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Domestic violence against women: bill still pending with law ministry

ISLAMABAD (March 13 2008): Women Development Ministry has failed to get the much needed ‘Domestic Violence against Women Bill’ approved from the government. Sources in the Ministry told this scribe on Wednesday that the bill is still pending with the Law Ministry while it is dire need of the hour to provide protection to the women who are victims of domestic violence.

However, their misery and plight proved a far cry for justice and could not change the Ministry’s negligent attitude. All non-governmental organisations working for the rights of women especially ‘Aurat Foundation’, ‘Sach’, ‘Bedari’ and Pattan have demanded of the Ministry to get the bill approved on urgent basis as violence against women is gradually increasing in the country. The NGOs earlier had demanded of the previous government for the passage of the bill but it failed to place the bill in the parliament for approval.

Sources said that still there is no progress in the context of presenting the bill in the Parliament as the bill itself has become victim of bureaucratic sluggishness. Statistics show that there is significant increase in the rate of domestic violence against women and it is prerequisite for the government to revise the policies and initiate awareness campaigns to change the mindsets of people especially male that Islam has given equal rights to women, the sources said.

Lack of awareness and non-cooperation on part of police in protecting victims of domestic violence as well as the government’s failure to control the situation are the root causes of this social evil that requires attention of the government on priority basis, sources said.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:3/13/2008