Voices of Resistance

Abstract

Gender violence is a global human rights issue that presents serious risk to women in Pakistan. Multiple factors make leaving violence extremely challenging. This study examines the experiences of women who escaped violence and sought shelter services in Pakistan through an ecological lens within the social, cultural, and legal realities of Pakistan. Nineteen women residing at a private shelter were interviewed. Explored were the processes leading women to take action against violence, barriers encountered, and the consequences of the decision to go to a shelter, with a focus on the women's strengths and resilience. Keywordsgender violence, Pakistan, shelters, women's rights Violence against women, a global human rights violation and public health concern, is widespread in all countries, irrespective of social, economic, religious, or cultural group (Garcia-Moreno, Jansen, Ellsberg, Heise, & Watts, 2005). It has a profound effect on women and girls everywhere as it erodes their basic rights to life, health, and security. For more than three decades, women's organizations have drawn attention to this issue and have developed a variety of strategies to delimit gender violence. Nevertheless, violence continues as a serious social problem. No nation has successfully eradicated it, although the incidence and types of violence, and remedies available to women differ across contexts. Women's organizations in Pakistan are working within their particular social and cultural context to address this pervasive problem. Article 438Violence Against Women 18(4) Heise (1998) proposed an ecological framework for understanding and assessing the likelihood of gender violence applicable in developing as well as developed nations. This framework outlines structural, societal, and individual level elements in the context of cultural, economic, legal, and political systems of a nation (Khan & Hussein, 2008; Krug, Dalhberg, Mercy, Zwi, & Lozano, 2002). Violence is a product of the interaction of all of these factors and, conversely, within these domains exist factors that protect women or put them at greater risk of violence.High profile cases of violence against women in Pakistan have been prominent in international media reports with occasional reports of exceptional women who have stood up to violence (Kristoff, 2005). The media focuses largely on the continual victimization of women with overly simplistic explanations of their plight. Minimal attention is paid to the complex forces within the family, community, and society that shape violence and women's responses to it. Importantly, voices of everyday women who claim the right to live free of violence are rarely heard because few studies have included interviews with women who have left abusive situations in Pakistan.This study examines the experiences of women who have taken steps to leave abusive situations and seek shelter services in Pakistan. These interviews reveal decision-making processes through an ecological lens within the cultural, economic, legal, and politic...

The Perception of Honour-Related Violence in Female and Male University Students from Morocco, Cameroon and Italy

“…Conversely, in Morocco and Cameroon there are mainly extended families, based on a patrilineal structure (Endeley, 2001) and strict gender roles (Fonjong et al, 2012;Sadiqi & Ennaji, 2006). In such a male-oriented organisation, female members have to respect their family and its tradition without disobeying their parents, husbands, and fathers (Critelli, 2012;Douki et al, 2003;Mojab, 2004). If a woman breaks these rules, she is perceived as the person who is mainly responsible if a violent act is committed against her, whereas the male assailant's responsibility is perceived as marginal since he had the duty to intervene to restore family honour and the power hierarchy (Douki et al, 2003).…”

Violência contra a Mulher, Casas-Abrigo e Redes Sociais: Revisão Sistemática da Literatura

“…Em relação aos principais resultados dos estudos, no que tange à entrada na casa-abrigo (1.1), as mulheres paquistanesas, participantes da pesquisa de Critelli (2012), foram para o abrigo por sofrerem violência física grave e terem como consequência ossos, dentes e costelas quebradas, ferimentos na cabeça e nos olhos, além de terem sofrido violência psicológica e financeira. Diante dessa situação, a busca por ajuda e a ida para a casa-abrigo também esteve relacionada ao medo de morrer e ao medo de perder ou se afastar (Critelli, 2012).…”

“…Diante dessa situação, a busca por ajuda e a ida para a casa-abrigo também esteve relacionada ao medo de morrer e ao medo de perder ou se afastar (Critelli, 2012). Nessa perspectiva, um estudo comparativo (Galano, Hunter, Howell, Miller, & Graham-Bermann, 2013) revelou que mulheres que foram para o abrigo sofreram maior número de episódios de violência física e psicológica quando comparadas com as que não utilizaram o serviço.…”

“…Quanto às repercussões da passagem pela casa-abrigo (1.2), para muitas mulheres (n = 18), da pesquisa de Critelli (2012) o abrigo foi a primeira oportunidade que tiveram de falar abertamente sobre suas experiências de violência, com outras mulheres que viveram situações semelhantes. As participantes relataram ter encontrado no abrigo suporte social, aceitação e aconselhamento da equipe, fato este que contribuiu para a construção da autoconfiança e o empoderamento, favorecidos pelas oportunidades de emprego e formação profissional (Critelli, 2012).…”

“…As participantes relataram ter encontrado no abrigo suporte social, aceitação e aconselhamento da equipe, fato este que contribuiu para a construção da autoconfiança e o empoderamento, favorecidos pelas oportunidades de emprego e formação profissional (Critelli, 2012).…”