men's rights activists and other masculinist groups have criticized modern laws concerning divorce, domestic violence, the draft, circumcision (known as genital mutilation ...
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Misogyny
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
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No-fault divorce
In a no-fault divorce the dissolution of a marriage does not require a showing of wrongdoing by either party. Laws providing for no-fault divorce allow a family court to grant a divorce in response to a petition by either party of the marriage w ...
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Domestic violence against men
Domestic violence against men is violence or other physical abuse towards men in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. As with domestic violence against women, violence against men may constitute a crime, but laws vary betwee ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Organization website
Human rights organisations based in India
Men's movement in India
Organizations established in 2005
2005 establishments in India