Domestic Violence Hotline Creates Possibilities in Karachi, Pakistan

Courtesy of The Guardian

This is the horrific truth: intimate partner violence is a global dilemma.

Women and girls all around the world face the possibility of becoming involved in a violent relationship regardless of ethnicity, culture, age, economic and educational statuses, sexuality and so on. In addition to physical and sexual assault, intimate partner violence includes emotional abuse, control over finances and threats to immigration status as well as many other kinds of violence.

An important aspect of domestic violence that distinguishes it from other forms of gender violence and makes it particularly insidious is that it primarily occurs within the home or in physical/interpersonal spheres that are supposed to be considered safe.  Due to this fact, addressing and challenging the prevalence of intimate partner violence is exceptionally hard. Primarily, while a majority of societies can condemn acts of domestic violence, it is far more difficult to implement policies that actually protect and care for women—quite possibly because women’s health and care in general continue to be attacked, compromised and undermined. Even in those instances where important strides are made, the expectation that a woman experiencing intimate partner violence can simply leave her partner without consequence is unrealistic. In addition to the fear that women feel in such relationships, there is often a sense of duty, obligation, sacrifice, isolation and/or hopelessness that factors into the painstaking decision of whether or not to speak out against a partner. Similarly, the act of leaving one’s partner can sometimes be akin to severing all ties to one’s former life. Thus, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that intimate partner violence is largely under-reported.

Amidst all of the complexities and difficulties that arise when faced with intimate partner abuse, there are many positive developments around the world that seek to confront the presence of domestic violence, and it is important to highlight these developments.

In particular, Al Jazeera reported on January 5^th, 2012 that in Karachi, Pakistan, a hotline has emerged to help women in domestic violence situations. Perhaps the most exciting part of this news is that the group, called Madadgar (Helper), is the first of its kind in the nation. According to the article, although Pakistani parliament has recently approved of laws seeking to aid women, help and support is rarely achieved. In light of this discrepancy, Madadgar aims to address the lack of practical assistance that exists around intimate partner violence in Pakistan. The staff of Madadgar accomplishes this task in two ways: primarily, members of the organization act as a support network for women who utilize Madadgar and secondly, the staff is also able to connect women with over 200 applicable resources, such as shelters and legal aid. In fact, the organization has already successfully helped many women.

The work of Madadgar is extremely laudable and the roles of organizations like it are invaluable in the struggle to change domestic violence. Have you come across any positive developments that challenge intimate partner violence? Share them with us in the comments!

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