As we look back on the year 2006, the biggest achievement of the year was the Protection of Women Bill, 2006, which amended the widely criticised Hudood laws. It took time in happening, but better late than never.

Read Mukhtaran Mai’s In the name of Honour, while sipping coffee in your cosy living room and you will come to know what goes on in your very own country. No, not in the name of Islam, but under the patronage of your very own system and on the orders of your very own respectable countrymen. It is indeed an eye opener but, at the same time, it is just the tip of an iceburg.

Brave Girl, a short film that examines the issue of sexual harassment – often referred to in South Asia as eve-teasing is a wake-up call for all of us in South Asia. Screened for a small gathering in Islamabad, the film exposes the issue from the perspective of three young women – a high school student, a single mother and a domestic worker – juxtaposing oppressed and empowered reaction to this problem within our country’s patriarchal culture.

Drawn from the World Population Foundation’s series of videos Aapas Ki Batain, it confronts many socio-cultural myths surrounding adolescents’ development, unemployment, freedom of movement and the right to education. The film exposes different types of sexual harassments which often starts at home, such as giving less importance to the girl child, belittling her, trivializing the woman working at home, not allowing them to take decisions, inflicting violence, etc. “On the streets or in public places, it can be catcalling, making fun, staring, aggressively stopping the way, restricting entrance to places, chasing and inflicting violence, intimidating and singing to tease women,” explains Sheema Kirmani, the producer, who had specially flown in from Karachi for the occasion.

“Why in our society a man is assumed to do something only because of his traditional role as a man and not his merits or capabilities?” questions Nadira Khan, working at a mismanagement position in a multinational. “For example if a woman is senior and is capable, she may still not get a promotion only because the management believes that women cannot take on positions of high responsibility. People in our country stereotype a man or a woman into their traditional roles,” she adds.

Sister Rifaqat, working in a local hospital in Rawalpindi, disclosed that women commonly face inappropriate behaviour and harassment on the streets, at the workplace and in public places, but it is also practiced in the nursing profession. Faced with social constraints, it is very difficult for girls from poor families to get employment. They are mostly discouraged by the aggressive work environment. Those who do come out to work have to fight for their rights and get little support to carry on. The attitude of the male colleagues and the management is usually not conducive and does not encourage women to work.

According to Sister Parveen, who is working in the general ward of a public hospital in Islamabad, “The nurse-doctor relationship is a very sensitive one. If a doctor gets physical with a nurse, it is not common to complain or report the matter to the management. Just as in other areas, it’s always a woman who gets the blame. And it will be a woman who will be terminated. Who will favour a nurse? All laws are made in favour of doctors, those who implement them are males, and those who impose them are also males. The gap in the two professions is very wide and thus there is no match when it comes to a doctor verses nurse situation.”

“Humiliating, swearing and using vulgar language or making passes are all forms of harassment,” views Sister Parveen.

Although the scales of nurses have been upgraded and now there are nurses in grade 20 as well, “the profession,” she says, “still does not enjoy the due respect. Male professionals not only look down upon them but pass remarks which are very insulting and humiliating. Nurses in our country are taken as a laughing stock. Anyone can laugh on them, including the doctors. There have been incidents when a nurse has been slapped by a doctor. The young nurses are scared. It’s a matter of their survival. They know raising a voice means risking their job and there is a complete silence on the issue,” she adds.

All women who face harassment suffer adverse effects, and according to some estimates, almost 80 to 90 percent of women face some sort of harassment – in public transport and market, on the roads, recreational spots and in the workplace. The dynamics of harassment at the workplace take on special significance considering the amount of time an adult spends at the workplace and the spillover effects on career growth, worker productivity.

In December 2001, AASHA (Alliance Against Sexual Harassment) was formed and asked to assist in drafting a comprehensive Code for Gender Justice at the Workplace. Aasha, is an alliance of organizations committed to curb sexual harassment at workplace.

“Aasha means ‘hope’ – a hope to root out harassment especially of women from the society. It aims to raise awareness on the issue and assist the government and private sectors to create a society free of sexual harassment,” says Dr Fauzia Saeed, the driving force urging the formulation of policies and advocating this Code.

Aasha’s first initiative is directed towards taking active measures to mobilize and influence policy makers for providing protection to women at the work place and ensuring a safe and healthy working environment. It was suggested that the Code of Conduct should be mandatory for all registered public and private organizations that count as workplaces, and it should be incorporated with other workplace regulating management policies.