SWABI, Feb 11: Forced marriages are the main reason ofdomestic violence against women. Such marriages never allow families to grow and prosper in the society.

The observation was made in most of the lecture sat a one-day seminar titled 'Forced Marriages and Domestic Violence' held here on Friday. The seminar was organized by the Citizen Action Committee.

The important place women commanded in the family set up and societal structure could not be ignored. If someone tried to do so, he would be committing a blunder, said Bakht Sher Aseer, president of Uthman Gadoon Writers Association.

Men should not consider women as second-class figures in their family structure, he said, adding that such a notion was against all principles of humanity. "Any imposed decision in any matter cannot sustain for a long time," he observed.

The vice-president of Islahi Jirga Swabi, Safdar Khan Yousafzai, said women had been enjoying a very respectable place in the Pukhtun society, a place not enjoyed by women in the developed countries.

He, however, added that customs like Swara needed to be abolished as settlements among rival families through this practice never proved fruitful. "The brother, nephew or other blood relative of the murdered man never treat the daughter, granddaughter, etc, of the murderer as real wife," he said.

President of Samajee Bahbood Rabita Council (SBRC) Roohul Amin said that forced marriages always set in motion a cycle of domestic violence, producing social evils and ending up in divorce.

"Forced marriages destroy the whole fabric of happy, prosperous families," he said. Legal expert Muhammad Aqil said there were numerous obstacles to freeing women from chains but continued efforts for this cause could bear fruit over time.

He called for collective efforts and support of the government in this behalf. Patron-in-chief of Abaseen Union of Journalists Muhammad Farooq and president Jalil Ahmad dilated upon different forms of domestic violence and suggested measures to stop them.

They said if domestic violence was not brought to an end, it would badly affect children's education, their psychological development and their future. Other speakers urged the government to reconsider its decision about reducing women's seats in the local governments. The fresh amendments in this connection had dismayed women, they observed.