Even the UN agency working for the welfare of young women in flood-affected areas could not have known how immediately its warning signals for the looming threat of gender-based violence would translate. On second thoughts, maybe the humanitarian workers did. After all, ours is a nation often making waves for its vile wretchedness, the scope of which escapes all moral standards!
Seemingly, a “climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions” is not enough to stop the bestiality of toxic masculinity in its tracks. More distressingly, the sight of a hapless, star-crossed someone-in-need comes as a golden opportunity to entice the bait with some smooth-talking and hollow promises. A teenage survivor of the deadly floods was allegedly gang-raped using the pretence of ration. Let that sink in. This alone is enough for the entire society to stop tooting the horn of our excellent morals; hang our heads in shame and let it be known far and wide that every female (no matter, her age or circumstances) better be out for herself.
Rubbing salt on the wounds inflicted on the nation’s conscience, religious minorities in Umarkot have taken to social media to draw attention to attempts to attack women forced to live under open skies.
The vulnerability of millions of women pushed out of their safety net and left to fend for themselves is fast emerging as a major security challenge for the state. And the extraordinary circumstances befallen upon the local administration mean anyone with even a shred of ill intent can pursue their nefarious designs with unimaginable ease. The prompt response of the Sanghar police in arresting the main accused while hunting for others should be appreciated. However, videos of people scraping flour off the ground, running to lay their hands on relief bags (distastefully) dropped from a government helicopter and resorting to the looting of donations are all signs of the desperation kicking in. What the men of this so-called idealistic state decide to do with their hunger pangs would go down as the hallmarks of our national character! *