Domestic Violence against Women in Pakistan and its Solution from an Islamic Perspective: A Critical and Analytical Study

Abstract

Domestic Violence (DV) remains an enormous social problem and universal phenomenon. Basically, domestic violence is of two kinds: male domestic violence (MDV) and female domestic violence (FDV). In Pakistan, female domestic violence is an endemic social issue in the cities and rural areas, which is increasing at an alarming rate. Generally, female domestic violence is considered a private family issue without any appropriate focus on assessment, intervention, and solutions in Pakistani society. Women have to bear violence and discrimination on a daily basis due to the misuse of social and cultural values and religious norms in the Pakistani society. This study attempts to highlight the female domestic violence in the Pakistani context and its solutions from an Islamic perspective. The first part of the article presents an introduction to the research. The second section gives a brief description of the key terms used in the article. The third part discusses the theories of domestic violence. The fourth section examines the causes and factors related to female domestic violence in the Pakistani context. The fifth section outlines an extensive discussion of Islamic solutions and strategies for the protection of women from domestic violence. Finally, the key findings of the study are summarized to give a conclusion to the paper and recommendations for future research. This endeavor employs a qualitative research methodology to analyze critically the relevant texts in order to explore the issue at hand. This study will provide an in-depth understanding of the issue of female domestic violence and its possible solutions from an Islamic realm. It is hoped that this contextual understanding of the issue will be beneficial for Muslim families and communities in Pakistan and worldwide.