07 Physical Violence on Women: A Comparative Study of Rural and Urban Areas of Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

In this research the data was collected through close ended questionnaire. The study unpacked variety of violence against women i.e. slapping, kicking, hand grabbing women hairs, and throwing objects on them and that high rate of physical violence against women varies in rural and urban areas. However, a slight difference is observed while most of the indicators resulted higher rate of physical violence against women on financial matters grounds, in urban areas. They study concludes that women in urban areas are more vulnerable to physical violence than women in rural area. It can be asserted that the physical violence against women may be seen as an expression of men power that they use to maintain their status at the face of changing gender relations. The study suggests a wholesale educational program (by school mosque, media and home) to break the connection between violence and masculinity.