Civil Society concerned at increase in violence against women

PESHAWAR: Various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on violence against women on Tuesday expressed concern over increase in violence that led to a decrease in women’s participation in the labour market and involvement in the public sphere.

Human rights activists including Ihsan Ali Khosa, chairman Petarian Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), Qamar Naseem and Taimur Kamal, coordinator of Pakhtukhwa Civil Society Network (PCSN), shared a report regarding violence against women in Pakistan at a joint press conference in the Peshawar Press Club. 

The report said that from 2004 to 2016, 4734 women were subjected to sexual violence in Pakistan, 15222 (men and women) to honor crimes, 1535 suffered burning, 1843 women became victims of domestic violence, 35935 committed suicide and 5508 women were kidnapped. Giving data about violence against women in Punjab province, the organisations claimed that from 2015 to 2016, 2,270 rape cases were reported in Punjab, there were 173 honour killings, 22 acid attacks, 35 burning incidents and 588 cases of women’s beating.