Study on Violence against Women in Pakistan ; Challenges and Solutions (original) (raw)
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Violence against Women in Pakistan: A Framework for Analysis
Understanding violence against women is as complex as its process. As a perusal of literature shows that most of the explanations were contextually and culturally based, this review attempts to analyze the issue of violence against women using theories applicable within the Pakistani context. Literature examining the issue of violence against women and its various theories was reviewed. A framework using the determinants of violence against women as proposed, include intrinsic and extrinsic factors within the people, the socio-economic-political and cultural system of Pakistan and the influences of surrounding countries. The Pakistani scenario has been described and the theoretical bases were presented. Each determinant has been discussed with supporting literature. Further studies are needed to strengthen the framework; however, it provided a modest view of violence against women in Pakistan. The framework would help the policy and decision makers to understand the dynamics of violence against women and may move them to action to bring about improvements in women's' lives.
Women in Pakhtun society live in a world, which is structured by strict customary law, religious monopolization, familial disorder and tribal-feudal laws. These discriminatory frameworks tend to women's subjugation and discrimination through severe violence on daily basis. Women's victimization is mostly based on cultural, economic, legal and political factors which are the focus of this research study. The study was conducted in Tehsil Adenzai focusing on its four union councils; namely Khanpoor, Chakdara, Ouch and Badwan, District dir lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. The data was collected from 375 respondents including (women victims and men perpetration) with the help of predetermined structured interview schedule using purposive sampling technique. A pure quantitative approach is used in order to analyze data with the help of descriptive (uni-variate) and inferential (Bi-variate) statistics. The quantitative analyses reveal that cultural, economic, legal and political factors create severe violence against women in Pakhtun society. However, it has been recommended that legal and judicial system, media, religious scholars, NGOs and local community leaders can play their positive role to decrease violence against women in Pakhtun society.
Domestic Violence Against Women: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan
It is a common belief that women in Pakistan have limited rights or privileges in a male dominated society. Women fare batter in urban areas and middle and upper sections of society. The condition of women rights in rural areas is very alarming. Women faced different kinds of violence such as sexual violence perpetrated by their family members, domestic abuses including spousal murder, beating, threat, honor killings, torture, acid attacks and child custody problems. Islam and most of the international organizations condemn the women rights violation. The feminist movement started worldwide to protect women rights and gender-based violence. The current research focused all those violations which women have to face in their domestic life. The case study of Bahawalpur indicates the conservative environment and its impact on women rights violations. The descriptive and analytical method of study has been used. The data was collected through a structured questionnaire from different areas of the district Bahawalpur. The Legal and punitive measures cannot succeed unless social customs, norms and societal mentality are changed. Better Education facilities, opportunities of employments and proper social and political participation can overcome this issue. Moreover, the proper implementation of law and justice after violence is necessary to eliminate this problem in the Pakistani society.
Violence on Women: An "Acceptable" Assertion in Pakistan
World Affairs, 2020
Women in Pakistan live in a world structured by strict codes of family ties, religion and tribal customs. In recent years, pervasive repression and violence, often perpetrated with impunity, have literally pushed women back into their homes for fear of reprisals. There are many customary practices found throughout Pakistan that result in harmful outcomes for women. These include dowry deaths, honour killings, acid attacks, exchanging women in marriage with no consideration for their consent, forced marriages, forced religious conversions, etc. In addition, the mounting trend of Islamist extremism, which underpins terrorism in Pakistan, has added to the existing deluge of violence against women. Dismal poverty, ignorance and lack of education create fertile grounds for a fundamental furthering the perpetration of violence on the female population. Pakistan today is juggling between repressive customs and borrowed modernisation, causing irreparable damage to the social milieu, of which women are a fundamental component.
Violence against Women in Pakistan: Role of Police and Media
The study was conducted to highlight the contributing role of police and media regarding violence against women. Media portrayal of women makes them more susceptible to physical and symbolic violence. Likewise, the attitude of police towards cases of violence against women encourages the perpetrators owing to under representation of females in police department and discriminatory behavior of male police stations. Data were collected from thirteen daily newspapers of Pakistan, five English and eight Urdu, and content analysis was done. Analysis showed 164 cases of rape, 99 cases of honor killing, 162 cases of domestic violence, 26 cases of sexual harassment, 28 cases of suicide respectively and total 479 cases of violence against women were portrayed in the months of June and July, 2010. The study revealed that incidents of women violence are not reported to the level that it could sensitize the society. Such under reporting violence also exonerates the police department to take stern action against culprits. The study has important policy implications regarding the role of police and media.
Prevalence and Factors Associated with Violence against Women in Pakistan
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Background: Violence against women is multifaceted, and multidimensional global phenomenon; but highly endemic in Pakistan. Gender roles and socioeconomic factors put women in subordinate status that makes them prone to all kinds of violence. Violence influences personality, lifestyle, and health; particularly reproductive practices. The current paper aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with violence against women in Pakistan. Methods: Secondary data analysis of the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 2012-13 was done. A total of n= 2941 married women between the ages of 15-49 were included; of these 841 were asked about violence. The variables included socio-demographic characteristics, violence, and its typology, fertility and contraceptive use. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Descriptive statistics were run to describe the population socio-demographic characteristics and violence. Binary logistic regression and multivariate model were used to assess the possible association of violence with socioeconomic characteristics. Results: Of the 2941 ever-married women of the reproductive age group (15-49 years) from Sindh included in the analysis, 58.35% were illiterate, 30.09% were employed workers, 28.24% were current contraceptive users and 34.70% ever terminated pregnancy. Of those who were asked about violence (n=841), 38.34% reported experiencing any type of violence, however, 58.90% neither sought help nor informed anyone. On Univariate analysis violence was found to be associated with: women's illiteracy (OR 3.0, 1.7-5.3), poverty (OR 3.0, 2.0-4.7) non-working status (OR 1.8, 1.3-2.5), lack of house ownership (OR 1.7, 1.1-3.0), Husbands' characteristics that were found to be associated with violence against women were illiteracy (OR 2.5, 1.6-4.0) and skilled manual occupation (OR 2.2, 1.1-4.2). Three factors that remained associated with violence on multivariate analysis were; women's non-working status (OR 1.8, 1.3-2.5) and high parity (OR 1.7, 1.2-2.4) and husbands' education (OR 1.8, 1.1-2.5). Conclusion: Violence against women is prevalent in Pakistan; most victims are not reporting or seeking help. Victims of violence are uneducated, unemployed, high parity women who were non-contraceptive users and whose husbands were illiterate. To decrease the magnitude and intensity of violence against women, short and long term promotive to rehabilitative actions are required ranging from establishment of shelters to provide relief to violence victims to structural reforms for improving the status of women to control and prevent violence.
Violence against women in Pakistan
2019
Pakistan is a society burdened with the legacy of colonial rule, and presently dominated by the landed aristocracy, bureaucracy, a strong army with ruthless powers and eyes fixed on taking over the government, as well as the Muslim religious parties, who wish to dictate all matters of an individual’s life. The various Muslim religious parties/groups have sharp differences among them—which are sometimes violently resolved by killing each other’s members—but they are unanimous in considering women as the evil of all sins, that they are subordinate to males and do not have equal rights. A common and indoctrinated phrase says that “the home is the best place for women”. Muslim fundamentalist groups have the support and patronage of the powerful, which allows them to divide society on a sectarian basis and keep women, 49 percent of the country’s population, in the dark ages.
Gender-Based violence in Pakistan: Incidences, Emerging Statutes, Intrusions & Factual Strategies
Journal of Law & Social Studies, 2021
This article discovers by facilitating a brief recognition of Gender-based violence (hereinafter GBV) and its impact in society as breach of human rights which administration is abandoning for years. It’s a misery for our country to lack in making good policies regarding gender disputes and social rights related to human beings. The article reconnoitres different behaviours in which women are being victimized, degree of violence, its effect on victims and society at large. The current investigation will also covers adequacy of prevailing laws for women’s safety; acquiescence by Government and to what extent Pakistan fulfils its legal pledge related to CEDAW? Moreover flaw existing in CEDAW and Pakistan’s current debate in parliament to have new regulations in this sphere is also being discussed. In the end, suggestions and recommendations are made for Government, United Nations and Global Community for applied purpose through which women can be provided legal safeguard.
THE PARADIGM OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN PAKISTAN: A CONFLICT BETWEEN LAW, CULTURE AND RELIGION
The issue of violence against women, deeply ingrained into the culture of Pakistan, has recently caught the attention of the increasingly active and effective civil society in the country. Both national and international organizations continue to work towards alleviating the issue at large. However, a major barrier towards tackling the issue at hand is the overlapping nature of the culture and religion that has put forth the topic of violence against women as a taboo in the society. Religious misinterpretations alongside cultural norms and the ineffective implementation of laws have led to a weak status of women in Pakistan where it is difficult for women to voice their opinions or claim their rights.