MISOGYNY is the bane of women’s lives across the globe as it robs them of autonomy over their bodies. This is reflected in the latest Unicef estimates that include global and regional assessments on sexual violence against children; they show that over 370m women and girls endured rape or sexual violence before the age of 18. The highest number of victims live in sub-Saharan Africa that has 79m female sufferers, with eastern and south-eastern Asia a close second with 75m. In Pakistan, sexual abuse is the daily truth of too many women: a report from the Sustainable Social Development Organisation in 2023 revealed that 10,201 cases of violence against women were registered in Punjab alone; most go unreported. Although the scourge owes its prevalence to patriarchal social systems, it is the absence of institutional and judicial commitment which makes matters worse. Has the state abandoned all responsibility to enforce laws that protect women?

Over the years, the Pakistani state has pursued a contradictory relationship with its female citizens. On one end, it formulates progressive policies and laws, commits to pro-women international treaties, and grants constitutional assurances, and on the other, it withdraws these liberties by declining to enact the same laws or shape an environment conducive to women’s rights and safety. As a result, sexual abuse continues to rise, women are objectified and rape is normalised. Investment in protection for women cannot be postponed. Resources and personnel need to be allotted to implement laws, ascertain due process and cleanse law enforcers of impunity. The state should not appear hesitant to confront patriarchal power. For this, women’s development departments and police stations must be prioritised at all cost so that behaviour towards females improves, with increased access to education for girls. Scarred survivors are plagued with mental health issues, making them unproductive and unable to forge wholesome relations.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2024