by admin | Oct 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
The COVID 19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges for everyone, but particularly has intensified them for women living with abusive family members. In Punjab alone, two emergency helplines, PUCAR-15 and PSCA-A5, have recorded a dramatic rise in reports since the beginning of the pandemic, with PUCAR-15 reporting a staggering 25% increase. Unfortunately, while the number of reported cases may be on the rise, help available for victims is diminishing.
Pakistan is not alone in witnessing this alarming increase in domestic violence over the past year. In the UK, calls to the national abuse hotline escalated by 65%, while in China, reports of domestic violence cases to the local police tripled last year. Similar trends were witnessed in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with many countries reporting increases of over 50%. Rozan, an organization supporting women’s rights, reported that mandatory quarantines resulting in restricted movement have become an added stressor for those facing pre-existing limitations on space. These have forced families to spend more time together, an environment in which stress can intensify. Economic and health-related uncertainty caused by the pandemic, such as increased unemployment and reduced access to hospitals, are further stressors behind abusers’ increased hostility towards their partners.
Suffice it to say, the COVID pandemic has contributed towards a deplorable pandemic of domestic violence. As the world’s attention is focused on developing vaccines to stem the spread of COVID-19, let us resolve to fight domestic violence. In the short term, we must encourage victims to reach out to community resources such as help-centers and helplines. According to multiple reports from women, such shelters have provided the monetary, legal, and rehabilitative help needed to escape their abusive circumstances. In addition to Rozan, there are many domestic violence centers and helplines victims in Pakistan can turn to; local domestic violence helplines include 1099 and 1043. Shelters include the Panah Shelter in Karachi, Dar-ul-Aman shelter in Lahore and the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Center in Islamabad.
Individuals can pursue legislative action through collectivizing and demanding implementation of restorative justice mechanisms: legislative mechanisms that aim the focus of the court’s power on helping the victims. All parties involved in the complaint converge on the resolution that most effectively provides the victim with closure and empowerment, centering their needs. A study conducted in Salt Lake City, Utah in which abusers were assigned either into a traditional batterer intervention program or a hybrid traditional-plus-restorative justice program, indicated that participants from the hybrid program showed a 52% decline in the severity of new crimes over a two-year period.
Another course of action can be implemented through the healthcare sector: training of healthcare professionals on intimate partner violence so they can build their expertise, and subsequently undertake screening – a means of identifying victims of domestic violence. Such professionals can also advocate for greater psychological and legal support for victims. A greater emphasis needs to be placed on medico-legal departments, those in which the fields of medicine and law converge, in public hospitals in Pakistan. Such departments can help victims by providing other healthcare workers with guidance and knowledge on effective management of domestic violence victims.
We have resolved to win the fight against COVID-19. Let us also resolve to win the fight against domestic violence.
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.
by admin | Oct 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
Rigid gender roles and stereotypes mean such fixed beliefs and assumptions which determine that men and women are naturally suited to different tasks and responsibilities or have likes, dislikes, desires, interests, and abilities that aren’t based on their personalities but their gender. Examples include:
- Assuming women will only do the household tasks
- Viewing men as the primary breadwinner, and women as the primary home keeper/child career.
- Thinking men are ‘naturally’ more violent or driven by uncontrollable sexual urges.
Gender roles are implanted in our brains right after we are born. This implanting is done by our family, friends, advertisements, and the media. So, children naturally take up the limited and stereotyped gender roles and identities. These gender norms become internalized as part of the natural order of their lives. For instance, it is generally believed that men should not cry, instead should be dominant and tough which generally means that boys and men shouldn’t show emotions or demonstrate abilities to play comforting roles. On the other hand, it is believed that women should be nurturing, ‘lady-like or sexually appealing means women and girls are often pressurized to behave in specific ways to meet society’s expectations.
Stereotypes are at the core of discrimination. Stereotypes are very harmful because they result in violations of basic human rights and fundamental freedom. Men’s and women’s potential to develop their abilities, pursue their professional careers are all affected by such stereotypes. Stereotypes can be explicitly hostile (e.g. women are unreasonable, feeble, etc.) or can appear harmless (e.g. women are nurturing, social, etc.), but encourage discriminatory ideas. With respect to violence against women, it is stereotypes and beliefs about what women should or should not do that often place blame on the victim in a rape, rather than maintaining the focus on the perpetrator and holding him accountable for the crime he has committed.
Gender role expectations of women and men are a major contributor to domestic violence. Gender roles are not only different but produce unequal outcomes, with men positioned as dominant and women positioned as subordinate in family, social and cultural life. This occurs through expectations that women will:
- be concerned only about their family and catering to others even at the expense of their wellbeing
- be pleasing in physical appearance, and accept others’ judgments about their appearance without question.
- avoid conflict and accept responsibility for mending any conflicts
- have few ambitions outside of romance, family, and caring, and to prioritize the needs of others over their ambitions
- support the social and economic advancement of men
Assumptions and expectations of men which largely contribute to the widespread domestic violence include:
- using aggression towards women, children, and other men to have their needs and wants met, and to fulfill their ambitions
- dominating over others
- acting as the ‘head of the household’, making major decisions and controlling the household finances
- being sexually aggressive, and dominating sexual interactions
- demonstrating leadership in public and social life
- Controlling and disciplining the sexuality of women and girls close to them in order to ‘protect’ them from other men
by admin | Oct 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
Masculinity refers to the social roles, behaviors, and meanings prescribed for men in any given society at any one time.
Types of Masculinity:
According to R.W. Connell, masculinity can be categorized into four different types:
- Hegemonic masculinity
- Subordinate masculinity
- Complicit masculinity
- Marginalized masculinity
Hegemonic masculinity refers to the group of men that are able to claim power over other men and women at any given time.
Subordinate masculinity exhibits characteristics opposite from those of hegemonic masculinity. Individuals in this group demonstrate femininity traits including physical weakness, and they easily express their emotions.
Complicit masculinity describe men who exist more passively under the umbrella of hegemonic masculinity, benefitting from it without being able or willing to fill every aspect of the roll of normative/hegemonic masculinity.
Marginalized masculinity is used to describe the ways in which gender order interacts with other social orders, namely socioeconomic, ethnic, and racial order.
Toxic Masculinity
“Toxic masculinity” (sometimes called “harmful masculinity”) is often used as a catch-all term for the behaviors of men and masculine folks.
In reality, though, there’s plenty of room for someone to be masculine without being toxic or engaging in behavior that’s dangerous or hurtful.
So, what does the phrase actually mean? The popular term points toward very real problems of male violence and sexism.
If you think about the common narrative around men and boys that teaches them that boys don’t cry or that they should be able to walk it off, take it like a man under any circumstance, you could imagine how the habitual practice of not telling about your pain or worries could have significant implications.
There are downstream consequences of not really having a healthy outlet to dispense negative emotions. If you’re bottled up all the time, it’s like Whac-a-Mole, it will pop up behaviorally in another way.
Common Traits of Toxic Masculinity
Traits of toxic masculinity include themes of:
- Mental and physical toughness
- Aggression
- Stoicism, or not displaying emotion
- Self-sufficiency
- Emotional insensitivity
Societal Impact
While toxic masculinity definitely has effects on individuals, it can also have larger societal impacts.
Here are just a few of these impacts. Keep in mind that, while toxic masculinity plays a contributing role in these issues, it isn’t always the sole cause.
Rape Culture
Toxic masculinity ideology tends to treat women as sexual objects, contributing to ongoing issues, like rape culture.
This refers to the tendency to remove blame from sexual assaulters and place it on the victim. “Boys will be boys” might sound harmless when it comes to kids roughhousing on the playground. But it can evolve into excuses for violent behavior or not respecting boundaries.
Violence
Toxic masculinity also teaches men and masculine folks that aggression and violence are key to solving problems — unless you want to appear weak.
The resulting violence, which can show up in many forms, including intimate partner violence, can have far-reaching effects on those who aren’t even directly involved.
Social exclusion
Again, there are plenty of men who don’t display traits of toxic masculinity. Still, these folks might be impacted by those who do display those traits in the form of social exclusion. Especially among children and teens, those who don’t fit inside that predetermined box of what it means to be masculine might find themselves disliked because of it.
Addressing it
There’s no single answer to addressing the problem of toxic masculinity. Doing so requires societal shifts around several things, including gender stereotypes and the stigma surrounding mental health.
But, if you’re a man, there are a few things you can do to reduce the impact of toxic masculinity in both your own life and the lives of those around you:
- Be okay with acknowledging where you are. Everyone has a starting point. There’s no way to change or move forward if you aren’t able to be honest about the facets you want to alter. Maybe you weren’t a great communicator in past relationships. Or maybe you’ve relied on your physical size or strength to intimidate others. Don’t beat yourself up about past actions. Focus instead on where you currently stand and how you can move forward.
- Have tough conversations. Ask your friends their perspective on how you handle tough situations or your biases in relation to masculinity. Do your best not to get defensive, and really listen to how your actions have impacted others. You might be surprised that certain things you did or said came across differently from how you intended.
- Do the work. Above all, undoing toxic masculinity as a man involves being true to yourself, not some false idea of the person you should be. Finding your true self is a process that takes time. A therapist can guide you through this process and help you alter unhelpful thinking patterns.
by admin | Oct 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
Culture is a set of ideas, believes and acts of people of a specific land. Culture is about how things work. People learn their beliefs and identities through the channel of culture. They are rewarded by the people of their society for attitude that is coherent with their culture and bashed for doing things that are not in line with culture. Pakistani culture is a mixed one. Different ethnicities, different sects and different people speaking different languages make the face of Pakistan. Our culture is not completely violent but it will not be wrong to say that there are some harmful cultural beliefs that give birth to violent practices. It is unfortunately true that our culture models reinforces violence, some of the examples are given below:
Violence Against Women: Violence against women is a very diverse topic. In our culture, mainly, the rights of women are violated because they are considered to be fragile and submissive. Majority of men in this country are of the view that women are made as “mere helpers” of men and they are not equal companions. Boys try to control their sisters at very young ages. Parents of boys consider their daughters to be more safe and guarded when their brothers are around (even if the brother is four years old). Husbands consider that they have full control over their wives. That their wives are “made” to follow all of their orders regardless of being right or wrong. This idea makes men think that they are superior than women. Religious misinterpretations further strengthen this idea.
The Concept of Honour: The concepts of honour in some parts of Pakistan has taken away many lives. The whole weight of honour of family is put on the shoulders of daughters and daughter in laws. If the daughters and daughter in laws of family do something that is against the honour of family, the least punishment they get is that they are beaten up or forcefully married to someone who is not liked by them while the highest punishment is death. The idea of honour is modeled in the brains of young boys and reinforced by rewarding boys on protecting their family’s honour by punishing their sisters or wives.
Divorce and Dowry: Dowry is the only guarantee of getting respected in the in-laws in some parts of Pakistan. Women in some parts of Pakistan face violence for not bringing dowry. Divorced women also sometimes face violence.
Domestic Violence: Domestic violence is one of the highly unattended problems of Pakistan. It is still considered as an “internal matter” culturally.
Books and Movies: Books, Movies, and songs in our culture are not well sensitized and they sow the seeds of violence in young minds. It is shown in movies that boys who have guns are cool. Guns are a symbol of violence. Consent of women is not considered: In our culture, NO of woman is considered as yes. Her consent is not important. This results in incidents of acid attacks, rape, sexual harrassment and other violence.
Victim Blaming: Rape victims are blamed in our culture. This behaviour encourages the perpetrators to be more violent.
Domestic violence is not limited to women and girls. It affects generations and whole of the society at large. It is being observed that children have a live exposure to domestic violence and they learn violence at homes. It is very difficult for a domestic violence victim to come to normal life especially when he culture breeds violence. It’s high time to we resew our societal fabric and eradicate harmful and anti-women cultural norms from our society.
