GLOBALLY, women are tormented by the worst tools of exploitation: rape, sexual abuse, GBV, IPV, and more are among the most pervasive human rights violations that strip females of bodily autonomy. Unicef estimates show that over 370m women and girls today have endured rape or sexual violence before the age of 18. On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the launch of the ‘UNiTE to End Violence against Women’ campaign, which focuses on the upsurge in crimes against women and the revival of obligations as well as demands action from policymakers, Pakistan looks back on a harrowing crime graph. The human rights ministry states that in the last three years, 63,000 cases of violence against women were reported; unfortunately, most cases do not come to light. In August, the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan was alarmed by the escalation in GBV nationwide; its report, Unveiling Shadows: An Overview of Gender-Based Violence Cases,2023, exposed an 81pc rise in the backlog of unresolved GBV cases.

While it is true that GBV incidents surge in times of conflict and socioeconomic distress, the blame for an odious state of affairs lies at the door of successive governments who did little to build protective systems, or counter patriarchal narratives. This, alongside a corrupt, feeble and prejudiced criminal justice system, has resulted in an environment where a rape occurs every two minutes due to a pathetic 3pc conviction rate. The JPC study shows a conviction rate of 5pc and a high acquittal rate of 64pc. Additionally, a slew of pro-women laws to curtail excesses against females and protect their inheritance, with ensuing amendments in several decrees, such as a mandatory prison term for honour killing, were rendered lifeless by the state’s inability to end impunity. The toxic machismo in assemblies ensured that a few were watered down: Sindh raised the marriageable age of females from 16 to 18 years through the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2014, but KP and Punjab maintained the age of marriage at 16 years. Balochistan continues with the colonial Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929.

Culture wars cannot be fought over women’s bodies. Violence — the daily reality of rural and urban women — has placed Pakistan among the most dangerous countries for females. This silent epidemic, a sobering commentary on the hold of misogynistic power structures that prevent equity and diversification, has to be acknowledged. Women parliamentarians need to unite for greater female representation in parliament and agitate for women’s education and stringent application of the laws. Orthodox elements, operating in consonance with the state to dilute the national discourse on women empowerment, must be defused. Without justice, the social contract between women and the state will unravel.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2024