Daily Times

Though underreported, women of all ages have had to endure terrible sexual harassment at some point in their lives, as evidenced by countless surveys. The protectors of morality respond to these heart-wrenching findings with the tried-and-tested splash of victim-blaming: hostile work environment? What’s the need to leave the sanctity of one’s house? Harrassed in public places? Must have something to do with the way they talked or moved around.

As a result of this misplaced anger, most women give up any hope for justice, fully prepared to be shamed or bullied into silence. Interestingly for them, this societal notion to resort to their stereotypical list of reasons why a woman was, in every situation, responsible in every such episode rings hollow whenever the disgusting demons decide to target those who are in no position to defend themselves.

Would the infamous Lahore CCPO extend the same advice following the motorway gang rape to the dead body in Korangi graveyard dug up by a necrophiliac, who has admitted to similarly abusing four more corpses? From cradle to grave and everywhere in between, our women cannot call themselves safe. But what to talk about them when – in clear defiance of rape myths – sexual exploitation of young boys has become an undeniable phenomenon!

The same city took a better part of the last decade to decide that four men had transgressed the writ of the law by killing two minor boys after subjecting them to a violent assault. Ergo, the men of this land have their eyes set on the ultimate destination of their victims: graves. As always, there would be no shortage of those who condemn this as a solitary incident or draw parallels to similar crimes in other parts of the world.

And as always, these pages will dare remind them that whenever their women, children, or even animals are made to feel unsafe, worthless or less-than, they hang their heads in shame and pledge to bring in a better tomorrow. With at least 1630 cases of child abuse reported by Saahil this year, gender-based violence doubling down in just Punjab and back-to-back episodes of terrifying animal abuse, are we really in a position to defend the menacing patriarchy? *