One Out Of Three Women Faces Harassment: Psychiatrist

The mental health problems of the Pakistani women though are congruent to the global issues of gender equity, violence and psychological well-being, the Pakistani women are relatively better off than their counterparts in other developing countries of South Asia

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2018 ) :The mental health problems of the Pakistani women though are congruent to the global issues of gender equity, violence and psychological well-being, the Pakistani women are relatively better off than their counterparts in other developing countries of South Asia .

Taking to APP here on Monday consultant psychiatrist Dr. Darya Khan Laghari has said that economic difficulties have forced Pakistani women to come out of their houses and contribute to livelihood of their families but with more and more women entering the workplace, the problem of gender biased harassment was increasing in our society as well.He said almost all working-women, at one time or another, faced harassment and the domestic servants and poor women working on the fields of landlords and contractors were especially venerable.

Dr Darya khan said that the harassment is a worldwide issue but in Pakistan, there was no mechanism for redressing and harassment at workplace was a starting point and than it had to be tackled on the streets, markets and public transport, he added.He said that the social system, based on the oppressive exploitative nature of the Pakistani male, both authoritative and patriarchal have negative effects on a woman identity, reproduction and sexuality, leaving a deep mark on the female psyche.

Darya Khan said that the restricted mobility for women, affects their education and work and job opportunities this adds to the already fewer educational facilities for women. He said that sexual harassment at home, at work and society has reached its peak for lack of awareness or denial of its existence, further confining women.He further said that the marriage quite often leads to wife battering, conflict with spouse, conflict with in laws, dowry deaths, stove burns, suicide and acid burns to disfigure women in revenge but issues related to fertility and second marriage.

Dr. Darya Khan informed that around the world at least one in every three women is beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. He said that women are confined to abusive relationships lacking ability to escape their captors due to social pressures.

He said that the worldwide one of the most common forms of abuse against women is by their husbands and other intimate male partners.

He said that partner violence occurs in all countries and social, religious, economic and cultural gaps.He said that partner abuse can take a variety of forms including physical violence, assaults such as slaps, kicks, hits, and beatings, psychological abuse, constant belittling and humiliation.

Dr. Darya informed that the reaching out to men and changing social norms to change their behavior was an important part of any solution to violence against women and such programs focus on traditional attitudes regarding gender roles and male dominance attempting to deal with the root causes.About the psychiatrics condition Dr.

Darya Khan said majority of women were housewives and were economically dependent on men and not conscious of their legal rights. He said that the psycho-social stressors of our women are present throughout their life-cycle from childhood to adolescence, adulthood, middle age and old age.

Dr. Khan informed that the women living in nuclear families had more depression than those living in extended families but both younger men and women with lower levels of education had increased risk for psychiatric disorders.About the working women Dr.

Darya Khan said that the working women were struggling to gain recognition as productive and effective member of society but those women juggle precariously between work and household responsibilities, marital and family relationships, their own self-image and self-esteem issues, decline in traditional norms, dual career-families encounter problems in relationships, survival in fast growing global village and recognition to advancement of comparable status with women of other developing countries.

Darya Khan emphasized the women in Pakistan have progressed in various fields of life such as politics, education, economy, services, health and many more.