Sher Zada
Violence has escalated across all sectors in today’s economic and social instability. Political and economic changes have affected ethnic and religious minorities, children, and women worldwide. Despite the beneficial effects of political evolution and growing economic dynamics in different parts of the world, these two harm underprivileged people and incite violence. Unfortunately, women, who make up a large section of the population and play a larger role in global growth, are always passive victims of violence in male-dominated societies. Domestic violence, violence at work and in public places, political violence, and digital violence in cyberspacesworslyimpact women. Violence against women varies by country and region based on ground realities and institutional functions. Ground realities are the socio-cultural and political climate, whereas institution functions include authenticity and the rule of law addressing violence against women. Developed nations have different approaches to combating violence against women, and their institutional capacity has been protecting women from violence. However, this doesn’t mean there is no violence against women in the developed world. Various populations experience rape, physical torture, harassment, bullying, and overexploitation of women. Even in battles, women suffer more than males from oppressive forces. In confrontations like the Cold War, and the Post 9/11 U.S. and its allies’ invasion of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, aggressors used violence to frighten people and spread terror. Conflicts in South Sudan and terror between Somalia, Nigeria, and other governments increase violence against women. However, the Russian-Ukraine war, During the conflict in Gaza, the Israeli military known as Israel Defence Forces (IDF) employs violent tactics to instill fear among the people, resulting in harm to women. Nevertheless, in the Western world, which is acknowledged for its technological progress, institutional capabilities, and social mobility, there remains a prevalent issue of violence targeting women. This violence is particularly directed towards Muslim women who choose to wear the “Islamic Hijab” veil, as well as women of African descent residing in France, Germany, and Sweden. In the recent protests in different parts of Europe and the United States universities and other public spheres against the unprovoked escalation in the context of the War in Gaza, and the prolonged seizure of unarmed civilians by IDF. In these protests law enforcement authorities have instilled and committed violence against female university students and academics. While the frequency and severity of violence against women continue to rise, why is this issue given less attention? First, we need to fix the technical problems associated with violent explanations before we can talk about why violence against women is on the rise. The use of physical force or threats of physical force to coerce another person into doing an action that benefits or affects the offender(s) is known as violence. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in wars like the one between Israel and Gaza routinely abuse civilians, particularly women. Hamas militants exploit these ladies as human shields. Both sides have their justifications for fighting; the Israelis allege the women are hiding Hamas militants, while the Palestinians say they are fighting for their country’s freedom or safety and want women to join them. One could draw parallels between this and the practice of enlisting women in the military in Russia and Ukraine. Women were subjected to violence by the Taliban and ISIS to silence their voices in condemnation of their atrocities. There are legitimate reasons to be aggressive toward women, especially in more typical settings. The primary reason is that men tend to shun women who demand payment for their services since they are accustomed to having control over the financial resources. Many women-led social groups have avoided addressing the problem of resource contribution because of pressure and opposition from a male-dominated society. Second, women have had limited opportunities for advancement due to the historical dominance and support of men in global politics. AngellaMerchil was not A well-known chancellor of Germany ?; Condilisa Rice and Henry Clinton were not US secretaries; Begum Sheikh Hasina Wajid was not the prime minister of Bangladesh; and was Benazir Bhutto not the first prime minister of Pakistan. But it is scarcely explored what happened to these women premiers and officeholders who endured harassment in the form of false accusations, bullying, defamation; or murder, we have the case of Benazir Bhutto in hand, who was slain on December 27, 2007, was not a prominent political figure? Third, perpetrators of domestic violence often have relationships with women but the news considered may be ashamed or embarrassed if comes out, contributing to the problem’s off-the-record dismay. Here, dominance benefits men who see themselves as protectors of their female offspring. Patriarchal society encourages and supports violent behavior against women in the home. On social media platforms like Meta, Instagram, and Twitter(X), among others, there has been an upsurge in hate speech, abuse, and the publication of explicit photos to exact retribution for rape. Let us expand the conversation on violence against women in the modern developed world and then go on to developing nations so that we can better grasp this issue. Media attention has mostly gone to accounts of violence against women, while the rest, which receives very little attention in today’s society, may as well be infinitesimally small. An intimate partner was responsible for the murder of 1,181 women in 2005 in the US. This amounts to three murders per day on average and accounts for almost one-third of all female homicides in the country. Equally concerning is the fact that around 4.8 million violent attacks and rapes against women occur annually as a result of intimate partner violence. Among assaulted women, less than 20% sought medical attention. In first-world countries, violence against women is common, no consolidated systems protect women from all forms of assault. Now we look at third-world violence against women news. Pakistan’s Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) 2024 study lists Faisalabad as a hotbed of violence against women. The SSDO reported a distressing surge in violence against women of 728 cases in 2023, showing a grim picture of women’s lives in Pakistan. Punjab is the only province with a high rise in cases, and Sindh, Pakistan’s second-largest province, follows suit. Punjab leads in women’s violence with 10,201 cases.In Punjab, violence against women occurred in all districts, with 1,464 instances in Lahore, 1,198 in Sheikhupura, and 877 in Kasur. Rape incidences increased alarmingly across the province. In Sindh, the total number of recorded cases in 2023 is 10,201, up 16% from 8,787 in 2022. SSDO reports that Punjab province recorded a record 6,624 cases in 2023, up 12% from 5,890 in 2022. Comparing Pakistan which has a 95% Muslim majority with Indonesia which has an 87 % Muslim population, Indonesian women have more self-expression and lifestyle flexibility than Pakistani women. Indonesian Islamic conservatism threatens these women’s freedom. This has been hampered by weak sexual abuse laws and widespread ignorance of sexual harassment criteria and how to protect victims. The Indonesian Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection reported 25,200 sexual abuse instances in the past, rising to 20,500 in 2020. Violence against women has risen, as shown by a West Java Islamic boarding school teacher’s 2021 abuse of thirteen underage females. Multiple high-profile sex harassment cases were reported in schools and offices. However, many victims only received treatment when their cases went viral on social media. To conclude, violence against women exists worldwide, although its severity and form vary by country and location. Violence against women in sophisticated countries is complex and heavily reliant on cyberspace or internet-run social media platforms, although domestic violence and rape-oriented murder are also involved. However, robust institutional processes reduce violence against women in advanced countries compared to third-world ones. The lack of a patriarchal society and the state’s institutional structure to protect women from assault may also explain the lower number of incidents. Poor institutions and law enforcement in Pakistan, Indonesia, and other third-world countries have failed to stop violence against women. These emerging countries have a long history of patriarchy and religious conservatism, suppressing women from the start. Although third-world countries have ministries and commissions to develop policies to combat violence against women, there is still a large gap between commitments and deeds. Why violence against women persists is a mystery. Violence against women is escalating in this postmodern era, despite the availability of literature, information, and sophisticated documentation-basedlegislation. There are a few ways to address violence against women: First, if institutions designed to protect women work in their true spirit, incidents of violence may be minimized. Second, if cases of violence are truly uncovered in the media by victims, women, and human rights activists, it will provide the institutions with accurate statistics. Third, since cyberspaces (internet and social media platforms) are overused, governments and international organizations should find a way to block or limit access to cyber consumers or content that promotes women’s hatred and violence.
