In Pakistan, there are cultural institutions, beliefs and practices that
undermine women's autonomy and contribute to gender-based violence. Marriage
practices can disadvantage women, especially when customs such as dowry and
bride's price, Watta Satta and marriage to the Quran (a custom
in Sindh where girls remain unmarried like nuns to retain family property
in the family) exist. In recent years dowry has become the expected part of
marriage. This increasing demand for dowry, both before and after marriage,
can escalate into harassment, physical violence and emotional abuse. In extreme
cases homicide or "stove-burns" and suicides can provide husbands an opportunity
to pursue another marriage and consequently more dowry.
Women are confined to abusive relationships and lack the ability to escape
their captors due to social and cultural pressures. Parents do not encourage
their daughters to return home for fear of being stigmatized as a divorcee,
which tantamount to being a social pariah. Moreover, if a woman leaves her
husband, her parents have to repay him to compensate his loss. Cultural attitudes
towards female chastity and male honour serve to justify violence against
women.
Violence against women is very common in Pakistan. The violation of women's
rights, the discrimination and injustice are obvious in many cases. A United
Nations research study (
1) found that
50% of the women in Pakistan are physically battered and 90% are mentally
and verbally abused by their men. A study by Women's Division on "Battered
Housewives in Pakistan" (
2) reveals
that domestic violence takes place in approximately 80% of the households.
More recently the Human Rights Commission report (
3)
states that 400 cases of domestic violence are reported each year and half
of the victims die.
In Balochistan and Sindh provinces, Karo Kari is practiced
openly. A woman suspected of immorality is declared a Kari while
the Karo is a man declared to be her lover. A woman suspected
of adultery or infidelity is liable to face the death penalty at the hands
of her husband or in-laws. Usually the killer goes scot-free as he is regarded
to have committed the crime in order to retrieve the lost family honour, which
a woman is expected to uphold at all costs.
Watta Satta is also a tradition in many families in Punjab
and Sindh, whereby a girl is married off to her sister-in-law's brother. Such
an arrangement often leads to a complicated situation, since a woman ends
up becoming a mere object of revenge in the instance that her brother mistreats
or physically abuses his wife.
Sadistic urges may be satisfied by a man by totally humiliating as well
as disfiguring his wife. Women who are victims of this particular form of
violence are usually young and attractive.
Hundreds of women are disfigured or die of stove-burns every year. The
victims are usually young married women and the aggressors include husbands
and in-laws. The motive behind stove burning is to get rid of the woman and
remarry for more dowries or have an heir for the family.
Battering or "domestic violence" or intimate partner abuse is generally
part of the patterns of abusive behaviour and control rather than an isolated
act of physical aggression. Partner abuse can take a variety of forms, including
physical violence, assault such as slaps, kicks, hits and beatings, psychological
abuse, constant belittling, intimidation, humiliation and coercive sex. It
frequently can include controlling behavior such as isolating women from family
and friends, monitoring her movements and restricting her access to resources. Physical
violence in intimate relationship is almost always accompanied by psychological
abuse and in one-third to one-half of cases by sexual abuse.
A woman's response to abuse is often limited by the options available to
her. Women constantly cite reasons to remain in abusive relationship: fear
of retribution, lack of other means of economic support, concern for the children,
emotional dependence, lack of support from family and friends and the abiding
hope that the husband may change one day. In Pakistan divorce continues to
be a taboo and the fear of social stigma prevents women from reaching out
for help. About 70% of abused women have never told anyone about the abuse.
The psychological consequences of abuse are more severe than its physical
effects. The experience of abuse erodes women's self-esteem and puts them
at a greater risk for a number of mental disorders like depression, post-traumatic
stress disorder, suicide, alcohol and drug abuse.
Children who witness marital violence face increased risk for emotional
and behavioural problems, including anxiety, depression, poor school performance,
low self-esteem, nightmares and disobedience. Boys turn to drugs and girls
become severely depressed and sometimes totally refuse to get married. Children
under 12 years have learning, emotional and behavioural problems almost 6-7
times more compared to children of non-abusive parents.
Health care providers can play a key role. They must recognize victims
of violence and help them by referring to legal aid, counsellors and non-governmental
organizations. They can prevent serious conditions and fatal repercussions.
However, many doctors/nurses do not ask women about the experience with violence
and are not prepared to respond to the needs of the victims.
A variety of norms and beliefs are particularly powerful perpetrators of
violence against women. These include the notions that men are inherently
superior to women, that it is appropriate for men to discipline women, and
that women's sexual behaviour is linked to male honour. Nobody is expected
to intervene on behalf of the victim as such issues are considered private
matters to be resolved by the immediate parties themselves.
Programs designed to change these beliefs must encourage people to discuss
rather than antagonize or alienate them by appearing to 'demonize' men. A
good tool is to encourage people to develop new norms by using techniques
such as plays on TV and theatre.
