Abdul Najeeb Memon
Understanding domestic violence remains challenging and always a topic of debate due to a myriad of justifications and social theories confined to it. In the simplest version, it has been defined as the range of sexually, psychologically, and physically coercive acts used against women by a current or former family member. Violence type may vary from place to place, likewise from society to society. But a valid point of view that can be derived from several surveys and reports published regarding the subject is that hardly a single abode spares from morally and legally wrong acts by male members of society. With a heavy heart, reliable surveys suggest that according to an estimate, approximately 70 to 90% of Pakistani women are subjected to domestic violence. The point of concern is that the issue has still failed to draw extraordinary and consistent attention from the local, government, and civil society that propagates human rights that culminated in such a widespread predicament unrecognized abuse of human beings.
Innumerable unjustified factors wreak such inhuman violence from one living on another marginalized or less empowered human being. Firstly, male dominance over monetary as well as non-monetary affairs has commonly been embedded within our dwellings or next to the door which drives an authoritative behavior by males for taking everything for granted to coerce women. The attitude of considering women as subservient continues owing to direct social learning from our senior members of the family or society. Secondly, their physical strength and capacity to deal with matters which contain analysis and serious thought are always underrated, which poses a significant threat to their mental well-being, and receiving such a repetitive treatment pushed them to acknowledge inflicted fragility and a sense of less competence. Thirdly, unemployment and insufficient growth opportunities in the workplace makes them dependent on men, then failing to be meeting the daily requirement of men also causes unjustified domestic violence. Last but not least where feudalism and tribal system circulates in the vein of any nation this tends to attract more bigoted and quite often immoral attitude from male members of such social strata. For example, it depicts in a famous proverb, used and believed so universally, in such societies, “Zan, Zar, Zameen” (Woman, Money, Land) being the source of everything evil.
Every man should feel his moral responsibility to offer a conducive environment and equal rights to all those special women who are working unpaid jobs in our homes as core members of the family or struggling hard outside to make ends meet. Without an iota of doubt, no nation has soared to the heights of success by excluding women’s invaluable participation in society. In a nutshell, the woman’s strong mental well-being and independence would reap massive outcomes for every one of us. I hope, you will provide precious space in your invaluable and esteemed newspaper for cascading my perspective to the readers of this reputable newspaper. Thanks a billion!
