Daily Times

The #metoo movement was something that needed to occur in this country. Yes, you heard me correctly, we needed the movement to happen here. We needed somebody to start speaking out about the decades or rather centuries of brutalities against women that were taking place and were brushed under the carpet. The “Me Too” movement is a very serious matter, and it should be taken seriously. In Pakistan although women’s organizations are working towards giving rape victims due assistance they are doing it on a very miniscule scale and of course it had to be done very discreetly in the past due to the reactions that have to be faced. Anybody addressing the issue would immediately be in the focus of society and of course under a lot of pressure and perhaps even danger. An ultimate form of subjugation and domination, is rape of any kind and it is not just in office spaces where only women are targeted, it is a prevalent menace to all humans in all cultures and in all countries of the world and not just pertaining to women, it has ravaged through victims of all ages and gender, it is rampant where there is assumed vulnerability and such as the most recent heinous cases which have surfaced to light of child abuse, of both boys and girls, and it is solidly apparent in the slave trades of today’s world which still exists.

The Me Too movement deals primarily with rape, as well as molestation of different kinds; and then this movement allowed for the doorway to be opened to the discussion of many related topics such as harassment and the various stages of it as well. It was the reaction or catalyst that has been occurring the world over including in the west where it was not that it hadn’t been addressed before. It was just that it took a celebrity to start a chain reaction across the globe that was needed to draw attention to a topic that was pushed under the carpet and shelved for years. The topic is not easy and it will never be because of the violence and the trauma attached to it, and because of the power relations in society that it represents. No victim can go unheard because each case results in the traumatization of the human being who not only had to suffer the act but also the ostracism in some cultures, that it has to bear as well as the lack of help, be it medical or emotional that one experiences. There is nothing positive about knowing with a sinking feeling that neither the conversation about the issue itself will be easy nor the controversy it will create and the reactions and the sensitivities attached with cultural norms. However, we find that the culture in Pakistan is shifting; it is slowly but steadily shifting to more openness amongst its own people. This is not a concept of westernization, but it is part of a global development that opens up societies as a result of growing globalization and interconnectivity. Can we in Pakistan break through barriers of silence without facing a rebuttal attack?

The women and men who have survived this trauma and have spoken out about it are heroes to those countless others who have yet to come forward

The women and men who have survived this trauma and have spoken out about it are heroes to those countless others who have yet to come forward. How they survived and under what circumstances is a story each would be able to tell. I am afraid this is a moment in history that we are facing: people are not willing to keep quiet anymore and perhaps that is the one thing that has started to occur out of a mess of millions of lives gone by and ruined. Subjugation by rape and violence is not a new concept. It is a brutal and despicable act which needs to be addressed with great care, and as I said with a series of words and different voices through media and different channels that these stories are not just known but changes are in the making within the governing structure whereas new ethical norms are formed in society to protect the people from such violence.

With the recent announcement of the new government signing off on capital punishment on child molesters, creating the change we did require, there would also be a thing to be taken into careful consideration which is the cry wolf situation, where wrongful accusations are made. The misuse of the accusation can lead into doubt and ruination of entire families. Which is why each case should be taken with great care due to the sensitivity of its nature. Every case must be addressed and heard well 1. With special units for victims so they and their rights are protected and 2. In place investigative techniques such as the west which have entire Special Victims Squads, units which are specially trained and assigned ( starting from medical and trauma care) to investigate those accused, so there is an opportunity for both sides of each case, the accuser with proper assistance and as well as those standing accused. We need to address the simultaneous concerns in society so the opportunity cannot arise for trouble makers to misuse the laws. The law would need to protect everybody. The wrong person being accused could be resultant in a degradation of justice and societal structure.

The thing is now that many more people have a voice than at any time in the past, be it online or whether it is in print or in social media. This new opportunity must be used at least to inform official institutions to create pressure for not pushing things under the proverbial carpet. The new options have to be used to create awareness in society and strengthen the forces of change. A new world that doesn’t beat down the human race by silencing it through fear but that makes it go forward into a better future without violence.

The writer is a Columnist who is known for writing on a wide range of topics which have a social and cultural impact as well as her series of interviews on notable Public figures