"Violence against women both violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms... In all societies, to a greater or lesser degree, women and girls are subjected to physical, sexual and psychological abuse that cuts across lines of income, class and culture."
                                                                                                                —Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, paragraph 112

Violence against women continues to be a global scourge that physically, psychologically, sexually and economically afflicts women across the world. It is one of the most relentless violations of human rights denying women their fundamental freedoms of equality, security and dignity.

Gender Based Violence also serves – by intention or effect – to perpetuate male power and control. It is sustained by a culture of silence and denial of the seriousness of abuse. In addition to the harm they exact on the individual level, these consequences also exact a social charge and place a heavy and unnecessary burden on services.

Violence in the domestic sphere is usually carried out by males who are, or have been, in positions of trust, intimacy or power. Domestic violence is in most cases violence perpetrated by men against women in their households. This is usually as a result of male anger directed towards women who are considered “less” in their social and physical standing.

One of the social reasons of this behaviour is the gender difference which is engrained in the way young boys and men are socialized. Violations of women’s rights are often approved under the umbrella of local cultural practices and norms. These are rarely questioned by the society itself and are adopted generation after generation. Changing attitude requires an basic yet through understanding of the role of violence against women in a particular context that is its origins, how it functions, the myths associated with it, and the mechanisms and attitudes that are responsible for it. The way men view themselves as men, and the way they view women, will determine whether they use violence against women.

The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

Globally, the rights of all humans have been realized in spirit but perhaps the more needs to be done in practice for the emancipation of fundamental human rights particularly for women and girls. International human rights instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), periodically reaffirm the principles of fundamental rights and freedoms of every human being. Underlying all these instruments is the right to protection from gender-based abuse and neglect.

In national context, it is the responsibility of governments who have ratified international conventions and human rights instruments to harmonize their national laws in line with these instruments. One step towards upholding the right of women to equal protection under the law is to enact domestic violence legislation that specifically prohibits violence against women. Under which, a woman should have protection from threats and acts of violence, safety and security for herself, her dependents and property, and assistance in continuing her life without further disruption.

In the last few months of 2009, two bills addressing Gender Based Violence have been brought up to the highest legislative body of Pakistan and have been passed by custodians of the constituent assembly. The Bill on Domestic Violence addresses the longstanding issue of domestic violence and it is for the first time that the women inside ‘Chardewari’ can go through a legal process to launch an FIR. Second, is a Bill on sexual harassment at the work place (insulting modesty or causing sexual harassment) provides a complaint mechanism at workplace and legal protection. It is a tested model in the private sector and many organizations have adopted the ‘Code of Conduct’ developed by the Alliance against Sexual Harassment at workplace (AASHA) voluntarily to ensure the conducive environment for women. This bill was drafted by Ministry of Women Development and supported by civil society organizations.

These recently passed bills by the cabinet are a milestone towards an enabling environment for almost half of the population but still this journey of women rights has a long way to go!