Violence permeating daily life: a qualitative study investigating perspectives on violence among women in Karachi, Pakistan

Figures & data

Table 1 Characteristics of informants in the focus group discussions

FGD	Informants (n)	Employment status	Mean age, years (range)	Mean number of children (range)	Geographic area in Karachi and SES	Schooling in years
1	7	Housewives	33.7 (25–40)	2.0 (1–5)	Haideri, Aysha, Manzil (middle SES)	10 to 14 years
2	5	Employed	45.0 (40–60)	2.6 (2–3)	Defense (upper SES)	12 to 16 years
3	5	Housewives	30.2 (27–34)	0.6 (0–2)	Koi Goth (lower and middle SES)	10 to 16 years
4	6	Employed	36.2 (25–45)	1.7 (0–3)	Nazimabad, Karimabad (middle and upper SES)	12 to 16 years
5	5	Temporary work	44.6 (38–53)	2.6 (0–5)	Orangi town (lower SES)	No formal schooling

Abbreviations: FGD, focus group discussions; SES, socioeconomic status.

Table 2 Theme, main categories, categories, and subcategories illustrating women’s perceptions of situations provoking violence and women’s actions after exposure to violence

Theme	Main categories	Categories	Subcategories
Family violence through the eyes of females	Situations provoking violence and their manifestations	Circumstances provoking violence	Arranged marriage and its consequences Expectations of dowry Husband reserving the right to violate his wife Financial constrains within the family Misinterpretation of religion Self-provoking grounds for violence
		Sustaining of violence	Obeying the master and tolerating violence Hiding violence Accepting male aggressive behaviour
		Perpetrators and understanding of violence	Violence exerted by close family member Women’s understanding of violence
	Actions and reactions to violence exposure	Consequences of ongoing violence	Exposure to violence negatively affects women’s physical and mental health Children experiencing violence in the family Situations resulting in divorce
		Suicide as the final solution	Situations evoking suicidal thoughts Suicide when there is no other option left
	Resisting violence	Women practicing their rights	Women taking a stand Younger generation’s awareness and approach
		Capability of women	Women managing issues and improving situations Couples understanding