Violence against Women in Pakistan: Prevalence, Legislation, Interventions & Realities

Violence against women is a global human rights issue and irrespective of economic, social, religious or cultural groups; it is widespread in all countries. In Pakistan, high-profile cases and the staggering statistics of violence against women present a bleak picture for women. Like other developin...

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Published inPakistan journal of criminology Vol. 9; no. 3; p. 66
Main Authors Tarar, Maliha Gull, Safdar, Sarah, Hassan, Syeda Mahnaz
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Peshawar Pakistan Society of Criminology 01.07.2017
Subjects
Criminal justice
Cross-sectional studies
Cultural groups
Developed countries
Developing countries
Domestic violence
Feminism
Gender
Gender-based violence
Girls
Human rights
Industrialized nations
LDCs
Legislation
Marriage
Social welfare
Studies
Victims
Violence against women
Womens health
Womens rights
Pakistan
United States > US
Pennsylvania
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Summary:Violence against women is a global human rights issue and irrespective of economic, social, religious or cultural groups; it is widespread in all countries. In Pakistan, high-profile cases and the staggering statistics of violence against women present a bleak picture for women. Like other developing and developed countries, in last few decades, Pakistan has adopted many legislative measures and intervention strategies to combat violence against women and to ensure women's rights. This paper is based on a cross-sectional study conducted in the Punjab, Pakistan to explore the voices of women victims of violence. Semi-structured interview schedule was developed to conduct in-depth interviews of women victims of violence residing in Dar-ul-Aman, established by the Directorate of Social Welfare, Government of Punjab, Pakistan. The research concluded that Pakistani women are facing direct, indirect or structural and cultural violence, but violence against women is considered a private matter and tends to be underreported. Due to the religious and cultural notions of honour, fate and patience; violence against women is rationalized/normalized and women were often ignorant of the fact that such violence is a crime. To provide real intervention, it is direly needed to enact new laws and properly implement the existing laws. Moreover, strict measures should be taken against the informal criminal justice system like Jirga and Panchayat; involved in gender-biased practices in Pakistan.
ISSN:2074-2738
2222-6648