Gender violence extends beyond physical abuse

Gender-based violence does not begin and end with physical assault; it can also involve psychological harm, damage to reputation and property, and violations of personal boundaries, experts said on Wednesday.

Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said the nature and severity of violence determined its legal status, with some offences falling within the category of cognisable crimes. She said domestic violence should not be confined to incidents occurring inside a home, as violence involving close family relationships could fall within its scope regardless of where it took place.

She was speaking at a seminar titled "Growing Gender-Based Violence in Pakistan: Legal Gaps, Barriers to Implementation, Challenges and the Way Forward", organised by the Centre of Excellence for Women's Studies, University of Karachi, in collaboration with UN Women and the university's Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC), at the Chinese Teachers' Memorial Auditorium.

Dr Summaiya stressed the importance of accurate medico-legal documentation in cases involving violence and injuries, saying medical examinations and evidence had to be recorded in accordance with legal requirements to ensure their admissibility in court.

"Medico-legal reports, medical evidence, police action and the criminal justice system are interconnected," she said, adding that proper documentation could play a crucial role in ensuring justice. She cautioned against interpreting overall violence statistics and domestic violence figures in the same way. While men could account for a higher number of deaths resulting from violence overall, she said the pattern was different in cases of domestic and family violence.

Many cases involving violence against women and children, child abuse and sexual exploitation never reached authorities, meaning official figures did not reflect the full scale of the problem, Dr Summaiya said.