LAHORE - Like around the world, Women’s Day will be celebrated across the country today. Voicing for women’s rights, feminists will be flocking to street shows in a country which witnessed the horrific nightmare of a WOMAN killing her progeny, that too in Lahore – the capital of most DEVELOPED province, Punjab.
Sloganeering to make a difference, public representatives, wearing shining shalwar kameez and contrasting waistcoats, will be showing up at seminars and talk shows in a country, where a woman gave birth to HEALTHY sextuplets in the UNDER-DEVELOPED Bannu, district of extremism-plagued KP.
Reflecting a tip of the iceberg, non-government organisations will be releasing reports on women’s plight to ‘open’ eyes of governmental organisations while authoritative officials will be counting their ‘feats’ to counter these ‘eye-openers’. Availing the opportunity, opposition leaders will join in demos on the day.
A report cited Aurat Foundation data as saying: “Reported violence against women in Punjab in 2013 has increased by 17 per cent of 2012. At least 5,815 cases of violence against women were reported in the Punjab in 2013 – 1,766 abductions, 846 murders, 486 suicides, 227 honour killings, 846 rapes, 17 sexual assaults, 35 acid attacks, 33 burnings, 213 beatings and tortures and 1,346 miscellaneous cases. In 120 cases, victims of violence did not file a complaint.”
This surge was cited in a province of which’s chief minister vowed to protect women rights on Women’s Day last year.
His previous year’s message read: “It is a fact that no society can achieve progress, without granting due rights to the women. The Punjab government has taken revolutionary steps, during the last five years, to ensure protection of women rights, and to provide them equal opportunities, due to which women are now playing a vigorous and effectual role in progress, prosperity and development of the country.” The situation in other provinces is sorrier. Thanks to corrupt cops and poor prosecution, not a single culprit has reported to have been brought to books since February 8 last, though a good number of legislations has been made.