On women’s day, male ego struck a blow
March 09, 2013
Karachi
Beware all egoistic wife-beaters and male chauvinists, any foul moves now and you can land in jail. On Friday, the Sindh Assembly marked the International Women’s Day in style by unanimously approving a historic law to curb domestic violence against women, children and other vulnerable people in the province.
The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2013, recommends imprisonment for up to two years and fines for the violators. All gender-related abuse or any other physical, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse has been categorised as domestic violence in the law. Any “pattern of degrading or humiliating conduct” toward women, children or other vulnerable persons would also be a crime.
The law states that emotional, psychological and verbal abuse includes insults, ridicule, threat to cause physical pain, malicious prosecution and threat of violence. Other types of domestic violence have been described as threat to malicious prosecution, obsessive possessiveness or jealousy undermining the privacy, liberty, integrity and security of the victim, blaming a spouse of immorality, baseless accusation and citing bareness of a spouse with the intention to marry again.
Moreover, false allegations on the character of a female and wilful or negligent abandonment of an aggrieved person have also been included as offences under the law.
To ensure the enforcement of this law, the government will form a commission with “suo motu powers” to bring the criminals to book. Besides, protection committees comprising a social welfare officer, psychologist, female police officer and court representative would also be arranged for the safety of vulnerable people.
Food Minister Nadir Magsi said he belonged to the area where domestic violence was common but the media and the judiciary did not pay any attention. There was a dire need to formulate such laws to curb soaring domestic violence.
Magsi believed that the society would not develop until the women were given equal opportunities.
Opposition leader Syed Sardar Ahmed explained that domestic servants and old age persons were also included in vulnerable persons.
PPP’s parliamentary leader Pir Mazharul Haq said this law would not only help contain incidents of domestic violence against women but also assure fathers that their daughters were afforded protection under law.
Law Minister Muhammad Ayaz Soomro said the menace had become common, multiplying the sufferings of the victims. Lack of education, he said, augmented the problems of many women.
Soomro said previous laws such as the Pakistan Penal Code were not implemented, raising the need to enact a new law that was enforced in letter and spirit.
Humera Alwani said with the passing of the domestic violence law, the Sindh Assembly had claimed distinction in the country.
Lamenting that the incidents of acid attacks did not deter despite the passing of a law, PML-F’s Nusrat Abbasi said that the real deal was to make sure the law was implemented.
Women Development Minister Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto said that 18 consultations meeting with religious scholars, lawyers and others were held to ensure all aspects had been covered in this law.
Culture Minister Sassui Palijo assured that a bill against child marriage was also underway.
PPP’s Jam Tamachi said though he supported the bill but there were some men suffering ‘mental agonies’ at the hands of women. Several women protested over such remarks. However, Tamachi observed that ‘if it is true that behind every successful man there is a woman, then it is also true that behind every ‘destroyed (unsuccessful) man’ is also a woman.’
Pir Mazhar in light of the general mood observed that Tamachi should be included in the definition of ‘vulnerable persons.’
‘Dynamic women’
The PA also unanimously passed two resolutions moved each by PPP’s Farheen Mughal and MQM’s Heer Soho to pay tribute to the ‘dynamic women’ of Pakistan. The lawmakers resolved to continue their struggle for the creation of ‘just society’ conducive for the ‘sustainable development’ of Pakistan.
Domestic violence redefined
l Gender related, physical, emotional, verbal, psychological abuse
l Pattern of degrading or humiliating conduct
l Insult, ridicule, threat to cause physical pain, malicious prosecution and threat of violence
l Obsessive possessiveness or jealousy undermining the privacy, liberty, integrity and security of the victim
l Baseless accusations
l Citing bareness of a spouse for the purpose of marrying again
l Wilful or negligent abandonment of the aggrieved person
Beware all egoistic wife-beaters and male chauvinists, any foul moves now and you can land in jail. On Friday, the Sindh Assembly marked the International Women’s Day in style by unanimously approving a historic law to curb domestic violence against women, children and other vulnerable people in the province.
The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2013, recommends imprisonment for up to two years and fines for the violators. All gender-related abuse or any other physical, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse has been categorised as domestic violence in the law. Any “pattern of degrading or humiliating conduct” toward women, children or other vulnerable persons would also be a crime.
The law states that emotional, psychological and verbal abuse includes insults, ridicule, threat to cause physical pain, malicious prosecution and threat of violence. Other types of domestic violence have been described as threat to malicious prosecution, obsessive possessiveness or jealousy undermining the privacy, liberty, integrity and security of the victim, blaming a spouse of immorality, baseless accusation and citing bareness of a spouse with the intention to marry again.
Moreover, false allegations on the character of a female and wilful or negligent abandonment of an aggrieved person have also been included as offences under the law.
To ensure the enforcement of this law, the government will form a commission with “suo motu powers” to bring the criminals to book. Besides, protection committees comprising a social welfare officer, psychologist, female police officer and court representative would also be arranged for the safety of vulnerable people.
Food Minister Nadir Magsi said he belonged to the area where domestic violence was common but the media and the judiciary did not pay any attention. There was a dire need to formulate such laws to curb soaring domestic violence.
Magsi believed that the society would not develop until the women were given equal opportunities.
Opposition leader Syed Sardar Ahmed explained that domestic servants and old age persons were also included in vulnerable persons.
PPP’s parliamentary leader Pir Mazharul Haq said this law would not only help contain incidents of domestic violence against women but also assure fathers that their daughters were afforded protection under law.
Law Minister Muhammad Ayaz Soomro said the menace had become common, multiplying the sufferings of the victims. Lack of education, he said, augmented the problems of many women.
Soomro said previous laws such as the Pakistan Penal Code were not implemented, raising the need to enact a new law that was enforced in letter and spirit.
Humera Alwani said with the passing of the domestic violence law, the Sindh Assembly had claimed distinction in the country.
Lamenting that the incidents of acid attacks did not deter despite the passing of a law, PML-F’s Nusrat Abbasi said that the real deal was to make sure the law was implemented.
Women Development Minister Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto said that 18 consultations meeting with religious scholars, lawyers and others were held to ensure all aspects had been covered in this law.
Culture Minister Sassui Palijo assured that a bill against child marriage was also underway.
PPP’s Jam Tamachi said though he supported the bill but there were some men suffering ‘mental agonies’ at the hands of women. Several women protested over such remarks. However, Tamachi observed that ‘if it is true that behind every successful man there is a woman, then it is also true that behind every ‘destroyed (unsuccessful) man’ is also a woman.’
Pir Mazhar in light of the general mood observed that Tamachi should be included in the definition of ‘vulnerable persons.’
‘Dynamic women’
The PA also unanimously passed two resolutions moved each by PPP’s Farheen Mughal and MQM’s Heer Soho to pay tribute to the ‘dynamic women’ of Pakistan. The lawmakers resolved to continue their struggle for the creation of ‘just society’ conducive for the ‘sustainable development’ of Pakistan.
Domestic violence redefined
l Gender related, physical, emotional, verbal, psychological abuse
l Pattern of degrading or humiliating conduct
l Insult, ridicule, threat to cause physical pain, malicious prosecution and threat of violence
l Obsessive possessiveness or jealousy undermining the privacy, liberty, integrity and security of the victim
l Baseless accusations
l Citing bareness of a spouse for the purpose of marrying again
l Wilful or negligent abandonment of the aggrieved person
