The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life." (UN General Assembly 1993). It is violence in private life that comprises domestic violence against women. Also called Intimate Partner Abuse and Family Violence, it is a global issue that cuts across all geographic, social, cultural and ethnic boundaries. But it was only in the last decade of the 20th century that it received recognition as a serious public health and human rights issue. This paper aims to discuss domestic violence against women in Pakistan. It will focus on some specific types of domestic violence prevalent in Pakistan, the factors underlying them and a health and human rights analysis of the issue. For the purpose of this paper, the term Domestic Violence is used as described in Innocenti Digest ( UNICEF, 2000) to include violence against women by an intimate partner and by other family members, whether this violence takes place within or outside the home. BACKGROUND The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the sixth most populated country in the world, is in South Asia. Its people and traditions reflect many diverse cultures. It is administratively divided into, four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Baluchistan, the federal capital Islamabad and seven Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Pakistan was the first Muslim country to have a woman Prime Minister and presently women hold 21% seats in the Natio... ... middle of paper ... ...owell KE, et al. Public health policy for preventing violence. Health Aff 1993;12:7–29. • Mercy JA, Rosenberg ML, Powell KE, et al. Public health policy for preventing violence. Health Aff 1993;12:7–29. • Minallah, S. Durrani, A. 2009. Facets of Violence Against Women. UNDP • Nasrullah M, Haqqi S, Cummings KJ. The epidemiological pat- terns of honour killing of women in Pakistan. Eur J Public Health 2009; 19: 193–7. • Niaz U. Contemporary issues of Pakistani women: a psychosocial perspective. Journal of Pakistan Association Women’s Studies 1997;6: 29-50. • Niaz U. Women's mental health in Pakistan. World Psychiatry. 2004;3(1):60–62. • Oxfam Briefing Paper 2004. Towards Ending Violence Against Women in South Asia. • Pan American Health Organization. Violence against women: the health sector responds. Washington, DC: Pan American Health Organization, 2003.
Although domestic violence can include the abuse of parents, children, siblings and other relatives, it predominantly involves violence against sexual partners with women being the most common victims and men being the 'aggressors' (Family Violence Professional Education Taskforce 1991). It is inadequate to view domestic violence as an aspect of the normal interpersonal conflict which takes place in most families. According to McCue (1995), many families experience conflict, but not all male members of families inevitably resort to violence. It is not the fact of family disputes or marital conflict that generate or characterize violence in the home. Violence occurs when one person assumes the right to dominate over the other and decides to use violence or abuse as a means of ensuring that domination (Family Violence Professional Education Taskforce 1991).
In this paper I will be telling you many different forms of domestic violence. I will include the physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, spiritual abuse, economic abuse, social abuse, and emotional abuse. I will also describe the "cycle of violence", teen dating violence, and why women stay with an abusive partner.
In Afghanistan specially in rural areas of country men are the dominant force in a family and all the time women faced different types of abuses either by their own family member or their husband and his family. Women violation is the use of force over woman either by their family members or an outsider, or its the concept through which men use their power in order to force an implement their own desires over a woman's will.
Intimate partner violence has been a significant issue for centuries in all countries. "Since 1974, nearly 2,600 spousal homicides have been recorded in Canada" (Bunge, 2002). Of these homicides, more than three-quarters have been against women. Although through feminism and the women's liberation movement, there has been a slight improvement in the incidences of violence against women, there has also been a drastic change in the perception of the issue by society. After reviewing the most recent literature on violence against women and victimization through intimate partners, it has become prevalent that there are now two crucial stances that are taken. The first position is that of the women being victimized as the main issue, including prevention, causes and incidences. The second position is that of women becoming more 'aggressive' and the issue of violence against both men and women. "Wife battering- the original problem constituted by the 1970s feminists- has morphed into 'domestic violence' and then into 'husband abuse'" (Minaker, 2006). This literature review will examine the background information on intimate partner violence including different arguments and perspectives, theories, and methodologies as well as discuss the major findings and future directions of research.
Domestic violence is a conscious behavior in which acts of violence and aggression are carried out by one person in a relationship to dominate the other. This violence consists of deliberate verbal, sexual, emotional, psychological, and physical abuse, along with social and economic deprivation. Statistics and studies show victims of domestic violence are mostly women and their children, but men are victims as well. Friends, spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, and even family members are capable of demonstrating domestic violence. This widespread practice negatively affects gay, lesbian, bisexual, and straight individuals of all ages, cultures, and social backgrounds.
Did you know that every 9 seconds a women is being beaten or assaulted? It is known that around the world, at least one and every three women has been beaten into having sex or some rudely thing in her entire lifetime. There are many cases where the abuser is a family member. Domestic violence is that the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sex crime, and different abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate partner against another. It is a virulent disease touching people in each community, notwithstanding age, economic standing, race, religion, status or academic background. Violence against girls is usually amid showing emotion abusive and dominant behavior, and so is a component of a scientific pattern of dominance and management. Violence ends up in physical injury, psychological trauma, and typically death. The implications of violence will cross generations and actually last a period. Domestic Violence affects all races, ethnicities, and genders. It happens in qualitative analysis relationships, in marriages, in heterosexual relationships, and in homosexual relationships. Most times it is prevalent among girls, particularly migrant girls.
Violence is common around the world. We see it everyday, but what happens when violence enters the home of a married couple or a simple relationship. What was once a happy couple in love suddenly takes a sudden turn into violent and aggressive behavior. A behavior which is addressed as Domestic Violence. There is much more to the matter, such as causes, preventing the violence, treatments and who it affects. All which play a very important role in the world of domestic violence.
During the 1980s and 1900s, domestic violence was one of the most unreported crimes that involve females and males getting hurt and dying. Kicking, choking, killing, and saying brutal or despise words that could hurt the victims physically or emotionally are considered domestic violence. In fact, many victims are afraid to seek for help. According to “The Domestic Violence Resource Center (DVRC), women account for approximately 85 percent of all intimate partner violence, with women aged 20-24 at greater risk” (Batten, par.16). Most pregnant women are at risk as well. “But underlying approach is still one that assumes the perpetrators are men and the victims are woman” (Haugen, par. 1). Moreover, both males and females believe that domestic violence is a solution to their issues.
Khan, Mehr. Domestic violence against women and girls. UNICEF: Innocenti Digest. No. 6. June 2000.
There are different forms of violence against women in Afghanistan. These forms include “early and forced marriages to domestic violence, so-called honour killings, rape and dispossession” (Hennion). Kevin Ayotte and Mary Husain write in their article, “Securing Afghan Women: Neocolonialism, Epistemic Violence, and the Rhetoric of the Veil,” that physical violence is a very important
It takes decades to change the thought process and norms of a society, therefore the progress that is made in respect to gender gap in Pakistan has been steady and slow. But without any given doubt one can say change has been made in comparison to the past decades. Government is proactively working towards the reduction in gender gap in sectors like education, health, labor participation and cultural status of women. Looking back at the post-independence era of Pakistan gender gap was at its peak with a highly male dominated society, but in today’s world a Pakistani women is independent, actively participates in political and economic structure of the country as well as represent Pakistan internationally at different platforms.
The statistics available on violence against women are startling. Domestic violence is the major cause of death and disability for European women ages 16 to 44 and accounts for more deaths and injuries than automobile accidents and cancer. The Russian government estimates that over 14,000 women were killed by family members in 1999, but there is still no legislation that specifically addresses domestic violence. In South Africa, more women are shot in the home by relatives than are shot on the streets or by intruders (web.amnesty.org).
Domestic Violence is a serious issue and it can have serious effects on children who live in a home where it is present. Domestic violence can happen in any one whether you are a female or a male. Domestic violence is something that everyone should be aware of especially because it can happen to any family no matter where you are from. According to UNICEF Human Rights Documents state that “as many as 275 million children worldwide are exposed to violence in the home”. This number is huge there
Violence against women (VAW) is now considered and recognized as a public health predicament and a human rights infringement of a worldwide scale and force (Ono, 2013; Raj & Silverman, 2002). Research evidence exists for it serving as a crucial social determinant of health and its resulting vast and damaging impact on physical and mental health for women in Canada (Sharma, 2001). Violence as a concept includes diverse forms of abuse that are directed at women and girls across their lifetime. One critical category or form of violence against women is domestic violence. For the purpose of this paper terms violence against women and domestic violence will be used interchangeably. Domestic violence has been recognized as a critical social problem
In Pakistan the honor of a man rely on the behavior of her woman Women are always expected to behave modestly.