Domestic violence still persists in societies worldwide despite essential legislation and repeated efforts to control this menace. Unfortunately, our country is not immune to this pervasive problem either. The roots of domestic violence are deeply embedded and multifaceted with factors like low rate of women's education, poverty and lack of awareness. Significantly, this issue disproportionately affects families in the lower socioeconomic strata.
Sabahat Rizvi, the secretary of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, said, "Being a law practitioner, I can validly attribute the increasing cases of domestic violence to a general tendency of overall lethargy by institutions and a spirit of male dominance in society.”
The Punjab government has taken several measures to counter this negativity on part of menfolk and its detrimental consequences by establishing Punjab Women's Helpline 1043 and the Women Safety Mobile Application.
"These measures and landmark legislation manifest the commitment of the Punjab government to control and reverse the detrimental consequences of domestic violence," said an official of the Punjab government. He referred to the introduction of the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act (PPWVA) in 2016. "This act, following similar legislation in Sindh and Balochistan, seeks to establish an effective system for protection, relief and rehabilitation of women facing violence, delineating a comprehensive code for its implementation."
Under the provisions of PPWVA, the government is mandated to establish a universal toll-free complaints hotline, protection centers and shelter homes. These facilities serve as critical components for mediation, reconciliation, rescue operations, medical examinations, treatment and legal assistance for the aggrieved.
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Mechanisms for periodic awareness campaigns among public servants and the creation of a robust database and software for monitoring and evaluation are also integral aspects of the legislation.
But sill a lot is needed to be done in the field of implementation as even in the presence of effective legislation and other commendable measures, this grim reality still persists.
The Gender Reality Report 2021 of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women had not revealed any significant decrease in domestic violence during 2019 and 2020 even after five years of passage of the Act for protection of women.
The most common form of domestic violence in Punjab had been “beating”.
Sarah Shiraz, Punjab Resident Director of the Aurat Foundation, pointed out multiple factors behind violence against women.
"We face critical challenges in the implementation of laws against domestic violence." Then there was a significant hurdle in the form of lack of awareness among women regarding their rights under this legislation, she said.
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"Even when women are aware, navigating the bureaucratic maze for grievance redressal proves to be a formidable challenge."
She said, "The institutions responsible for addressing grievances often lack a focused approach, leading the victims to shuttle from one place to another without satisfactory resolution."
The battle against domestic violence in Punjab is far from over and a multifaceted, collaborative approach is imperative to foster a society where women are safe, empowered and free from the scourge of domestic violence.
To achieve this goal, there is a dire need for the law enforcement agencies, the clergy, the civil society and the non-governmental organisations to join hands for ensuring that women fully enjoy their rights and live in a violence-free atmosphere.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2023.
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