Book Launch - Daanika Kamal, Domestic Violence in Pakistan: The Legal Construction of 'Mad' and 'Bad' Women
When:
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Venue:
Birkbeck Central
Pakistani women are increasingly pursuing legal avenues against acts of domestic violence. Their claims, however, are often dismissed through character allegations that label them as 'bad' women in need of control, or 'mad' women not to be trusted. Domestic Violence in Pakistan (OUP, 2025) explores why the subjectivities of women victims are constructed in particular ways, and how these subjectivities are captured and negotiated in the Pakistani legal system. Drawing on feminist poststructuralist accounts relating to the use of gendering strategies, and an analysis of over a hundred case files and judgements, seventy-two interviews, and court observations in three cities of Pakistan, Dr Kamal’s new book shadows the experiences of women victims of domestic violence in both criminal law and family law proceedings to capture and offer empirical insights in relation to gendered subject formation in discursive spaces.
Contact name: Tanya Serisier
Speakers-
Daanika Kamal
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Dr Daanika Kamal is a Lecturer in Law at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her research explores the intersection of gender, law and access to justice, with a particular focus on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls (VAWG) in both criminal and family law contexts. She has worked across the development, legal and academic sectors as a socio-legal researcher, investigating police practices, litigation strategies and judicial responses relating to gender-based violence. Her monograph, Domestic Violence in Pakistan: The Legal Construction of 'Bad' and 'Mad' Women was published by Oxford University Press in 2025.
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