Incidents like Noor Muqaddam’s murder and the Minar-e-Pakistan sexual assault have shaken Pakistan. Earlier, the Zainab and Motorway cases, along with a number of others create massive outrage, but observers maintain that the backlash appears to be temporary and the angst goes away without addressing the root causes of violence against women.
Even so, recent weeks have reverberated with the calling out of what many activists are dubbing a femicide in Pakistan. Observers have noted how since the Minar-e-Pakistan case every other day, there is another incident, from rape of a mother and daughter by rickshaw drivers in Lahore to men digging up a dead girl from grave and raping the corpse. On August 25, Lahore reported five rape cases in 24 hours.
According to statistics, 10 rape cases per day and 22,000 in total have been reported in Pakistan in last six years and 85% of these are from Punjab. However, only 77 of them have reached to a conviction, meaning only 0.3%.
Women’s rights activists have pointed out that a major cause behind violence against women is victim-blaming. In the Noor Muqaddam case many asked what she was doing in the killer’s house, In the Minar-e-Pakistan case many queried why she invited her fans at the park. Previously in the Motorway case even the police officer in charge asked why she was travelling alone at night.
Activists say many, including both men and women, refuse to face the real problem, which is the upbringing of men. Observers note that it is common for young boys to be told that they are somehow better than girls. Gender experts say this teaching of superiority, along with the lack of sexual education and awareness, shapes up the whole social structure where women face harassment on daily basis, be it market, office or even inside their homes. Activists also point to the troublesome practice of linking female anatomy with “honour”. As a result, no matter how much men are responsible for the crimes, the burden of these incidents, and the blame, have to be taken by the women.
“Noor's horrific murder is a test for a system that too easily bends to power and influence. But it must also be a test for us - imagine the number of men who inflict such brutality on women every day without being seen, without being noticed, because the victims are poor and unknown,” says writer Fatima Bhutto.
“Our roads, our parks, our homes should be safe for all women, children, transgenders and men. But here we see people breaking all kinds of laws for fun. Our society is not to tolerate this kind of behaviour,” said activist Yasir Hussain.
Presenting a solution to this whole situation Pakistan People’s Party leader Bakhtawar Bhutto demanded, “Men should be banned from public spaces. We need more women to safeguard women.”
Experts say it is the right time to announce a state of emergency for the women. Many female politicians are also demanding public hangings of rapists. The demand was presented by the lawmakers from PPP, PML-N and PTI.
“We 69 women MNAs demand quick judgement in rape cases and public hanging of rapists,” said PML-N legislator Syed Nosheen Iftikhar.
Meanwhile, Minister for Human Rights, Shireen Mazari said that the government has recently passed a law to counter rape incidents. “Only laws would not work because there was a need to change the mindset of society about women,” she adds.
Experts reiterate that this is the need of the hour: the focus on the upbringing of the boys, telling them that not only women from their families but every women needs to be respected, the family structure should be developed where both brother and sister are equal, where both get equal education opportunities. Analysts maintain the social structure needs to be redesigned from scratch, and which will take time but eventually make a difference.