Just before Christmas, an inconspicuous news item reporting a story in faraway Pakistan caught my eye. I was gobsmacked to learn of the incredible fate meted out to a young 17-year-old girl by her ‘husband’.

Salma Bibi lives in Baluchistan and is married to a 22-year-old Pakistani, Ghulam Qadir. Following an argument of sorts, Ghadir resorted to violence and after giving her a good beating he proceeded to tie her up. As if that were not enough, Ghadir then proceeded to slice off her lips and nose with a razor blade. Ghadir and Salma had been married for one year.

It has now been revealed that no criminal action will be taken against Ghadir as there is no provision in Pakistani law regarding domestic violence against women. I had to check this out and, to my utter disbelief, confirmed that there is almost no remote possibility of convicting this man in Pakistan as both legal and religious provisions absolutely prevent it.

The heart-broken Salma threatened to commit suicide and her plight has made worldwide news. Although she had found the support of many local officials, no action has been taken against her husband so far.

Unfortunately, this is just one story of domestic violence out of thousands that occur daily the world over. I grant that Salma Bibi’s story is a particularly gruesome case but it clearly underlines the extent of domestic violence as it continues to perpetrate itself across continents, cultures and creeds.

It is estimated that one in every three women worldwide has suffered or is currently suffering some form of abuse or domestic violence. In the extreme majority of cases the victims are women. Even more disconcerting is the statistic that confirms that one in every five women has also been subjected to some form of physical violence namely rape.

In Uganda 13 per cent of women have been victims of some form of abuse by their partners, abuse that has led them to lose significant work time or unable to cope with their household responsibilities. This is by no means some ‘Third World’ issue. Consider that in the US alone the economic cost of domestic violence against women perpetrated by their partners reaches a staggering $5.4 billion. Much of this cost is related to medical costs incurred after physical abuse.

Women have come a long way in achieving a gender status they deserve. Admittedly, there have been gigantic strides made in the name of gender equality compared to a mere century ago. Yet with all of this it remains abundantly clear there is a long way to go to eradicate or at least significantly diminish the despicable phenomenon of domestic violence across the globe.

Domestic violence will always remain a delicate matter. Apart from the obvious apparent damage, domestic violence inflicts on its victims immense psychological damage and attendant collateral damage on the individuals close to the victim − in most cases these would be children.

This type of abuse can manifest itself in many forms. It can be direct, that is physical or sexual in nature. Yet it may also take more subtle forms and the abuse could be emotional, verbal, psychological or even economic. Even worse, the effects of this abuse may or rather usually have long-term implications.

Malta too has its own problems regarding domestic abuse. A recent study carried out by the Commission on Domestic Violence funded by the European Social Fund regarding domestic abuse in Malta revealed a rather gloomy picture and has revealed the extent of this problem locally.

The study has shown that at least 12 per cent of those who participated in the survey (1,154 were interviewed) confirmed that they had been victims of some form of domestic abuse. Projecting this figure on a national scale could mean that as many as 14,346 women have been or are suffering from this abuse.

These figures are a clarion call for our society that there is still much to be done to stem the scourge of domestic violence in Malta. In a way, steady progress has been achieved in terms of raising awareness and legislation but the actual phenomenon clearly persists. Many authorities and action groups play a priceless role in achieving such awareness and promoting education on the issue. One must underline the sterling work that is carried out by government agencies such as sedqa and Appogg and the Church organisation Caritas. This of course by no means diminishes the work carried out behind the scenes by the many workers and volunteers who devote their time and energy to help victims and their families.

Indeed, much more is needed to continue raising awareness on the negative effects of domestic violence and its inevitable side effects. Evidently, more awareness and focused education among young people will hopefully one day make domestic violence a thing of the past.

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