n June 2026, in a mountainous area of Upper Swat, a husband took his wife and their three-year-old daughter to a remote place. What appeared to be an ordinary journey soon turned into tragedy that left a child without her mother.

According to police, the husband allegedly stabbed his wife with a knife and killed her. Their three-year-old daughter survived the incident.

The mother was gone. The child, perhaps too young to understand what had happened, was found crying beside the body, clutching her slippers to her chest.

She should have been in her mother’s arms. Instead, she was holding her slippers.

The crime amounted to more than the killing of a woman. It also raised a painful question: when a woman is the victim of violence within her family, what happens to the children who witness it?

For a three-year-old, a mother is more than a parent; she is a source of safety, comfort and attachment.

The story is also the beginning of a larger story about violence against women in Swat and the children live with its consequences.

Swat is known for its mountains, rivers and natural beauty. Tourists come to the valley seeking peace and tranquillity. Beyond that peaceful image, many women continue to face domestic violence, psychological abuse, forced marriages, social pressure and, in some cases, death.

Violence against women does not always begin with murder.

It can begin with physical abuse, threats, psychological pressure, economic dependence, forced marriage or denying a woman the right to make decisions about her life. In the absence of timely intervention, such conflicts can sometimes escalate into severe violence.

Human rights lawyer Samreen Hakeem says poverty, unemployment, lack of awareness and limited knowledge of legal rights among both men and women contribute to violence against women.

“Violence against women takes many forms. It is not limited to physical abuse. Many people do not know their rights. Both men and women often lack awareness that violence against women is a crime.”

Hakeem says domestic violence is a serious concern and that poverty can intensify tensions within households. She also points to the lack of privacy and increasing pressures in joint-family systems.

Hakeem identifies forced marriage as another factor that can contribute to domestic conflict and violence. In some families, she says, marriage is still considered a decision for parents primarily. The wishes of the would be bride and groom are given little importance.

When women have little say in decisions affecting their lives, resentment and conflict can develop, sometimes leading to violence.

Another concern is the possibility that some killings may be presented as suicides. Hakeem says families sometimes attempt to portray killings as suicide, particularly in cases linked to so-called honour.

“Families sometimes give the impression that a woman committed suicide.”

She says weak investigations and the absence of witnesses can make it difficult to secure convictions. She also points to weaknesses in police investigations and the collection of medical evidence. According to Hakeem, reducing violence requires greater awareness, stronger institutional mechanisms and effective monitoring.

According to The Awakening, a non-governmental organisation working on women’s rights, cases reported to the organisation up to July this year included 16 women killed - seven suicides and eight cases of honour killing.

The organisation reported that in 2025, 17 women were killed. Two died by suicide and 15 were cases of ‘honour’ killing.

TA executive director Irfan Hussain Babak says 16 women were killed in Swat in 2022. The number rose to 32 in 2023. In 2024, the organisation recorded 49 deaths of women, including suicides.

Babak says the causes of violence and killings vary. These include domestic disputes, forced marriages and coercive marital relationships.

“We have also seen cases where women who do not want to continue living with their husbands approach the courts for khula but are subsequently killed by their husbands or brothers in the name of ‘honour’.”

He says many of the women who die by suicide are young girls.

“Most of these girls want to continue their education and do not want to marry. When they are forced into marriage, some resort to suicide.”

Swat police data shows that 11 ‘honour’ killing cases and nine suicides were reported in 2025.

In 2026, seven ‘honour’ killing cases have been recorded by the police so far.

The difference between official and non-governmental figures highlights one of the challenges in documenting violence against women. Not every incident is reported to the police and some cases may also be classified differently depending on available evidence.

Even with these differences, the figures point to a serious and continuing problem of violence against women and ‘honour’-related crimes in the district.

The three-year-old girl from Matta brings another dimension to the story.

She may have been too young to fully understand her mother’s killing, but she witnessed a traumatic event that could affect her for years.

According to psychologist Maria Subhan, associated with the Child Protection Unit, constant conflict between parents and domestic violence create an unsafe environment for children.

Children exposed to such environments may experience anxiety, sleep problems, nightmares, difficulty concentrating at school, irritability and changes in behaviour.

When a child witnesses their mother being assaulted or killed, she says, the experience can be deeply traumatic.

When a woman suffers violence, it is not just one life that is affected. A child may lose her mother. A family may lose its sense of safety. And a society may lose part of its future.

“Such an incident can be an extremely traumatic experience for a child. The child may experience severe fear, shock, confusion, numbness or persistent crying. Some children may repeatedly see the incident in their minds or have nightmares.”

The image of the three-year-old girl holding her mother’s slippers is perhaps the most painful part of the Matta tragedy.

According to Maria Subhan, a mother is a primary source of safety and attachment for three-year-old children.

“For a three-year-old, the mother is a primary source of safety and attachment. When a child suddenly loses their mother, she is too young to understand death and separation fully. Holding her mother’s slippers close to her chest may represent this attachment, separation distress and an attempt to feel her presence somehow.”

Subhan says children who repeatedly witness violence may develop unhealthy patterns in how they understand relationships.

“If a child repeatedly sees violence being used to resolve disagreements, there is a risk that the child may come to see violence as normal behaviour. But this is not inevitable. With a safe environment, positive role models and appropriate psychological support, children can recover from these experiences and develop healthy relationships.”

This is why violence against women cannot simply be treated as a private dispute between husband and wife. Its consequences reach the next generation.

The experience of the three-year-old girl in Matta demonstrates why violence against women must also be viewed through the lens of child protection.

When a mother is unsafe, children living in the same environment are also at risk.

Preventing violence against women can therefore help create safer homes and healthier childhoods.

As Subhan puts it, “It is not enough to keep children alive; we also have a responsibility to keep them safe. Violence at home does not affect a woman alone; its echoes can remain with children throughout their lives. We must give children protection, not fear; love and respect, not violence.”

Farman Ali, assistant director at the Model Institute for State Children (Zamong Kor ) Swat Campus, says the institute accommodates children affected by parental conflict, domestic violence and other forms of violence.

“The effects of violence against women do not remain limited to women - they can have a deep impact on children as well. Such children may experience fear, insecurity and psychological distress. Some of them may be forced to leave their homes and depend on other relatives or institutions. Protecting women from violence is also essential for protecting the future of children.”

The three-year-old girl from Matta will grow up. She may not remember every detail of that day. She may not fully understand why her mother died, but the experience may remain somewhere within her.

Her mother is gone.

What remains is the memory of a woman and the slippers she clutched against her chest beside her. That image is more than the story of one broken family. It is a question for a society where women can become victims of violence within relationships that are supposed to provide them with safety.

Ending violence against women will require more than punishing perpetrators. It will require changing the attitudes that deny women their choices, treat domestic violence as a private family matter and turn silence into a symbol of honour.

When a woman suffers violence, it is never only one life that is affected. A child may lose her mother. A family may lose its sense of safety. And a society may lose part of its future.

The writer is a freelance journalist from Swat. He can be reached at [email protected]