Since 2000, the UN has been celebrating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25 of every year. Violence against women is an extreme kind of discrimination. According to a UN report, almost 19 percent of women around the world – between 15 and 49 years of age – had experienced physical and /or sexual violence in their life. According to a survey conducted in 2016, every one in four women in the US has experienced some kind of sexual harassment on public transportation. These figures present a terrible picture of discrimination all over the world. According to the World Economic Forum, Pakistan stands at 143 number out of 144 countries in the gender inequality index. Women in Pakistan face discrimination in all fields including social, economic, and political. In our country, most of the cases against women harassment or violence go unreported. According to the Human Rights Watch 2009 report, about 70 to 90 percent of women in Pakistan have suffered some form of abuse. An estimated 5,000 women are killed every year due to domestic violence. Although there are laws against violence, harassment and all kinds of indiscrimination against women, violence against women is growing day by day. There is a dire need to strictly implement these laws so that violence can be decreased. In order to discourage gender discrimination, women and girls should be offered more opportunities. Awareness campaigns against women violence may be started in order to keep women and girls aware of their rights. Riaz Ahmed Rustamani Dadu
