Is Pakistan safe for women?

Rape is considered an international issue and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), every one in three women suffers from physical or sexual violence at some stage in their life.

Pakistan has been witnessing increased incidents of rape cases over recent years in the country, which has in turn created a sense of insecurity and fear among women.

Recently, the horrific gang rape of a woman in front of her children on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway had shocked the entire nation and triggered nationwide outrage as questions are being raised over the duplicitous nature of a society where sheer savagery lies lurks behind the veil of piousness and morality and nowhere seems to be safe anymore.

There have been innumerable cases of violence against women regularly. However, the incident on the Lahore motorway has shaken our conscience and has given a reckoning of the moral decay that has permeated our society.

Incidents of sexual abuse

A massive 3,885 cases of rape, 1,361 cases of child sexual abuse, and 12,650 cases of kidnapping of women have been reported since 2019.

Punjab, being the biggest province of Pakistan with regard to population, has recorded more cases of rape than any other province in the country.

During the first six months of 2018, more than 2,300 incidents were reported in which 57 children were killed. Pakistan is the sixth-largest country in the world in terms of sexual crimes. According to Sahil, an NGO, more than nine children are sexually abused every day.

Over 2500 rape cases reported in Punjab

Punjab police department has said more than 2500 rape cases reported in the province during the last eight months of the current year.

According to a report issued by the Punjab Police, the crime rate in Punjab increased by 14 percent in the province during the ongoing year as compared to the previous year. More than 328, 00 rape cases were reported in different areas of the province during the last eight months.

During the last eight months, 22 cases of ransom kidnapping and 2523  cases of rape were registered in the province. The report said that 132 cases of gang-rape were registered during the current year.

These numbers, however, do not reflect the actual scale of the problem because most cases are either not reported or are negotiated at the family level.

Over 497 child abuse cases reported

Child protection NGO Sahil has indicated in its latest report that the number of child sexual abuse cases reported in Pakistan every day gone up in the first half of 2020.

According to the report, more than six children on average were subjected to sexual abuse in the period in Pakistan.

In its six-month “Cruel Number” report, Sahil reported that as of June this year, 497 children were sexually abused.

The report further said most of the cases were in Punjab — at 57%. Of the rest, 32% were reported in Sindh and 6% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

More than 35 cases were reported in Islamabad, 22 in Balochistan, 10 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and one in Gilgit-Baltistan, the report disclosed. Out of the total reported cases, 62% were from rural areas and 38% reported from urban areas

At least 173 children were gang-raped, whereas there were 227 reports of attempted sexual assault. Moreover, 38 children were killed after they were sexually abused.

Of the total children who were subjected to sexual abuse, 53% were girls and 47% boys. The NGO also highlighted that 51 cases of underage marriage were reported.

The conclusions were drawn from January-June 2020 data from 84 newspapers and covers incidents from all four provinces, as well as Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and GB, it added.

Third-worst country in the world for women

According to the Global Gender Gap Report, Pakistan is the third-worst country in the world for women. This is not an indicator that can be improved overnight with savage executions.

As many have already stated, Pakistan has a rule of law problem. It is not the severity but the certainty of punishment that prevents crimes.

But in a country where the sum total of arguments from leaders of various hues ranges from victim-blaming to violent reprisals, what structural reforms on crimes against women can we expect?

Blame victims for their choice

We are swift to blame victims for their choice of clothing or behavior but conveniently forget that such rapists or criminals do not even spare minors and those in abayas.

We clamour for violent retaliation but fail to reform a criminal justice system where only four percent of reported cases reach conviction – that too after years in court. Years of torture, humiliation, mental anguish and trauma for the victim.

Legal and societal problems

Most cases go unreported because of police, legal and societal problems. We need to reform our police and justice system; train them to properly investigate and prevent crime. As long as those who are supposed to uphold and enforce the law fail to find and prosecute offenders, predators will continue to operate with impunity.

Long persisting societal norms

Long persisting societal norms prevalent among most ethnic groups in Pakistan treat sexual discourses as taboo, therefore, family members, or individuals themselves, would try to hide such an incident so as to not dishonor their family name.

Lack of awareness

Lack of awareness seems to be the main hindrance towards ameliorating the problem since sex education is often avoided, especially for minors. Furthermore, many are also unaware of the legal procedures to follow.

It is about time that special action is given to rape victims, who suffer tremendously due to psychological complications long after the incident. Media campaigns regarding women’s rights and sex education need to be initiated in order to educate parents in teaching their young children how to protect themselves.

It is also important to introduce a separate topic regarding gender studies at the primary and secondary levels. Parents need to talk about gender-related issues with their children in order to ease their curiosity in an educated manner.

Strict implementation of laws

In the end, strict implementation of laws that condemn any form of violence, specifically against women and children, and timely action against perpetrators need to be carried out will full force.

The current government should focus on finding out ways that may help to ensure the security of every child and woman in rural as well as urban areas of Pakistan.