Essay: Domestic Violence Against Women

Essay: Domestic Violence Against Women

Violence against Women

Outlines:
1. Introduction.
2. Domestic violence in history.
3. Domestic violence in Pakistan.
4. Types of Abuse:
(a) Beaten to death.
(b) Dowry deaths.
(c) Acid attacks.
5. Various factors.
6. Political response.
7. Conclusion.
Domestic violence directed against women by their intimate partners is an epidemic of global proportions that has devastating physical, emotional, financial and social effects on women, children, the family and the community. Critical to efforts to combat domestic violence has been the growing recognition of domestic violence as a violation of women's human rights. Violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women and that violence against women is one of the crucial social mechanisms by which women are forced into a subordinate position compared with men.
The history of violence against women remains vague in scientific literature. This is in part because many kinds of violence against women are under-reported, often due to societal norms, taboos, stigma, and the sensitive nature of the subject. It is widely recognized that even today, a lack of reliable and continuous data is an obstacle to forming a clear picture of violence against women. Although, the history of violence against women .is difficult to track, it is clear that much of the violence was accepted, condoned and even legally sanctioned.
Domestic violence in Pakistan is an endemic social problem. According to a study carried out in 2009 by Human Rights’Watch, it is estirriated that between 20 to 30 percent of women in Pakistan have suffered some form of abuse. An estimated 5,000 women are killed per/year from domestic violence, with thousands of others disabled. The majority of victims of violence have no legal recourse. Law enforcement authorities do not view domestic violence as a crime and usually refuse to register any cases brought to them. Given the very few women's shelters in the country, victims have limited ability to escape from violent situations.
An estimated 5,000 women are killed per year from domestic violence, with thousands of others disabled. An Associate Professor at the University of California, describes abuse against women in Pakistan as "endemic in all social spheres". In an observational study published in the Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences based on a convenience sample of 218 women in the gynaecology wards of three hospitals, 47% of the interviewed women said they had been victims of some form of assault, ranging from verbal abuse or threatened, to being subjected to beatings. Cases of women and girls being beaten to death have been recorded, such as that of a 12 year old girl who was beaten to death by her father and younger brother for failing to make a round roti (bread) in October 2015.

Dowry deaths have been described by the United Nations as a form of domestic violence. Women are often attacked and murdered if their in-laws deem their dowry to have, been insufficient. Amongst dowry-related violence, bride burnings, also known as "stove deaths", are widely reported. In 1988, a survey shewed that 80.0 women were killed in this manner, in 1989, the number rose to 1,100, and, in 1990, it stood at 1,8d0 estimated killings. According to the Progressive Women's Association, such attacks are a growing problem and, in 1994, on International Women's Day, announced that various NGOs would join to raise awareness of the issue. Newspapers in Lahore in a six-month period (1997) reported on average 15 attacks a month.

 Women's News reported that 4,000 women had .been attacked in this manner in Islamabad's surroundings over an eight- year period, and that the' average age range of victims was between 18 and 35. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported that about four women are killed in this manner everyday, by either family members or husbands.
Acid attacks in Pakistan came to international attention after the release of a documentary by a Pakistani woman, the director of the short film called “Saving Face" (2012). The majority of these attacks occur in the summer when acid is used extensively to soak certain seeds to induce germination. Various reasons have been given for such attacks, such as a woman dressing inappropriately or rejecting a proposal of marriage.

Various factors are associated with domestic violence in

PfthMan Poverty literacy and other social problems are oorwaderad the mam reasons for domestic violence in the country. A Mt of awareness about women s rights and a lack of support from the government have been cited as two reasons. Another factor ghwn ter the rise in domestic violence has been due to moneaaed urbanization. As people move from villages and rowing^ hve apart from an extended family, assaults are less (My to be prevented by the intervention of family members, who m past bmes often intervened in domestic conflicts. Women have reported attacks ranging from physical to psychological and sexual abuse from partners, in-laws and family members.

In 1976, the Pakistani government passed legislation on dowry and bridal gifts in an attempt to eliminate the custom but, because of cultural and social norms, combined with government ineffectiveness, such killings over inadequate oownes continue. The Ministry of Women Development set up ten crisis centers to help the victims of domestic violence and raise the awareness level of the people on this issue. In 2011, toe Senate passed the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bft to repress add attacks in the country; the. Senate also pawed the Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Bill.

The consequences of domestic violence, both physical and psychological, are so devastating that some consider it a form of torture Domestic violence affects not only battered women and their children, but also the entire community. Due to the prevalence and pervasiveness of domestic violence in nearly every part of the world, communities must react with a comprehensive strategy incorporating advocacy, legal reform, and education to combat the problem.