It comes to me as no surprise that violence against women remains the core of all problems in Pakistan. From rape, honour killings, child marriages, domestic violence and harassment making headlines daily in national press, the call for action to put these practices to shame is my job as a responsible citizen. Today, I had the privilege of visiting the President’s Secretariat in Islamabad to observe November 25, 2019 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women hosted by the Federal Ministry of Law and Justice in coalition with The European Union Delegation to Pakistan.
President Arif Alvi served as the chief guest while European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara, Foreign Minister and Vice President Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Minister for Law & Justice Barrister Dr Farogh Naseem and two-time Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy honoured the occasion. The latter screened two of her brilliant shorts to sensitize the audience about the veracity of honour killings in Pakistan. The animated short contained a sheet of emergency contacts to encourage women to reach out to the authorities in case of impending danger.
I spoke to Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and asked her why this event held so much significance, to which she said, “Members of the cabinet, civil society, diplomats and activists were present today. It seemed there was a concerted effort to find a way forward for women where they are educated about the legal system and feel protected and empowered. As a filmmaker, that is the work I have been doing for the better part for the last two decades.”
She added, “My series Aagahi focuses on the education and empowerment of women so they can understand what rights fall under the law. We will be playing the two films we screened today across the country on mobile cinemas in the coming months. It will allow women living in small towns to understand their legal rights when it comes to fear, intimidation and violence.”
I spoke to Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and asked her why this event held so much significance, to which she said, ‘Members of the cabinet, civil society, diplomats and activists were present today. It seemed there was a concerted effort to find a way forward for women where they are educated about the legal system and feel protected and empowered’
The event closed on a constructive panel discussion about anti-honour killing laws in Pakistan. Moderated by Barrister Maleeka Ali Bukhari, the dialogue consisted of discussants Mr. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Federal Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida Mirza, Inspector General of Police, Punjab Mr. Inam Ghani, Advocate and Executive Director of Asma Jahangir Legal Aid Cell, Nida Aly, Lawyer and Founder of Digital Rights Foundation, Nighat Dad and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. The initiative allowed many to reassess their outlook on women’s issues, not just constrained to honour killings.
According to the World Report, 2019 by Human Rights Watch, at least 1,000 honour killings take toll annually in Pakistan. 21% of girls marry before the age of 18 and 3% under the age of 15 years. The Express Tribune highlighted a dire statistic; 93% of women fall victim to sexual violence some time in their life. The non-profit organization Sahil reported that more than 10 children were victims of sexual abuse every day in Pakistan last year; out of 3,832 cases of sheer sexual violence against minors, 55% (2,107 cases) involved girls while the remaining 45% (1,725 cases) comprised of only boys.
Pakistan’s current government has a lot to take care of. Each social issue has political implications. Women and children withstand the worst of trauma in the country, therefore assignment of clinical and child Psychologists in community centres can work wonders for our society. Destigmatising mental illness and encouraging an open dialogue concerning mental health and accounts of violence are effective counter strategies. Rest assured, the medium of film and implementation of present laws will only benefit the marginalised sects.
The writer is a model and an actor. He can be reached at [email protected] and Tweets at @HaiderRifaat