Voices of resistance: seeking shelter services in Pakistan
Critelli, F.M.
Violence Against Women 18(4): 437-458
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 1552-8448 PMID: 22807502 DOI: 10.1177/1077801212452104Document Number: 565761
Gender violence is a global human rights issue that presents serious risk to women in Pakistan. Multiple factors make leaving violence extremely challenging. This study examines the experiences of women who escaped violence and sought shelter services in Pakistan through an ecological lens within the social, cultural, and legal realities of Pakistan. Nineteen women residing at a private shelter were interviewed. Explored were the processes leading women to take action against violence, barriers encountered, and the consequences of the decision to go to a shelter, with a focus on the women's strengths and resilience.