Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

The Consequences of Violence against Women in Family

|

The Consequences of Violence  against Women in Family

Violence against women means disregarding women’s natural and human rights. The General Assembly of the United Nations approved November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on December 17, 1999 (Resolution 54) and called all states and international institutions to launch campaign for elimination of violence against women. Therefore, the states celebrate this day annually and adopt programs for reducing violence. Afghan government, social institutions, and women’s rights advocates have ushered in campaigning against violence within the past years and encourage individuals and organizations to participate in this campaign. Being unaware of social and human rights, women are still deemed as second class citizens and suffer from different types of cruelty. Domestic violence is one of the issues that mostly goes unreported and will result in horrible consequences. Tens of Afghan women fall victim to domestic violence every year, which is applied in many ways. Two kinds of violence will be pointed out shortly:
(1) Physical violence: It means physical harassment such as kicking and punching, depriving one of food, expelling from home, etc. Such kinds of violence are widespread in Afghanistan and have changed into daily practices. Suffering this violence, a large number of women keep silent, and hide the issue from their family members. When being asked why they suffer severely and do not leave their spouses alone, they simply say that where would they go! It reflects women’s fear and worries about social and economic disadvantages and they accept all the pain and sufferings – which is called “acquired distress” by psychologists.
(2) Mental and verbal violence: violence does not necessarily mean punishing physically, but there is also mental and verbal violence which prevails in many families. For example, using foul language, vitriolic attack, disrespect, degrading behavior, threatening to harassment, refusing to talk, and preventing women from visiting their kith and kin are all violence.
The Consequences of Violence against women in families:
Physical and verbal violence remains hidden in many cases and does not leak to the media. But such violence has strong adverse effects:
First, the children who observe such violence will be harmed emotionally, which will affect their whole life. Those children that suffer from stress will reflect the same kinds of violence in their matrimonial life. Depression, addiction to narcotic drug, crime, and escaping from home will the consequences of violence. Ultimately, those children who witness physical and sexual violence inflicted upon their mothers, will also accept falling victim to violence. Researches show that those who underwent domestic violence suffer the same as those who sustained physical and sexual harassment. The girls who witness violence inflicted upon their mothers are more prone to violence. On the other hand, the boys who witness violence in their families, use violence against their spouses in matrimonial life.
Second, degrading women’s self-esteem: Home is the safest social institution. When the rights of women, who play the role of life-partners, are disregarded, women will naturally feel fear rather than peace or tranquility. Their self-esteem will be changed into a sense of humiliation. In such a case, women will not be able to play their motherly role, which is training and bringing up children, in proper way and the family will be changed into a cold environment.
Third, committing suicide: Controversy and domestic violence are one of the main reasons behind committing suicide, which takes place among girls and young women every once in a while. According to a study, women who have been subjected to violence by their spouses are five times more likely to be at risk of mental harm and suicide than others, and six times more exposed to mental disorders. Within the past years, suicide occurred frequently among the youths. If the reasons and motives are examined properly, it will be determined that domestic and social violence is the main reason. When they feel themselves unable to violence, they will resort to suicide.
Fourth, ill effects on fetus: The health of mothers and their children are highly significant during pregnancy and any kinds of violence against women will result in horrible consequences. Research shows that mother’s stress and anxiety during pregnancy have a direct impact on the health of the baby.
In brief, the aforementioned issues do not include all the consequences of violence, it has many adverse effects, mainly since women’s natural dignity are degraded. Despite struggles made for protecting women’s rights in Afghanistan, there is long distance to the favorite result. Moreover, domestic and social violence takes great toll on women. Women will not gain their appropriate status in the family or society unless fundamental changes are brought in social, cultural, political, and economic structures of the country. Reducing violence depends on cultural movement which begins from the family and can be carried out by women. Women can change the view of men regarding women through their role in the family so that the future generation are freed from violence and women could gain their high status both in the family and society.

Qurban Ali Ansari is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at the outlookafghanistan@gmail.com

Go Top