Naseebullah Khan
At a time when Prime Minister Imran Khan was honouring his10 cabinet ministers for good performance of their respective ministries including the minister for human rights who was given an appreciation certificate and was ranked at number fifth___ at the same time, the country was plunged into violence against women.
In December 2021, the National assembly was told that during the last four years; 14000 rape cases were reported in the country. Throughout the last six months in Punjab 2439 women were raped, 9529 were kidnapped, 22030 were tortured, and 90 were killed. While in 2021, in Balochistan 49 women were killed as honor, 129 cases of violence were reported, and 128 women were killed. These regrettable postures have ranked Pakistan in the top 10 countries in terms of Women’s sexually harassment and according to the world economic forum report 2021 we are on number 153rd out of 156 in the global gender gap as Fawn reports that it will take 136 years to close the gender gap in Pakistan.
Students in universities, women in the workforce, highways, streets, and even in homes such as Noor Makhdoom case__ are not safe. When Beasts kill and rape this gender, people like Imran Khan held women’s dress code responsible for such incidents by taking rape apologist behavior by blaming and shaming the victim. While people in the country are busy discussing Haya and Awrath Marches.
In 2021, numerous bills and acts such as the enforcement of women’s property rights amendment bill 2021, the domestic violence prevention and protection bill 2021, the anti-rape investigation and trial bill 2021, domestic violence prevention and protection act 2021 were passed. In these laws, the anti-rape investigation and trial bill 2021 focused on the formation of a special court that will be established for a speedy trial. These are admirable initiatives. Will these laws protect women and give confidence to those victims who even hesitate to complain? The answers are uncertain. Whereas, as in present, in gender-based violence in the country; the conviction rate is less than 4 percent. In the presence of several laws, the challenges remain unsolved.
Have we not failed to protect women from rape, torture, victimization, honor killing, and providing them with their economic, social, and political rights? Rather, the safeguard of women’s rights, the country has been divided into liberal and non-liberal segments. Despite giving them their true place, the government, intelligentsia, media, and Parliament are busy blaming one another.
We are short in protecting the due rights of our womenfolk. Armoring women’s rights in Pakistan need the collective struggle of society. No doubt, Law is a huge deterrence while its implementation in the country has been s huge challenge too. What is needed is a holistic approach towards accepting women’s rights for which raising awareness for women’s rights within women, provision of legal services, protection of victims, strengthening the criminal justice system more, and addition of violence-related subjects in the curriculum.
Key responsibilities are on the shoulders of the government. Implementation of laws, protection of women plaintiffs, providing them with legal assistance, assurance of aegis during the proceedings in courts, and ensuring speedy justice are major liabilities of the government. Mere distribution of appreciation certificates as a political gimmick would not work.