Violence against women... By Nimra
21 March, 2013
Understanding violence against women is a complex process. The term 'violence against women' has been defined as a range of sexually, psychologically and physically coercive acts used against women by current or former male intimate partners. A study conducted in Karachi reported that a large proportion of women are subjected to physical violence that has serious physical and mental health consequences. Acid throwing is a form of violent assault.
It is defined as the act of throwing acid onto the body of a person "with the intention of injuring or disfiguring [them] out of jealousy or revenge". According to the Acid Survivor's Foundation in Pakistan, there is a high survival rate amongst victims of acid attacks. Consequently, the victim is faced with physical challenges, which require long-term surgical treatment, as well as psychological challenges, which require in-depth intervention from psychologists and counselors at each stage of physical recovery.
Bride burning is a form of domestic violence, most common in Pakistan, in which a bride is killed at home by her husband or husband's family due to his dissatisfaction over the dowry provided by her family. The act is often a result of demands for more or prolonged dowry after the marriage. Either Pakistan is home to possessed stoves that burn only young housewives, and are particularly fond of genitalia, or, looking at the frequency with which these incidences occur, there is a grim pattern that these women are victims of deliberate murder. The prevalence of rape in Pakistan, the apparent official sanctioning of rape and the official failure to punish rape are matters of concern in international human rights and women's rights communities. Among types of rape that appear officially sanctioned or go unpunished are 'honour rapes' and rapes by the police and members of the armed forces. Honour killings, burnings and rapes in Pakistan can be seen as indicating inadequate legal protection for women.
It is a painful fact that even women parliamentarians could not take concrete steps to improve the plight of women. Womenfolk are considered the pillar of the agriculture sector but the plight of women in agriculture is the worst, beyond description. They die premature deaths because of hunger, diseases and polluted water. I express deep regret over the never-ending vicious cycle against women in our Pakistani society, particularly and call for a movement for the advancement of rural women's human rights. If women are the key to Pakistan's future then we must figure out how to take away the barriers in front of their participation. Indeed, a change in attitudes, culture and habits is required.