ABSTRACT
Spousal violence against women (SVAW) is a pervasive issue in Pakistan and the world. It is a serious public health hazard with lasting social and economic consequences. This study analyses the structural and contextual factors associated with SVAW in Pakistan. Pakistani society is largely defined by male dominance in social and economic life, patriarchal values, machoism and weaker bargaining power of the women vis-à-vis men. Some of the obvious symptoms of women’s lack of agency are women’s honour killing, vani (marriage to settle a dispute) and watta satta (bridal exchange). An empirical analysis of the SVAW based on the Demographic and Health Surveys 2012–2013 suggests that women’s experience of an abusive parental relationship in their childhood, their acceptance of spousal violence and their low educational attainment are the most important risk factors for SVAW. In recent years, a series of legislative measures have been undertaken in Pakistan to combat SVAW. However, there remain many factors which deter women from accessing the legal channels, such as obsolete policing practices, the lengthy and lethargic judicial process, widespread corruption and inefficiency in the public departments and social norms looking unfavourably on the women who attempt legal redress.
