THE universality of violence against women is now beyond question; it happens everywhere— there is evidence of its occurrence in all states and cultures. According to World Bank, violence against women and girls, in other words, gender-based violence (GBV), has become a global pandemic, as it affects the lives of one in every three women in their lifetime across the globe. Worldwide, around 35% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by their intimate partners; 7% of women were subjected to sexual violence by someone other than a husband/partner; 38% of women were murdered by their husbands/partners; and around 200 million women around the world have been subjected to genital mutilation. A UN report, titled The Elimination of Violence against Women, pointed to the fact that a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner every 11 minutes.
Violence against women, once hidden and endured in silence, has evolved into a recognized crime and a profound violation of women’s human rights. This global pandemic of gender-based violence leaves indelible scars on the souls and bodies of women, and sadly, Pakistan is not immune. Despite constitutional protections and international commitments, evidence suggests that gender-based violence persists in various forms across the country. Shockingly, Pakistan ranks poorly on international indices, such as being the sixth most dangerous state for women overall and the fifth worst for domestic violence, according to a 2022 report by the Reuters Foundation. These alarming statistics underscore the urgent need for concerted efforts to address and eradicate gender-based violence in Pakistan.
Women and girls in Pakistan are exposed to varied forms of GBV— from physical domestic violence to marital rape to harassment at workplace to honour killing, etc. Even when not subjected to violence, they are labelled as inferior to men in society. A few examples would suffice to make the point clear. On 12 December 2022, a heart-wrenching incident occurred in Karachi. A woman was thrown to death by her husband from the fourth floor of a building over a dispute of Rs. 300 (1 US Dollar). Another horrific murder that stunned the nation was the beheading of Nur Muqaddam in Islamabad. Cases like this happen now and then, and some are reported and some go unreported. The son of a famous journalist killed his wife in Islamabad, and the manner the killing happened is indescribable. The first example is from the lower rung of society, while the other two happened in the high society of Pakistan. In light of all this, there is some truth to the fact that Pakistan finds itself as one of the topmost dangerous countries for women in the world.
What this means is that all this takes a heavy toll on the physical, psychological, and emotional health of women in Pakistan. Have trapped women in cage like birds and prevent many females in Pakistan from reaching their full potentials. Ironically, women are considered less competent, and more emotional, which is why not suitable for positions of authority, while there is evidence that suggests they are denied almost every access to compete with men on a level playing field. For example, recently, the representatives of the Ministry of human rights informed the National Assembly that 63,367 cases of violence against women were registered in the country until October 2022; they also highlighted that still there are cases of violence against women that remain under-reported.
In short, GBV occurs in Pakistan in all its forms, i.e., physical, sexual, and psychological, at almost all levels, systemic, structural, and cultural —both direct and indirect— against women greatly undermining the dignity, security and freedom of women. Violence against women not only impedes development internally, as constitutes more than half of the population, but it also tarnishes its image externally. What could be done about GBV in Pakistan? The incumbent government, state institutions, and important stakeholders must forge strong partnerships with UN agencies and organisations working for women’s rights while also putting in place a strict structure designed to safeguard and protect such rights. This coordination between state institutions and international bodies is a must as the gendered hierarchy and patriarchal structure of the society has held women not only trapped in a vicious cycle of violence, but it has also blocked women’s collective efforts for their rights. In order to get out of this systemic and cultural straightjacket, the financial and technical help of international bodies will be of great help to give women what they deserve.
It Is essential to promote women’s quality education at all levels— from school to university— as well as to provide financial incentives to encourage and facilitate women and girls to get an education., Additionally, it is imperative to make access to technology and skills in this arena of digitization will enable them to think and act about getting rid of not only gender-based violence but also to break the shackles of patriarchy and to work against political exclusion. As a consequence, it’s imperative to overcome the enormous challenges posed by patriarchy, sexist culture, outdated social norms, gender inequity, and gender stereotypes since doing so is necessary for creating a society that is varied, peaceful, harmonious, and progressive. So, countering and fixing the issue of GBV not only bring peace and prosperity to Pakistan, but it will also improve its image internationally. Undoubtedly, the legislative body’s primary obligation is to create enduring, effective policies and execute innovative programmes that thoroughly address the root causes of gender-based violence against women and girls as well as strive to prevent it.
—The writer is a researcher and columnist based in Mardan.
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