Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman, on the occasion of Policy Brief on domestic violence said that women’s rights are human rights, and one cannot have a just society until we have achieved full equality for women. She added that laws and policies are important, but equally important is how society treats its most vulnerable members. How women are treated, religious minorities, and other marginalized groups reflects our values as a nation and shapes our identity in the 21st Century.
She said that domestic violence is primarily about power. It is an ugly manifestation of one person’s attempt to subjugate another and exert their authority over them. The abuser seeks to bring cruelty to the table and assert their dominance by insisting that the victim is not equal but a subordinate. Unfortunately, it is a form of exercise of power that has become so normalized that people have become comfortable with it, stated the Minister. She highlighted that is not a law of nature or civilization, but merely the law of the jungle that allows such behavior.
She went further to state that this normalization can be attributed to patriarchal norms and culture. Minister Rehman said that domestic violence is the hidden global pandemic that continues to affect women. This culture is prevalent all over the world, and it needs to change. Our society is layered with patriarchy, and it subjugates women through a series of institutional, social, and cultural norms that allow and normalize violence against women, said the Minister Rehman.
The Minister also stated that it is the elite segments of society that should be expected to push back first against such norms as these are the people who have accumulated power and have the resources to challenge such norms. The Minister expressed disappointment that despite starting work on the Domestic Violence Bill in 2004, it still remains unpassed almost 20 years later. However, she also noted that many other bills have been successfully passed, and we should take pride in those accomplishments.
The status of women is a crucial factor that underlies all these issues. Fortunately, in the constitution of Pakistan, women are recognized as equal citizens, but this constitution is repeatedly abused, and women’s rights are violated in homes and public places, the Minister remarked. The Minister stated that while domestic violence used to be a hot topic in the 90s, it has become overshadowed by other injustices faced by women and vulnerable communities. The Minister cited the catastrophic flooding in 2022 that impacted 33 million people, with women facing the most challenges as their livelihoods and shelters were swept away.
The Minister also lamented the fact that violence against women in conflict areas, climate-stressed areas, and other fragile environments often goes undocumented. They bear a disproportionate burden of these challenges, and the Minister emphasized the need for change. The Minister concluded the brief by saying that as long as there are enough of us to raise our voices, fight against it, and remind others that it is a problem that has been around since the dawn of history and civilization, change is possible. It is our duty to condemn and do everything in our power to prevent and respond to domestic violence, so that no one has to live in fear of abuse.
