The horrific immolation of a 19-year-old school teacher by a group of five men in Murree reignited the debate on treatment of females in Pakistan, highlighting the commonplaceness of ‘vigilante justice’ cloaked in words like ‘honour’ killings. Reportedly, Maria Sadaqat was tortured, and later set on fire because she rejected a marriage proposal. The young woman died from severe burns on June 1 at a public hospital in Islamabad. There are conflicting reports about the arrest of suspects in the case, while the police have failed to make any headway so far.
The barbaric act is the result of a patriarchal mindset towards the existence of women in society. In this male-dominated society, there are curbs and restrictions on almost every single action of a female. Taught to obey without a question, most females do not have the right to ‘choose’, and are forbidden to cross the limits set by the male members of the family. Be it is a case of refusal to accept a marriage proposal or an act of supporting another female to marry of her own choice, these ‘crimes’ by women cannot go unpunished. Miss Sadaqat also became a victim of this mindset, and this is not the first instance of brutality against women in Pakistan, as the occurrence of such cases is reported almost daily. Violation against women’s rights is widespread and exists in various forms, be it domestic violence and abuse, sexual abuse and harassment, acid attacks, honour killings, restricted freedom of movement to downright barring of women from casting their votes in the elections.
Violence against women is a heinous tragedy, and it can and must be halted. There is a need to augment efforts to create awareness about women’s rights and protect them against brutalities committed by male chauvinists. It is the responsibility of each member of society to oppose any injustice committed against women. All members of society need to rise up to collectively help eliminate the scourge; it is an unacceptable blot on the soul of Pakistan that more than half of its population is considered second class citizens. Earlier this year, the Protection of Women Against Violence Bill was passed by the Punjab Assembly to control violence against gender, but a great deal more needs to be done to save women from atrocities committed by rogues in society. Another reason for a rise in violence against women is that many cases are not reported as victims hesitate to contact the police due to ‘stigmas’ attached to the reporting of such crimes in society.
Still there are certain measures that can be done personally and collectively to ameliorate violence against women. There is a need to increase general awareness about the extent and nature of the problem. It should be discussed widely. Government needs to adopt zero tolerance policy towards heinous crimes committed against women, and all crimes must be reported to the law enforcement agencies for prompt action. Victims should seek support from concerned authorities, and need to show courage to confront any injustice. Men should make a commitment to never physically mistreat women, and that there is no apathy shown to crimes against women. There is a need to change the mindset regarding the treatment of women in society. Ending widespread violence against women must be among nation’s highest priorities. Until that happens, Pakistan would not ever be able to have a truly civilised society.
And what needs to be remembered is that change starts with you. Change starts at home. Start teaching your children the value of gender equality. And start teaching your male children what not to do, instead of inculcating in your girls what they cannot/should not/must not do. Societies change when mindsets change, and for that process to be substantial, look within, and make the first change.*