Domestic Violence Against Female Beggars in Hyderabad District: A Case Study Qasimabad

This Paper analyses the causes of the domestic violence against female beggars and their impacts on their lives. The paper is strictly limited to Taluka Qasimabad, District Hyderabad. The domestic violence against women exits in various forms. However, it is pretty horrible in the form being inflicted against female beggars in Qasimabad. The scores of causes for the domestic violence against female beggars range from rising poverty to population explosions with deep physical and mental impacts on the sufferers. For data collection qualitative research through Focused Group discussion method has been used through snow ball technique. 10 Cases of female beggars have been opted for the FGDs out of which two participated with their social backgrounds. The study concludes the pathetic condition of the female beggars due to multiple factors and their serious implications both physically as well as mentally. The study recommends prompt action from the Government as well as social scientist to go deep further in the social issues such as violence against the female beggars. Simultaneously there is immediate intervention of Government and the concerned department to address these issues on emergent basis as the number is likely to reach an alarming level.

Food Consumption in Pakistan: A Comparison of Quality Effect Across Regions and Provinces

The study estimated quantity, expenditure and quality elasticities for major food products in Pakistan and provided comparison of quality effect across regions, provinces and income quintiles using data from the HIES part of PSLM 2007-08 (first period) and 2010-11 (second period). The elasticities of interest were obtained via log-log inverse functional form of Engel equation. Coefficients of parameters (?? , ?? , ?? and ?? ) in most of the selected food items were found statistically significant reflecting that the log-log-inverse (LLI) formulation of the model fit the data well and validate nonlinear behavior of Engel relationship for food consumption in Pakistan. The quantity elasticities during both periods remained less than unity except milk packed in Sindh province with reasonable variations in magnitude across regions, provinces and income quintiles. Compared to the first period, with a few exceptions, quantity elasticities have increased during the second period and were larger at the upper income quintiles relative to the lower ones. In most of the products, quantity elasticities were higher for rural households than urban ones during both the periods. Likewise, expenditure elasticities have increased considerably in Pakistan during the second period compared to the first one for most of the food commodities. A pattern similar to quantity elasticities was also observed in expenditure elasticities across regions, provinces and income quintiles. For most of the products, the estimates of quality elasticities were positive in both the periods implying that households in Pakistan purchase higher quality food as their income rises. During both the periods, the quality elasticities for most of the food items decreased for rural households compared to urban ones. A considerable variability was observed in quality elasticities among provinces and income quintiles in terms of magnitude for various food items. Thus, with the exception of a few products, Pakistani households, in general, not only demand more quantity but also higher quality of food as their income rises. Hence, from the policy point of view, evidence of positive demand for quality food would facilitate devising food policy for the development of food markets in terms of market segmentation and quality improvements in Pakistan. Resultantly, this would be an important driver of food demand and future food projections, with possibility of creating different marketing opportunities, and increased welfare for Pakistani populace. Key Words: Food Consumption, quantity elasticity, expenditure elasticity, quality elasticity, urban/rural households, income quintiles, provinces, Pakistan