Violence against women is a human rights violation and to raise awareness and trigger action to end this global scourge
Violence against women is a human rights violation and to raise awareness and trigger action to end this global scourge, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is observed every year on 25th November. You! takes a look at the situation in our part of the world...
Sometimes, it takes a tragedy to jolt people into action against an injustice. Such was the case when, on 25 November 1960, the three Mirabel sisters: Patria, Minerva and María were assassinated on the orders of Rafael Trujillo, a Dominican politician, who ruled the Dominican Republic from February 1930 until his assassination in May 1961.
Minerva, who was a lawyer, wanted to rid their country of dictatorship and also to fight violence against women. So, Minerva along with her sisters formed a group 'Las Mariposas' (the butterflies) and fought clandestinely to expose Trujillos’ crimes. Six months after the Mirabel sisters' death, Trujillo was assassinated by one of his associates.
Las Mariposas resistance against tyranny and fight for democracy and violence against women inspired the UN General Assembly to designate 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by the UN General Assembly. Then on 6 December 1989, a student at the University of Montreal killed 14 female students. Distressed by this incident, a group of men from Toronto decided to work to stop violence against women. White Ribbon Movement came into being as a result of their efforts. They hold an awareness-raising event (White Ribbon Day) between 25 November and 6 December every year. This year's theme is 'Orange the World: Raise Money to End Violence against Women and Girls.
Our situation:
According to Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP), 900 rapes and sexual assaults in 2015, 279 instances of domestic violence, 143 of burning, 833 kidnappings and 777 suicides and attempted suicides were reported. The report also showed 987 honour crimes in 2015, with 1,096 female victims and 88 male victims, including an unknown number of children. The report is based on the complaints lodged, but sadly most victims of abuse and rape are afraid to go to police.
Unfortunately, violence against women is a norm in our society, and seeking redress against it is considered even a greater crime. A woman who wants to lodge a complaint against her father, brother or husband has to face stiff resistance. Family members and the police try their level best to stop the women from lodging an FIR (First Information Report).
Aurat Foundation estimates that 8,500 women face violation in the country every year - the majority of these cases are of domestic violence, which takes place inside the home. Domestic abuse can be physical, emotional or, psychological. Domestic violence can happen to anyone, anywhere. It is not limited to a region, gender or social background. Abuse is not a one-off thing; it is a way of life with the perpetrators.
The most unfortunate aspect of domestic violence is that people tend to blame the abused woman. She should do her job properly, or she deserves the beatings and punishment she gets, said a mother-in-law of three, when asked to comment on the evils of wife-beating.
Tales of sorrow:
You! takes a look at some of the women suffering at the hands of their relatives, who have no recourse to justice, because if they complain, they will face severe repercussions.
Nadia, a housemaid, is a 33-year-old married woman. She has three children. Her husband does not work, so the burden of earning is on her frail shoulders. "My husband abuses me verbally and beats me at the tiniest pretext. I want to put my children in a good school, but he takes away all the money I earn. When I tell him that I would reveal to all the relatives how I am being treated, he says he will divorce me. So, I have no option, but to continue living this life of never-ending misery," she says.
Another case is of 13-year-old Saima who belongs to lower class and is subjected to violence at the hands of her own father and brothers. "My father beats my mother and me when he is high or angry. My brothers beat me and their wives without reasons. My mother and sisters-in-law work in the fields, but the males in my family just do nothing. Last month, my brother broke his wife's hand because the 'chappati' was a little burnt. It was my brother who persuaded my father to make me work. He brought me to Karachi two years ago, and took all the year's wages from my employer. No one beats me here, but I have to work from dawn till late night," laments Saima.
Fauzia's story is no different. She works as a packer in a factory. "My husband and mother-in-law beat me, but I can't do anything about it. When I tell my mother about my situation, she says that all women have to go through it to save their marriage," shares Fauzia.
The accounts of these women do not seem important when every day we hear of a woman being raped, a girl burnt to death, or women killed in the name of honour. But, countless women suffer endlessly at the hands of their male family members and at times even the women. Their suffering is not taken seriously. Girls are told by their parents to bear it in silence, for divorce would bring dishonour to the family. This situation is not limited to the lower or middle classes. Women of upper middle and upper classes also put up a lot to save their marriages.
According to Shahla, who belongs to the upper middle strata of the society, "People think I am very lucky because my husband is an educated man and works at an executive post. We have two sons and a daughter, a good house and everything money can buy. But, no one knows how cruel he can be. He hits me often, and for no reason. When he is mad about something, he burns me with cigarettes. In front of others, he is the epitome of politeness and consideration. I can't leave him because of my kids. That's all there is to it."
How many tragedies will jolt our government into taking serious action? When will enough really be enough?
The flaws of laws:
In view of the rising violence against women, the Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act 2015, which was termed un-Islamic by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CCI). Even Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam, said the law was in conflict with both Islam and the constitution of Pakistan. At a press conference, he said, "This law makes a man insecure." Only a man who is a coward will feel insecure at the passage of legislation to protect women! Also, the National Assembly passed a bill against honour killing on 6 October, 2016, plugging a loophole to prevent the murderer getting off scot-free. People who kill in the name of honour will still have to serve life imprisonment even if the victim's relatives forgive the murder.
