Dear friends and members, I have been reading and thinking a lot about the recent discussions posted on this list. Some of you have raised important questions regarding violence against women in the society in general and in Islamic countries in specific.
I am a medical doctor from Pakistan. I have worked in rural and urban Pakistan as a medical doctor providing healthcare services for women for over ten years. During my work as a doctor, I saw first hand how women become victims of violence, abuse, discrimination and exploitation at the hands of their own families, their communities, as well as because of the lack of laws for their safety. It is very difficult if not entirely impossible to change the views of a society that views certains acts as old customs, centuries-old tribal traditions and religious codes of life. I have seen women severely depressed, suicidal and even dead in the name of culture, tradition, and religion. None of the women I have seen personally in my life agreed with the way they were oppressed or made victims of violence. No one likes to be beaten, stoned, burned to death or be killed in the name of tradition or religion. I see this socially condoned violence as a serious public health issue for millions of women because it has serious implications for their mental, physical and emotional health. It aIso perpetuates more violence among children especially male children who are taught early on how to be Macho, how to beat women and other men and what they have to learn in order to be accepted in such a male dominated society as REAL MEN. In my experience I have seen that education, support and information about violence plays a key role. Women who are educated have more power and control over their lives. They are economically independent or can live independently if the marriage ended because of violence or any other reason. In order to target violence or any other issue in a specific community it is crucial to understand the local culture and tradition. Education also plays a key role in the life of a woman as she can question things and issues that directly affect her life or the life of her family. Women should be given as much education as possible. They should be given information about their rights as human beings, as people and as important members of the society. It is also seen commonly in Pakistan that areas where female literacy is higher have a lower fertility rate compared to places where education for women is not so prevalent. The number of children a woman bears in her marriage is important as most women choose to live in abusive relationships/marriages because they are unable to support a family on their own. For a woman who is in an abusive marriage, having children is like being in prison for a lifetime with no possibility of freedom. Most men like to have children as soon as they get married, as it guarantees that their wife would never be able to leave in the face of harsh events, violence and abuse even if she wanted to. Most women suffer abuse not only at the hands of their husbands but also from other male relatives in the family. In order to address this question it is very important to educate men as well. Involving community members, religious leaders and other key people in these efforts would be helpful. In most of rural Pakistan, religious leaders have a strong hold on society so they can play an important role in redefining gender roles or educating men as to the effects of violence in families and society. But the main effort has to come from the state and the government. As long as there are no laws against violence and abuse there will be no positive outcome. And who will fight for these laws but women themselves. But without education women are not able to have seats in the provincial or the federal government. Women need their voices heard. They need political representation in all geographic areas of Pakistan. I think the answer to a lot of these issues lies in a good education for the female child. Thanks, Zulfeena Ibraheem (MPH) ***End-violence is sponsored by UNIFEM and receives generous support from ICAP*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe end-violence OR type: unsubscribe end-violence Archives of previous End-violence messages can be found at: http://www.edc.org/GLG/end-violence/hypermail/
