The problem soon became a public preoccupation. The government started looking for solutions, of which some became reality and others are in the pipeline.
Though the solutions were slow, the very fact that poverty was recognized as a problem represented a step forward for the country, particularly as this recognition came from the top. Many steps were taken to address this, including the increase of social security payments, the revision of salary scales, the fixing of a minimum wage for public servants and the focus given to housing ownership, which has been a real problem facing low-income families.
On the other hand, our society is suffering from another problem that is not entirely local but common in many other societies.
This is the problem of domestic violence, which is made more conspicuous by the way security organizations deal with it. Like other societies, ours is also suffering from this social evil.
Regrettably, some government departments unintentionally make this problem worse either through their silence or by giving soft treatment to violent family members.
When the police only make the violent family member, be it a father, brother or husband, sign a pledge not to commit the same crime again, this light-handed approach destroys the humanity of the victim and at the same time can lead to further violence.
The result will be runaway girls, children dying, increased divorce rates, more school dropouts and a rise in drug abuse.
We always identify emotionally with problems. We only look for solutions when incidents happen. The weakness of preventive programs is frightening and strong punishments are only handed out in murder cases.
Security organizations favor social solutions to preserve the family union, while in fact violence will not breed peace, love or harmony.
Domestic violence is the saw that chops down love and breeds vengeance, not only against family members but also against society at large.
Violence is not committed by just men or women. It is a human behavior committed by unstable people. It is the responsibility of everyone to confront violence sternly and strongly.
Security organizations should classify domestic violence as a real crime and deal with it accordingly. The Finance Ministry should support the Social Affairs Ministry to build protection homes for victims of domestic violence. We should rehabilitate these victims instead of sending them back to their abusers.
Family violence is a real problem and confronting it is the duty of society as a whole. The Human Rights Commission should protect the victims.
