Domestic violence is an endemic social problem in Pakistan. According to a report, nearly 70 to 90 percent of women are suffering from many forms of abuses. In Pakistan more than 5000 women are being killed per year due to the domestic violence and thousands of women have been injured badly. Approximately 97% of women were interviewed and told that they have been the victim of some kinds of assaults, ranging from verbal abuses or threatened to be subjected to beating or non-consensual sex.
It is painful to mention that 12 years old girls are being killed by their own fathers and brothers. Different reasons are linked with domestic violence in Pakistan such as, poverty, illiteracy and social taboos. In Islamabad nearly 4,000 women had been attacked during the period of eight years in which 30 percent were pregnant. So about four women are killed in this manner every day. I request the concerned authorities and human rights organizations to increase the number of laws against domestic violence and women should be saved from physical torture, sexual abuse and acid attacks.
Once the Quaid had said that “no nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you. We are victim of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut within the four walls of the houses as prisoner. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our women have to live”. Unfortunately, sanctions are found in every sphere of life for women in Pakistan. Gender disparity is evident by the country’s ranking as 141st out of 142 countries in terms of economic opportunity and political participation for women
Women in Pakistan are regularly subject to violence.
Violence against women has been categorized into crimes including, abduction/kidnapping, murder, domestic violence, suicide, honor killing, rape/gang rape, sexual assault, acid throwing, and burning. As per the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 597 women and girls were gang-raped, 828 raped and 36 stripped in public in Pakistan in the year 2014. The Aurat Foundation estimated a total of 7,852 cases of violence against women were reported across Pakistan in 2013
Domestic violence is a very common form of violence silently endured by many women in Pakistan. It is a form of physical, sexual or psychological abuse perpetrated mainly (but not only) by men against women in a relationship or after separation. In Pakistan since the joint family system is common, in-laws are also common perpetrators of domestic violence in relation to dowry issues or family disputes. The problem with this form of violence against women is that such cases are seldom reported, often treated as private household matters. Men consider it their right to threaten or be physically violent to their wives as corrective behaviour when women are seen as being disobedient. According to estimates, 39% of married women aged 15-49 report having experienced physical and/or emotional violence from their spouse.
Violence against women is a common practice in our society. There are millions of women who are living in abusive relationships, marriages and constant harassment every day. Violence is a broader term which includes all the violent acts such as rape, domestic violence, psychological abuse, emotional abuse, honour killing, dowry, acid throwing, forced marriages, mob violence, stalking, sexual harassment, human trafficking and forced prostitution, mistreatment of widows, rape and sexual slavery, forced sterilization, forced abortions, stoning and flogging, violence by the police, obstetric violence and sport-related violence.
Mostly people who are working for women rights are themselves harassing the women in different ways. While working in development sector I realized that the gender based violence occurring across the globe and bringing about severe change in our society. Sadly during 2015 International NGO’s recorded that six women were kidnapped, four raped, three committed suicide and six were murdered every single day in Pakistan. There has been a 20-25 % increase in cases of violence against women reported every year.
A brother killed his sister on the account of love marriage. A father killed his daughters on petty issues like living life according to their own will. A husband beat his wife to the point of disability. A gang of boys stalked and harassed some girls in a shopping mall until they felt unsafe in a “crowded” place. From time to time, we hear and read news like the ones mentioned above. It’s a reality that women in Pakistan are always treated as second-class citizens and we must admit it, sadly because the state cannot make a clear distinction whether it’s secular or theocratic in nature. Charles Habib Malik a great philosopher and diplomat said that, “The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world.”
Abubakar Khan.
Journalist and Rights Activist
khanabobakar1@gmail.com
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