Shelter homes for women
There are many shelter homes for women in Sindh towards making the total number of such homes, but only four in actual count. This brings out in bold relief the neglect women face in our patriarchal society. Given that the province has a population of around 47.88 million, this situation can only be seen as a matter of concern needing the attention of the government as well as of society. There is Darul Aman, as the shelter home for women are officially known, only in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana, where women subjected to domestic and societal violence as well as forced conversion can find safe homes. It is at these places that women feel secure from violence. However, tormented women from rural areas and small towns have to travel long distances to reach these safe havens. These women are exposed to grave dangers during their long journeys. Those from the Thar area have to traverse 200 kilometres to reach the nearest Darul Aman in Hyderabad for lack of Darul Aman in towns of the region such as Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, and Mithi.
The government had announced a grandiose plan to build shelter homes in Mirpurkhas and several other cities and towns, but despite the allocation of millions for the purpose and the passage of 10 long years, most of these schemes have not made much headway. Only in Sukkur, a multi-storey building with 21 rooms has been completed, but the planned Darul Aman remains dysfunctional for the lack of staff. Now women can only be temporarily accommodated in two rooms of the building before shifting them to a proper shelter home. There are 85 women in the old shelter home at Sukkur, 60 in Larkana, and 20 in Hyderabad. Things are, reportedly, unsatisfactory at the Sukkur facility. The government had also planned to provide medico-legal and other required facilities under one roof at the Darul Amans. This plan too continues to rot in government files.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 19th, 2021.
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