Domestic violence hampers progress: study

Report aims to amplify the voices of survivors of gender-based violence along with victims

LAHORE:

Domestic violence poses a serious threat to the socio-economic position of women, which in turn has an effect on the development and economy of Pakistan.

Domestic violence, abuse, insecure environment, and above all lack of legal awareness and financial independence hinder their ability to grow as productive and happy citizens of society.

This is the crux of a study conducted by Amal Farooq Malik, an A-level student, in collaboration with the Human Rights Crisis Centre for Women (HRCCW) – Government of Punjab and SEPLAA Foundation & Think Tank.

The study titled ‘Voices of Courage and Sorrow’ highlights 15 case studies of women’s survival and resilience who were subjected to gender-based violence, published by the Impact World Press.

Speaking at the launch event, Malik highlighted that the study focused on different kinds of violence that women are facing in their homes before and after Covid-19, forcing many women to remain at home in abusive environments.

The document is aimed to amplify not only the voices of victims but also the survivors of gender-based violence with recommendations and a way forward, in the form of this e-book.

Read Violence against women: a crime, societal failure or mental illness?

She said it is a document, for policymakers and legislators, covering around a dozen broad categories of violence and abuse being faced by women in Pakistan.

It covers issues related to domestic violence, forced labour, financial dependence, drug addiction, child custody, property and inheritance disputes, divorce and maintenance, cross-border family disputes, criminal threats to women body and person and religious intolerance.

It is a collection of 15 real-life stores of survival and resilience, selected from 225 domestic violence and abuse victims’ interviews conducted by the HRCCW Lahore from 2019 to 2020.

The study finds out that the lack of awareness among women about basic rights has also led to women being unable to escape from detrimental situations.