Battle Against Domestic Violence Persists, Solutions Remain Distant: Sabahat

Muhammad Yousaf

Lahore: Despite crucial legislation and persistent efforts to curb domestic violence, it continues to prevail in societies worldwide. This enduring issue persists due to people’s disregard for religious and legal obligations and their adherence to antiquated socio-cultural norms. These were the views expressed by Sabahat Rizvi, Secretary of the Lahore High Court Bar Association.

Sabahat Rizvi said domestic violence against women reflects the failure of institutions to effectively enforce relevant laws. As a legal practitioner, she attributes the escalating cases of domestic violence to institutional apathy and a societal adherence to male dominance.

Sabahat emphasized that ensuring women’s welfare isn’t solely the responsibility of the government. She highlighted the role of a growing societal conservatism, which contributes to the increasing incidents of domestic violence.

“Men, in their personal capacity, perceiving themselves as more powerful, engage in acts of violence against women,” she explained.

“Therefore, the remedy lies in proper awareness of despite essential legislation and repeated efforts to control this menace, domestic violence still persists in societies worldwide, thanks to the ignorance of people about religious and legal obligations and their deep entrenchment in primitive socio-cultural norms.

The Punjab government has taken several measures to counter this negativity on the part of men and its detrimental consequences by establishing the Punjab Women’s Helpline 1043 and the Women Safety Mobile Application.

“These measures and landmark legislation manifest the commitment of the government to control and reverse the detrimental consequences of domestic violence,” said an official of the Punjab government.

In this context, he mentioned 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 the 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 centres, and shelter homes. These facilities serve as critical components for mediation, reconciliation, rescue operations, medical examinations, treatment, and legal assistance for the aggrieved.

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 still, a lot needs 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 revealed no significant decrease in domestic violence during 2019 and 2020, even after five years of passage of the Act for Protection of Women.

Even during the regime of the claimant to create “Riasat-e-Medina,” Imran Khan, domestic violence showed an upward trend in cases encompassing murder, attempted murder, and incidents of domestic beating.

Lahore, the provincial capital, reported the highest number of cases, underscoring the widespread nature of the issue. Alarmingly, some districts reported none, potentially indicating underreporting or a lack of awareness among women about reporting mechanisms. The most common form of domestic violence in Punjab has been ‘beating.’

Sarah Shiraz, Punjab Resident Director of the Aurat Foundation, points out multiple factors behind the ongoing violence against women. “We face critical challenges in the implementation of laws against domestic violence.”

Then there is a significant hurdle in the form of a lack of awareness among women regarding their rights under this legislation, she said. “Even when women are aware, navigating the bureaucratic maze for grievance redressal proves to be a formidable challenge.”

She further remarked, “The institutions responsible for addressing grievances often lack a focused approach, leading victims to shuttle from one place to another without satisfactory resolution.”

Sarah emphasised the urgent need for collaborative efforts between government departments and civil society to combat this menace. “A holistic approach focusing on awareness-raising, law implementation, accessible support systems, and streamlined grievance redressal is essential.”

She also stressed the need to focus on women’s education to educate them about their rights and the means to seek assistance.

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 law enforcement agencies, the clergy, civil society, and non-governmental organisations to join hands to ensure that women fully enjoy their rights and live in a violence-free atmosphere.

The feature report is released by APP.