Domestic violence, domestic abuse, or family abuse in Pakistan is called as the violence of a person against another internal person in marriage. It is committed by a spouse against another partner. It can even be between former spouses. We can also see that in Pakistan that in-laws are also included in the violence. It can not only be against spouses but also children and parents. Domestic violence can come in various forms. It could be religious, verbal, economic, reproductive coercion, physical, and sexual abuse. The World Health Organization describes domestic violence as any act that is gender-based and results in any mental, physical, or sexual harm. Authorities have estimated that every year, almost 5000 women are killed in domestic violence in both psychological and physical conduct, and thousands of them become disabled. It is also found that the violence rate is more in rural areas and especially among the Afghani refugees in Pakistan.
Forms of Domestic Violence
There could be three forms of it that a person can experience. There are followings:
I. Psychological Violence: It means to abuse a person psychologically, mentally, or emotionally. Like criticizing, abusing, insulting, and shouting at a person that he or she has a fear of that person.
II. Physical Violence: It means that beating your spouse or family member like parents or children and harms them physically. In Pakistan, we can see many incidents of acid attacks, honor killings, and dowry deaths.
III. Sexual Violence: Sexual violence in families can come into many forms. It can be a sexual assault of a person, date rape drugs, or drug-facilitated sexual assault. It can even be incest that is unlawful not only by the country’s laws but also by Islamic laws. It can be child abuse that is most terrific. Sexual assaulting of men and boys, and they face many questions and challenges in society because of many stereotypes. So all these are forms of domestic sexual violence.
Factors Contributing to the Domestic Violence in Pakistan
We hear many incidents of honor killing for choice marriage, acid attacks by in-laws or a relative for different reasons, exchange marriages (Watta Satta), Karo Kari, marriage of a girl with Quran (so that inherited wealth could remain in family) and dowry death that is killing of daughter in law by her in-laws or a wife by his husband for not bringing dowry. All these are some examples of incidents for domestic violence. Some factors for it are listed below:
I. Drug Addiction of Spouse: In Pakistan, two out of three women are ignorant and do not know about her rights. A drug-addicted man of a low-income family would beat his wife for money. We have seen an incident of a father selling his children for money so that he can buy his drug. A drug-addicted man can not distinguish between right and wrong when he requires that so-called medicine. There is also a concept in Pakistan that a boy is doing well, has terrible company, bad moral conduct, and no interest in any profession or job or do not want to do any work then marry him. He will be okay with his wife and would do all things right.
II. Poverty and Financial Constraints or other Economic Factors: What could we say about it? Is there poverty and man is not able to earn enough, then you should beat your spouse or wife? Because she is the reason for poverty at home as she did not bring good luck to the house. And women silently bear it because they lack education about their rights and do not want to break this stereotype.
III. Superstitions: Many superstitions prevailed in Pakistan like Sabz Qadam Bahu, who brought trouble in the house after marrying with their son, Mahoos, in the presence of which everything will be damaged and Paisa Aurat ki Qismat ka Hota hai money is the destiny of a woman. All these superstitions need to be broken.
IV. Patriarchalism: Pakistani society is a male-dominant society. In some parts of society, men consider it a right to beat their spouse by saying Aurat Paon Ki Jooti Hoti Hai. It is so shameful for a man to recognize his spouse Paon Ki Jooti. And even women consider it normal. All we need is to change our behavior towards these things.
Impacts of Domestic Violence to Women
Many women suffer silently in Pakistan. They do not bargain about it because of many social taboos, constraints, and of course, reasons. In many cases, women bear it for the sake of their parents or parental family. That her parents borrowed money for her marriage and took trouble for this so-called home where she has no respect. If she opens up against her husband or goes back to the parents, what would society say, or what would people say? In Watta Satta or marriage exchange, the brother and sister of a family would marry the brother and sister of another family. If a sister faces an issue, then in return, another one or the bride exchange would pay off it. In all these circumstances, a woman or victim can face many physical and psychological challenges like depression, conduct disorders, dysthymia or drug abuse, a constant fear of murder, and many others. It puts many women in mental disorders with significant depression and anxiety, and the cruelty is that this is not counted as a health matter. And there are physical impacts also. Men usually pull their spouse’s hair so loudly that it falls off the skull. Women have many hit marks hidden on their body or their face. Even a forced slap on the face causes bleeding from ears. It is also reported that women were beaten in pregnancy, as well.
Government Initiatives
A bill on domestic violence is passed for Islamabad Capital Territory only. Provinces did not give any legislation for it. However, there are laws for some specific offenses like honor killing, dowry death, and acid attacks.
- The government of Pakistan passed a bill against dowry in 1976, but it did not affect the dowry culture and dowry deaths.
- The Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention bill were passed in 2012 to suppress acid attacks on women in Pakistan.
- General Pervez Musharraf set the honor of killing as murder in 2001. And Pakistan’s Criminal Law Amendment was passed to protect women from honor killing in Pakistan.
Conclusion
We need to understand that domestic violence is a crime and should stop it. Women should know about their rights and bargain for it. On the other side, the government should also take steps to provide victims security and legal assistance and make fair laws.