“It exploded in my head with blinding whiteness, from some part, some epicenter on the back of my head, it hurt a lot. It ebbed and flowed like a wild tide, the pain wasn’t constant. Being pushed against the wall was not usual. Surrendering was not usual. Some beautiful tinges of scarlet red and brown on my wrists had numbed me. Penetrating deep in me was a surge so loud that it had silenced me for eternity. There was somuch less of me remaining, it grew upon me. Moment of truth my existence was reduced just to the extent of a mess, my body, my skin. In that moment it grew to me that I was not standing naked in front of this society, but this society stood naked in front of me.”
It seems with every passing day, the world is becoming darker, more cruel and inhumane. A little bit of humanity is lost every time we hear of the gruesome crimes that take place. Over the course of 16 years from 2002,Mukhtaran Bibi’s heart wrenching rape case to the seven-year-old Zainab Ansari’s brutal and nerve-racking incident, the only common thing to have flourished is loss of hope, self-confidence and dominating despair. The so called all-knowing and all-powerful higher ups of that area sanctioned that rape from which arose many controversies and also brought international notoriety. What’s more saddening is the fact that she is not alone in her struggle. Her story is, perhaps, one of the countless stories of those victimized women, who have been reduced to mere statistics of some report or a file. In 2005, a woman was harassed by four police officers, on refusal to pay bribe only one of the officers was arrested while others disappeared leaving no trace. In 2017, a panchaiyat in Multan ordered the rape of a 16-year-old girl as a compensation for her brother’s conduct. Not only adult women but also children have not been spared from the wrath of these culprits who have predated on our young gems. According to the statistics submitted by Saahil, an NGO that serves to ensure the protection of children against sexual abuse, in 2017 the total number of reported child abuse cases stood at a staggering 4,139, accounting to 11 children being abused in Pakistan per day. The shocking numbers depicts the failure of law enforcement agencies, particularly in province Punjab, in apprehending these criminals and curbing a plague which seems to have taken hold of in Pakistan. Children, who are the supreme national asset are becoming the target of predators. Child sexual abuse exists in Pakistan and the incidence is much higher than generally perceived.
Moving on with our subject, we have the much-highlighted topic of sexual harassment in work places. In the eyes of many, the offices of Pakistan are filled with lewd bosses. All too often, working women have multiple tales of their perversions.
In an expensive, inflation-wracked and increasingly competitive Pakistani q, many women continue to be targets for men. The dynamics of want and need is a spectacle. We have divorced women, single mothers, the older and the unmarried who are particularly vulnerable to harassment. The Protection againstHarassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010, which will be seven years old now, is a comprehensive document. The code of conduct included in it defines harassment as “any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favours or other verbal or written communication or physical conduct of a sexual nature, or sexually demeaning attitudes, causing interference with work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, or the attempt to punish the complainant for refusal to comply with such a request or is made a condition for employment”.
It goes on to add that “the above is unacceptable behavior in the organization and at the workplace, including in any interaction or situation that is linked to official work or official activity outside the office”. Detailed stipulations are set out for the establishment of investigative committees, ombudspersons, etc., who are charged with resolving the issues raised. A range of penalties from censure to outright dismissal are postulated. All employers are required to display the code of conduct prominently on their premises.
When the law was passed in 2010, it was a notable success. Change comes slowly but a law is a first step; a legislative commitment supported by elected representatives’ signals that the path ahead will be a different one, in this case one where the harassment of women in the workplace would not be permitted. Not much has happened since then. Harassment is still rampant in the workplace (the majority of workplaces have little idea as to what the code of conduct is, let alone of the requirement to display it visibly in employee areas). In the face of unwanted advances, Pakistan’s women continue to find themselves alone and the wickedness continues to seem beyond redemption.
Even in the development sector, where the very agenda of many organizations is to empower women, similar problems persist. Patriarchal society of Pakistan, where men are the primary and authoritative figures, women are the subordinates
Not surprisingly, the women are also victimized by their own husbands and male members of her own family for the reasons such as domestic altercations to more serious issues like bringing colossal dishonour to the family’s dignity.
In Karachi a women complaint cell was launched as part of Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC). The cell at Governor House addresses complaints related to domestic violence, divorce and khula, kidnapping,sexual abuse, harassment at work, underage marriage and illegal detention.
The physical and psychological consequences of abuse leave unfading scars on mind and soul. The person feels broken to the highest possible level which forces them into total isolation. In such circumstances, the person would want remedies to escape that vicious circle. In this case doctors may be of great help. Following can be done in such cases.
1. Know what sexual harassment, abuse are.
2. Get medical treatment immediately
3. Get counselling and trust your doctor
4. Know that you are not alone and not to be blamed
5. Establish a protection Program and involve someone you trust
6. Know the contact numbers of Police and Emergency services.
7. Call a Local sexual assault crisis centre within 48 hours and get a compensation for the crime
Misogyny is manufactured in two major flavours in Pakistan. The first is on the premises of strict traditionalists. They yearn for the reinstatement of a strictly segregated society because they see the harassment-filled workplace as a grim proof of their warnings. According to them women should not be in the workplace at all, the male conscience is unable to police itself.
The second, one that wrongly labels itself as liberal and progressive has assumed it as a license to harass. A woman’s willingness to put up with harassment is the product of this ‘progressivism’. This illogical mindset isequating women in the public sphere with the women, who are sexually available to all men who may want them. The two flavours complete the poisons that infects the working lives of women whose self-respect daily dies in the hands of misogyny. This belief is reflected all the time and everywhere in Pakistan. There are far too many men complicit, quiet, and eager to embrace or enforce their right to harass.
While the working women experience the bizarre attitudes from their employers for reasons like sexual gratification, the enormity of this issue led to a campaign by the organizations called “AASHA” (Alliance AgainstSexual Harassment). It aims to raise the awareness on the issue and assist the government and private sectors to create a society free off sexual harassment. It’s basic initiative is to coax the policy makers to provide protection to the women at workplaces You can find out more aabout this initiative at www.AASHA.org.pk
In other news, Karachi based NGO Aahung that aims to improve sexual health status of women and adolescents is advocating for the inclusion of the Life Skills Based Education curriculum into the public school system in Sindh. The LSBE curriculum has proven to be effective in empowering children to know their rights and stay safe.
But the question arises can you predict danger? Is it that easy to remain safe? What is it that has caused an increasing repetition in numbers of such gruesome incidences? Is it our system’s leniency or failure to develop strict laws? Are we to blame each other at an individual level?
It is time we change our perspectives, our ideology and offer support to victims. Above all the need of the hour is to nip the evil in the bud. This is only possible if we begin at an individual level. May it be our women, men or children, educating them is the key. A mere thought can have a butterfly effect to change the dynamics of our society.
Hi Lareb, it's Abeer here. I absolutely love all your blog posts! You seem like such an enthusiastic and creative person :)
ReplyDeleteI read your MCAT Guides and they were exactly something I've been looking for! I still have a few doubts though, it would be amazing if we could clear them through email. My email is shahzad.abeer@gmail.com
I finished my first year of A-level and gonna pursue the second year soon!