Violent misogyny

Given how low the issue of violence against women is on the roster of social and political priorities, it is not a surprise that the number of cases reported of such between 2011 and 2015 have risen by 34 percent. Violence against women continues to reach alarmingly high numbers every year, with incidents of harassment, rape, so-called ‘honour’ killings and domestic violence continuing to make life for Pakistani women very precarious. In the five-year period, 53,364 cases of violence against women have been reported. Punjab ranks highest in reported incidents of such violence every year. Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa follow. All three provinces have attempted to pass new legislation on domestic violence as well as other issues pertaining to violence against women to varying degrees of success. Punjab’s decision to pass a domestic violence law came under severe criticism from religious circles while KP decided to send its law to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) before any pressure was applied. The National Assembly passed a controversial amendment to the honour killing laws, which critics felt made prosecution of the crime much more difficult.    

Reports of workplace harassment, sexual violence, burning and domestic violence have continued to rise amidst this legislative effort. Some of the increase can be attributed to improved reporting but the increase is still alarming. The reality is that legislative efforts are not met with appropriate policies on the ground. There has been little to no concerted effort by any provincial or federal government to change social attitudes towards women. One of the key examples is domestic abuse. It is estimated that around 70-90 percent of married women in Pakistan suffer domestic abuse. The damage suffered ranges from the emotional to the physical. However, even getting laws across the table on this issue has been a major hurdle for various provincial governments. Instead of acting as deterrents that can change public opinion and attitudes, the issue has become even more polarised. A coherent and concerted effort is needed to reduce violence against women. It will need more than just law-making.