In this piece, legal activist Prita Jha critiques the state of women’s shelter homes (refuges) in India, arguing that many function more like carceral institutions than safe havens for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. Although laws like the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) mandate the provision of shelter, counselling, and legal aid, the reality on the ground is starkly different. Survivors often experience poor living conditions, lack of emotional support, and restricted freedom of movement, with staff treating residents as “inmates” rather than individuals rebuilding their lives. Jha also highlights how societal stigma around women who leave abusive homes feeds into the punitive environment of these shelters, undermining their purpose as supportive spaces for recovery and empowerment. This critique was part of a larger series marking the tenth anniversary of India’s domestic violence law, emphasizing that inadequate refuge provisions seriously limit women’s real choices and autonomy.