Blaming women

Why did the woman go out at night and took the motorway? This insensitive question was first asked by Lahore’ CCPO who is a high-ranking official and whose force is responsible for providing safety to all citizens of the country. His statement paints the perfect picture of our male-dominated society. The people in our society find it convenient to put the blame on women for almost everything. A woman was raped while she was waiting for help. Why didn’t the officials question the relevant department for their inefficiency? Motorways and highways are not built for a specific gender. Women are the equal citizens of the country – or so we want to assume – and have the right to security. Questioning a woman’s choices after a horrible incident is callous and insensitive. Even though the CCPO has apologised, but, unfortunately, his apology will not erase the mindset of the people who silently nodded their heads when the official made the irresponsible comment. We can only hope to see a society where women feel safe.

Iffat Farhana

Karachi