4,503 incidents of child abuse, 3,088 rape cases reported in Punjab

Islamabad:As many as 4,503 cases of child abuse, 3,088 cases of rape of women have been reported in Punjab in the first 10 months of 2022.

27 per cent of child abuse cases occurred in Lahore only. The statistics made part of the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) research report on Violence against Women and Children in Punjab launched on Tuesday. According to a research report by the SSDO and the Centre for Research, Development, and Communication (CRDC), there were 4503 cases of child abuse and 3088 cases of rape of women in the province of Punjab this year, up till 31st October 2022. This data was obtained from the Punjab Police, who consolidated data of cases from 1st January 2022 to 31st October 2022.

Looking at both violence against women and children, Lahore and Faisalabad led with the highest number of cases, while in the case of rape, Sargodha, Multan, and Sheikhupura were the next hotspots, while Sheikhupura, Kasur, Gujranwala, and Rawalpindi were hotspots of child abuse. For child abuse, in particular, 27% of the cases occurred in Lahore, which meant that over one in four cases occurred in only one of the thirty-six districts. Similarly, on the other end, districts like Jhelum, Chakwal, Mianwali, Narrowal, and Khushab were among those with the lowest prevalence of violence against women and children. The report was launched at the Sociology Department at the University of Punjab.

Speaking at the event, Syed Kausar Abbas, Executive Director, SSDO stated, “The purpose of consolidating this data is to present the current situation at the district level about violence against women and children in Punjab. Moreover, we want to provide reference to relevant policymakers and stakeholders to take initiatives to reduce violence against women and children through policy-making and implementation of relevant laws by identifying hotspot districts of crime. We hope that this can lead to a comprehensive approach of working towards eliminating gender-based violence by bringing on board all relevant stakeholders.”

Rafia Kamal, Chairperson Women Protection Authority, urged the students at the event to actively report cases of violence against women and children to the police so that swift action can be taken. Moreover, she also stressed the fact that there is a dearth of accurate statistics regarding gender-based violence, and that academia can play a major role in conducting research that will be a great source of information for all relevant stakeholders. She also stated that the media needs to ensure that they show positive portrayals of women on screen. Chief guest, Musarrat Cheema, spokesperson Chief Minister Punjab discussed how women’s representation in decision-making and senior management roles is severely limited, which needs to be increased. Moreover, she stated that a collaborative effort from all stakeholders such as media, government, and civil society organizations is needed to effectively curb this issue.