Daily Times

The increasingly alarming scenario of domestic violence rendered towards females in Pakistan is indeed heart-rending to say the least. This covers not only physical abuse but also verbal and psychological abuse, which is indeed detrimental for mental and emotional well-being of women. The overall prevalence of domestic violence in Pakistan accounts for somewhere between 21% and 50%.

The stories of domestic abuse towards women, and their contextual backgrounds are indeed heart-wrenching to know and understand. This increasing social evil in Pakistan is borne by both married and unmarried women. The married women undergo bitter physical, verbal and psychological abuse at the hands of their husbands frequently as well as by members of their in-laws. It is indeed unfortunate to note that the women usually become victim of worst physical and verbal abuse at the hands of their husbands on various minor and major issues which oftentimes are nonsensical and baseless. The underlying reasons of this abuse are attributed to societal pressures and fears, wrong interpretations of religious, traditional and cultural norms in the society, dowry system, poverty, imbalance of power between men and women, women’s low educational level and their lack of autonomy. Such causes push men to highest level of coward attempt of violently abusing the women in their lives physically, verbally and psychologically, ultimately reflecting their own insecurities.

Likewise the unmarried women undergo severe levels of physical, verbal and emotional abuse at hands of their male family members such as father, and brother. The different stories of abuse reported in the media are indeed painful. The abuse the unmarried women suffer at the hands of their own family members includes social pressures, lack of tolerance by men in matters related to career development, marriage proposals, and other related social issues. It is very unfortunate to assert that the women expressing their opinions regarding their preferences, goals and targets are deemed to be rebellious and are subjected to worst form of domestic abuse without being given adequate space. The underlying question, which remains unaddressed, is that do these cowardly men have a little realisation of the long-term emotional and mental damage, which their abuse inflicts upon women.

The domestic violence entails an adverse impact on the digestive and reproductive systems of the females. A negative effect arises on the hormonal system, which lowers down the immune system. Anxiety and panic attacks, severe mood swings, insecurity, eating disorders, self neglect, dependence on drugs and alcohol, and suicide attempts are other adverse consequences on women following domestic violence.  The diseases of the brain and mind amongst women such as epilepsy, stroke, depression and schizophrenia are other devastating effects of domestic violence.

It is indeed unfortunate to note that Pakistan is ranked amongst the top countries in the world severely affected by domestic violence. Thomson Reuters in a 2011 survey ranked Pakistan as the third most dangerous country for women in the world following Afghanistan and Republic of Congo. Domestic violence is an act of sheer barbarity and indecency. Considering the accelerating scenarios, which make women vulnerable to domestic violence and its ensuing negative consequences, there stands a need to formulate stringent and implementable laws, programmes and strategies in Pakistan to curb the rate of domestic violence. Different educational awareness campaigns should be created for both men and women, which should include counseling sessions, talk shows and role plays to emphasise the curse of domestic violence towards women and extent to which it is detrimental to female’s health. In addition, judicial processes and police departments should undergo operational reformation to an extent that women are freely and safely able to access and seek justice. The personnel of women police should be effectively trained and guided so that victims of domestic violence feel safe while contacting them. An emphasis on recruiting nurses or female doctors in the police departments should be encouraged for promoting an amiable environment for the victims of domestic violence. Such measures if implemented effectively can control the horrendous crime of domestic abuse in our country.