International Feminist Movements and Battered Women’s Shelters in Pakistan

Abstract

Battered women’s shelters emerged as a place for victims to escape the violence in their homes as the problem of domestic violence became recognized and discussed in the 1970s. As the result of international feminist movements, many of the early shelters were founded by feminists and proletariat activists. The battered-women’s movement has now spread across much of the globe to provide shelter and advocacy for social transformation. Pakistan also started to establish shelters for battered women in 1960s and has extended the services across the country. This study examined the shelter experiences of battered women in Pakistan and its relationship with international feminist movements’ agenda. Qualitative research design was used to conduct the research. The service providers as well as battered women shared their opinion about shelter services in Pakistan. The study concluded that Pakistani shelter homes are helping women victims of violence to flee from abusive situations, to respite for a while and to think about future but much more is needed to address the real issues of battered women. The study also explored that violence against women is a socio-cultural issue, so it is needed to address violent components prevailing in the society rather than just providing shelter services to battered women.