Endemic misogyny

Everyday, there seems to be a news report about a woman being subjected to horrific violence and abuse often by those closest to her. The latest are the stories of Sania Zahra, a pregnant mother of two from Lahore whose husband and in-laws stand accused of torturing her to death, and Sobia Batool Shah, whose legs were hacked with axes by her father and uncles when she sought a divorce from her abusive husband.

The government needs to enact stringent legislation to prevent domestic and gendered violence and create mechanisms that hold perpetrators accountable. We demand that cases of abuse against girls and women be harshly penalized so that such crimes can be stopped.

Tahira Memon

Khairpur