by admin | Oct 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
The Balochistan High Court has ordered the government to assist women in obtaining their share of the inheritance.
Advocate Muhammad Sajid Tarin filed a petition in the court against women being deprived of their share in inheritance, especially property.
“In most cases, whenever a settlement is made for inherited property, women are conveniently ignored or sidelined from the process,” he said.
A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan, remarked that under Section 498 A of the Pakistan Penal Code, anyone depriving women of their rightful share of inheritance shall be punished.
The law states: “Whoever by deceitful or illegal means deprives any woman from inheriting any movable or immovable property at the time of opening of succession shall be punished with imprisonment for either description for a term which may extend to ten years but not be less than five years or with a fine of one million rupees or both”.
The judges remarked that the government should take the responsibility of ensuring women receive their rightful share.
“The government should also run electronic and digital campaigns creating awareness over the issue, especially among women,” the court said, adding that the law should be taught in schools and colleges as well.
The Director-General of NADRA has been directed to establish a special desk at the revenue office of the relevant district/tehsil for provision of the family tree of the deceased, whose property is either likely to be inherited or settled during the settlement operation to ensure inclusion of names of female legal heirs of the deceased.
The Board of Revenue officials have also been directed to establish a complaint cell at the revenue offices to avoid any unnecessary delay in the process of inheritance and settlement operation and also to eradicate the possibility of illegal gratification.
Chief Justice Mandokhail observed, “Right of female legal heirs have been protected by the Holy Quran and Sunnah, thus, any custom or tradition (Rawaj) contrary to the Holy Quran should not be followed, while recording mutation of inheritance and during the settlement proceedings”.
by admin | Oct 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
New studies have revealed that domestic violence against women in Pakistan has increased. A recent study revealed that up to 84% of women participants have been psychologically abused by their husbands in their lifetime, while 77% and 80% of women in other studies have confirmed that they were targets of sexual and physical violence, respectively. Moreover, according to media reports, more than 51,241 cases of violence against women were reported between January 2011 and June 2017. Conviction rates, meanwhile, remain low, with the accused in just 2.5% of all reported cases ending up being convicted by the courts. It is important to note that these statistics provide moderate estimates of violence prevalence in Pakistan, as women are hesitant to share sensitive information about their marital lives in the patriarchal society of Pakistan. Above all, Pakistan ranks fourth on the list of the world’s most dangerous countries for women. Furthermore, another report shows a 73 percent drop in the cases of violence was witnessed during February but a spike of up to 360 percent was witnessed during March 2020.
In a majority of cases of sexual violence, a perpetrator is a man known to the woman or the child victim. So, Violence against women is more structural than causal in this society. Rape, one of the biggest violations of human rights. Day by day, the number of rape cases are increasing, which itself is one of the biggest violation of human rights. On top of this, the brutality of the act is also getting more and more horrendous. In many cases, videos of rape victims are used to blackmail them to file a case against the perpetrators. Mostly in cases of domestic violence and assault, police adopt an accusatory approach towards the complainants and asked women to ‘prove their innocence before registering the offense (committed) against them.
Violence in any society is detrimental. It takes ages to get rid of it. In this regard, the chief justice of Pakistan has recently announced that 1,000 courts would be set up to deal with the cases of violence against women. Pakistan reported 2,297 cases of violence against women from 25 districts between January and December 2020. Awareness needs to be raised via electronic means. Throughout the country, funding for round-the-clock hotlines and shelters must be provided, with rapid testing facilities and appropriate World Health Organization health protocols. Basic safety planning and escape plans for extreme situations must be discussed. Protecting our women is the first step toward establishing a state like Madina.
by admin | Oct 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
Suicide is a major public health concern worldwide. Annually, more than 10 million individuals attempt suicide, of which one million die. The majority of suicide cases (79%) occur in low and middle-income countries. Multiple studies have shown that domestic violence survivors have higher rates of suicidal thoughts. Moreover, physical assault increases the risk of suicidal attempts in married women, the impact of emotional violence, including the infidelity of husband, jealousy of husband, threats to divorce, threats to physical assaults, being isolated from family members and, control and coercion of husband on suicidal attempts is greater than physical assault.
Female victims with a chronic illness or disability who experience intimate partner violence have an increased risk of threatening or attempting suicide. Women who undergo such abuse (particularly sexual) may exhibit suicidal ideation. Suffering humiliation, ridicule, or neglect can deplete self-worth and further drive social isolation. Such victimization runs counter to the need to belong and feel valued. When this goes unmet, a passive desire for death may arise. In addition to this, Moderate suicidal ideation may arise as individuals continue to experience both psychological pain, hopelessness, loss of connectedness with other people, social roles, interests, and sense of meaning in life, as well as a continued feeling of burdensomeness.
Suicide risk among those reporting domestic violence also may be linked to when this abuse finally comes to light. Few victims report their initial domestic victimization, with most not doing so until they have endured multiple assaults. Therefore, any report probably indicates a word-long history of violence. Also, this suggests that law enforcement officers may be the first responders to encounter victims with high suicide risk.
Even though, in Pakistan, suicide rates are lower than in the west. Nevertheless, it leads to spiritual death instead. This leads to the victims losing the taste of life and just surviving while suffering. Violence against women is multi-dimensional and its definition varies based on ethical, cultural, and legal factors. Delay in the detection of domestic violence imposes serious threats to women’s life. To reduce the burden of suicide in women, families, and society, it is important that violence against women is taken seriously and addressed at both individual and system levels.
Considering the crucial role women play in the construction of a society and a nation, such consequences are alarming. As a nation, we should try to help any such victim in our surroundings because help is easier than compensating for the loss of some valuable life either physically or spiritually. After all, suicide is not a solution. This is not how this centuries’ long tyranny of males can end, it can only be put to a halt by standing against it and fighting it.
by admin | Oct 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
When the federal government introduced a bill to prevent violence against women, the people of Pakistan were hopeful that it would help lessen the ever-increasing cases of domestic abuse and provide refuge to people from physical or emotional assault. But the opposition saw the contents of the Bill to be challenging patriarchal violence too brazenly, and so the Islamic Ideological Council deliberately rejected the bill. It seems that the people in charge aren’t just complicit in but are actively contributing to Pakistan’s problems.
The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2021 was introduced to punish all acts of physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and economic abuse against women, children and other vulnerable persons, or any other person with whom the respondent is or has been in a domestic relationship. The main aims of the Bill were to provide relief and rehabilitation for victims of domestic abuse and any other vulnerable people such as the elderly, assist victims in distancing themselves from abuse through the creation of a Protection Committee and allow Courts to grant interim orders, protection custody, and financial compensation to victims.
According to the Bill, stalking, invasion of privacy, character assassination and insults would also be classified as forms of domestic violence. Therefore, the Bill provided a much wider scope for protection of women, covering forms of abuse beyond just physical harassment. The Bill also included imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs. 100,000 for domestic violence. Another recommendation of the Bill was the recruitment of Protection Officers who would be responsible for reporting domestic violence cases and collecting data.
On April 19th, 2021, Shireen Mazari, the Human Rights Minister, moved the Bill in the National Assembly and, on the same day, it passed in the lower house. The Opposition sent the Bill to a standing committee who were then asked by the Senate to submit a report on it. Their report suggested multiple amendments to the Bill. It was then referred back to the Lower House of Parliament. However, in June, the Opposition began to raise concerns over the Bill.
Babar Awan, adviser to the Prime Minister on parliamentary affairs, wrote to Asad Qaiser, National Assembly speaker, to raise concerns over the content of the Bill. The letter stated that the Bill should be referred to the Islamic Council to ensure it is in line with the Constitution of Paksitan and the principles of Islam. However, many people have criticized this decision as the Council, in 2016, proposed a law that would allow a husband to lightly beat his wife. There is an established precedent of the Islamic Ideological Council encouraging men who are violent towards their partners, and then safeguarding them after their crime has been committed. Religious groups have also criticized the definition of domestic violence as stated in the Bill as being too vague and too broad. They claim that having such a broad definition can lead to the legislation being misused. Even though countless women die every year due to domestic violence in Pakistan, our leaders have failed to take decisive action to protect them, let alone to punish their abusers. .
According to research, around 70 to 90% of Pakistani women are subjected to domestic violence. As the pandemic continues, this issue is becoming increasingly prevalent. In Sindh, where the Domestic Violence Bill is already legislated, was it able to save Qurat-ul-Ain from being beaten to death by her husband? How could she take refuge in the law, given the social structures that protect men and villainise women who dare speak up? These laws are nonetheless the first step needed to ensure the safety and rehabilitation of victims and the punishment of abusers, and to establish a precedent of our leaders actually caring about the violence that affects women disproportionately. The recent domestic violence cases in Pakistan have only emphasized the dire need for the Bill – a hope for top-down decisive action to punish those that we as a society have failed to hold accountable.
by admin | Oct 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
Most research concerning risk factors has indicated that lack of education is a risk factor for domestic violence. Lack of education is generally defined as having earned less than a high school diploma, although some studies include those with less than a college degree in their definition. It has been noted that women with less education experience domestic violence at higher rates than women who have achieved a higher level of education. This does not mean that people with higher levels of education cannot be victims of domestic violence; it simply means that the risk of being a victim of domestic violence is greater for those with less than a high school or college education.
Lack of education leads to a lack of employment. If abuse already exists in a relationship, the lack of education and strained income of the victim provides the abuser with an upper hand in feeding upon the victim’s vulnerability. Many victims of domestic violence stay in their situations due to feelings of necessity. The victim has often been isolated from friends and family by the abuser, and this unequal financial arrangement further fuels her sense of dependency and reluctance to leave. The victim may be unable to seek employment which makes leaving the relationship financially feasible, or unable to seek any employment at all.
Education provides one with opportunities to learn new things. Knowledge is not the only advantage to an increased educational level. Education in safe and inspiring learning environments is one of the best ways to empower girls and reduce harmful practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation. An educated girl will understand her rights; have the confidence to claim them and make her own choices about her future.
Ending violence against women will require major and far-reaching social change. The history of respectful relationships or gender-based violence education indicates that schools can play a significant role in this process. But it is short-term, inadequately funded approaches that do little to recognize the complexity of change and the time it takes to bring an education community to a common understanding, awareness, and commitment to change. So, we should all start educating our girls to empower them, as this is the only way to save them from domestic violence or the fear of being left alone.
