Second Editorial: Violence against women

Ten years ago, the UN General Assembly designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The day is marked as a global statement calling for an end to all forms of gender-based violence. UN chief Ban Ki-moon unveiled a Network of Men Leaders to act as male role models in a campaign opposing violence against women and urged all men to join the campaign.

Pakistan, too, celebrated this day with great vigour but it would take much more than passing mere statements on the emancipation of women to actually translate this into a reality.

Pakistan is largely a male-dominated society where women are treated like mere chattel. We are a society where customs like karo kari (honour killings) and vinni and swara (exchange of women to settle feuds) are considered a norm; where the perpetrators of gang rape of women can roam around freely; where the police refuse to register an FIR against domestic violence; where anti-women laws still prevail; where sexual harassment is treated as a taboo subject and where the ‘guardians’ of religion disallow girls to go to school. In some parts of Pakistan, women are not even allowed to exercise their right to vote in elections.

Violence against women is present in a variety of forms in this Land of the Pure. From domestic abuse and sexual harassment to child marriages and honour killings, all kinds of anti-women atrocities are carried out. All such practices are violations of the most fundamental human rights, yet not much has been done about it mainly because Pakistani women face systematic discrimination from the day they are born. The patriarchal mindset of our society refuses to recognise women as human beings deserving of equality, human rights and justice.

On its part, the government has also been guilty of not implementing the laws protecting the rights of women. Among other laws, we have the Women’s Protection Act, Protection for Women from Harassment Act and Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act. The intent of these laws is definitely positive and a step in the right direction, but there has not been a proper implementation of these laws. For the development of any society, there has to be a system based on equity. This cannot happen unless and until the men recognise women as their equals and treat them in a just manner. An awareness campaign should be started in this regard, apart from sowing the seeds of women’s rights in our education system. To eliminate all forms of exploitation and oppression, Pakistani society needs to first stop discriminating against women. *