Private Lives & Unspoken Truths: How does a Right to Privacy Contribute to Violence Against Women in Pakistan?

Abstract

There were two core purposes of this research project. The first was to explore the impacts of the division of space within the public-private dichotomy onto women’s experiences of domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) in Pakistan. In this inquiry, emphasis was placed upon understanding the impact of the culturally produced notion of the “privacy of home” on a woman’s ability to speak about and seek legal channelsof assistance in her experiences of DV and IPV. The second purpose was to critically scrutinize Pakistan’s legal system in its ability to protect women from the violence they experience behind closed doors in the perceived “private” sphere of social life. By placing Art 14(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which states, “[t]he dignity of man and, subject to law, the privacy of home, shall be inviolable,” as the focal point of my research project, I examined why Pakistan’s legal system legitimizes the division of public-private space by constitutionally protecting a right to privacy of home. Informed by such inquiries, I developed the question, “why does Pakistan’s legal system constitutionally entrench a right to privacy of home under Art 14(1), and how is such right balanced against a woman’s right to be free from violence?” This project was conducted virtually and remotely from Canada, which presented significant challenges, including the nine-hour time difference and efficient participant recruitment. Nonetheless, completing this research study was the most fruitful experience of my academic career. It expanded my knowledge of contemporary gender-based socioeconomic and legal issues facing Pakistan's women and helped me to develop a network with relevant professionals and activists working in this field.