Daily Times

A lot has already been said on the issue of domestic violence, especially that targeted against women. The issue was even debated in the supreme houses as the Introduction of Women Prevention and Protection Bill 2021 was raised as a possible solution. However, has anyone asked how many cases have been resolved since then? How many abusers have been caught? How many of them have been punished?

Most importantly, is every such case registered? The answer to this is, an unfortunate “NO.” Most women in Pakistan are still afraid to register their cases. They still prefer spending their lives in a toxic environment out of fear of society. While physical abuse may be noticeable, the psychological abuse that stems from a dominating man should not be forgotten.

In Pakistani culture, social norms seem to favour women who phlegmatically bear marital abuse.

According to reports of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the most common forms of domestic abuse are slapping (52 per cent), threatening (49 per cent), shouting (76 per cent), punching (40 per cent), kicking (40 per cent) and pushing (47 per cent). An extreme case of recent domestic violence has been reported in Rawalpindi by highly educated people for the demand of property share of a woman from her parents after 17 years of marriage. On which, a woman was beaten mercilessly, punched, abused mentally, physically, and verbally in front of her in-laws as a framed pre-planned drafted sketch, which was heard by the victim. The man refused to have any financial assistance per the girl’s affordability and demanded an expensive car with a bungalow in an expensive locality initially of his own choice. When it was not possible for her family to fulfil these demands, the girl was given talaq twice on minor routine work. She was harassed continuously with the threat of talaq if she failed to bring her property share. This whole pre-planned plan was heard from time to time by the girl, which was being discussed among her husband, sister-in-law, brothers-in-law and mother-in-law. Her husband was continuously being provoked to abuse her physically for many hours for his demands. The girl was kept in isolation without any interaction with her parents. What a strange kind of case where the lust for money, greed, and jealousy reigns supreme. What kind of man could this easily be provoked by his close relations? She was told off as a liability for using his facilities and eating his food. The question here is, should a woman not be a responsibility of her husband? WHY is a husband running away from his responsibilities?

There is a matter of his mindset for the husband had come back after getting his doctorate. It is seen that one cannot change the mindset and values, even of an educated person. For, such an attitude towards a wife is highly condemned and offenders should be brought out to the front.

The incident raised various questions in my mind and being a woman, I am looking for their answers from our society, authorities, lawmakers, members of parliament, and last but not the least, male members of our society. Is a woman not safe in her husband’s house even after spending 17 years of married life? WHY is she dishonoured and disregarded when one’s demand does not get fulfilled? When would a woman be safe in her husband’s house? Is a woman still unsafe, after 17 years of marriage? How can she be pushed out of a house by her husband and in-laws? WHY are the spent 17 years of marriage not important in the eyes of the husband? Are property and jewellery more important than a woman or a wife and her loyalty to her husband? WHY do women not feel protected in our society and their houses? WHY does a woman remain an outsider throughout her life in her husband’s house? WHY do women fear losing their home or husband?

We all have to find the answers to these questions together. Pakistan Demographic and Health surveys (DHS) 2017-2018 claimed that 34 per cent of married women have experienced spousal emotional, sexual, and physical violence. Out of which, 26 per cent is emotional violence and 23 per cent is physical violence by the spouse.

The Noor Makadam killing; the acid attack on a woman by her ex-husband; assault of a woman at Minar-e-Pakistan by nearly 400 men, and rape of mother and daughter by a rickshaw driver are just a few of the cases that deserve justice. This is the time to raise our voices. The concerned government departments are required to increase their efficiency via performance.

Thomas Reuters Foundation Survey 2018 ranked Pakistan the sixth-most dangerous country for women, and the fourth-worst nation when it came to the discrimination in the access to economic resources such as risk to their safety owing to cultural, religious, and traditional practices and discrimination at workplaces. In domestic abuse, Pakistan is ranked fifth. The reasons behind the domestic violence on women are context-specific and general. In Pakistani culture, social norms seem to favour women who phlegmatically bear marital abuse. On the other side, women who seek legal procedures against violence look at wariness. There is a need to define the punishment over domestic violence and the presentation of Prevention and Protection Bill 2021. Besides, misrepresentation of religious teachings also leads to conceiving the wrong implementation. There is a loud SHOUT OUT for the authorities for their prompt actions for the women who are behind closed doors.

The writer is a researcher and columnist from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. She can be contacted at saira.asad2011@gmail.com.