WORLD NEWS | Gender-based violence in Pakistan calls for action: report

Islamabad [Pakistan]April 1 (ANI): Pakistan as a country will only prosper if its women have a safe environment where they will be able to enjoy their basic rights; such as the right to education and the right to work, however , the deplorable situation of women in the country calls for action against discrimination against them, according to El Pais.

Insecure environments remain critical among barriers for women to pursue education and contribute to society. Trends of harassment, rape and sexual exploitation of women have emerged in Pakistan when they go out for work or education.

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According to The Nation, women, especially in more conservative and rural societies, are confined to their homes due to various cultural restrictions and pervasive stereotypes and taboos.

Practices against women that are ingrained in Pakistani culture are often oppressive, possessive, objectified and used as a bargaining tool (e.g. forced marriage in families with ongoing disputes as a peace offer and conflict resolution mechanism). These practices occur more often in rural areas, where the social, economic and political status of rural women is usually lower.

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While state laws are strict in dealing with these vices, the lack of enforcement has led to an increase in the rape and killing of women of all ages, from schoolgirls to married women, The Nation reported.

Many women were killed in the name of honor and many faced domestic violence. According to a poll, Pakistan is listed as the sixth most dangerous country for women.

According to The Nation, many in Pakistan blame the recent surge in violence on state authorities for failing to enforce the law in the spirit of allowing criminals to go unpunished.

Whether it was Noor Muqaddam, 27, murdered in cold blood; the woman who raped her in front of her child and left helplessly off the highway; Waiters were raped at gunpoint by guards; the list of crimes committed against women is long.

Many more cases were reported, while many went unnoticed. According to statistics, from 2019 to 2021, a total of 3,987 women were killed across the country, and 10,000 and 517 cases of rape of women were registered.

The country’s growing violence against women has been attributed to a combination of factors, including a lack of effective education, lack of awareness, poverty and unchecked misogyny, according to The Nation.

Free access to various immoral internet sites is also a culprit as it arouses sexual desire and society is witnessing a spike in cases of rape and harassment. The general condition and psychology of men makes it difficult for women to get out of the house.

According to The Nation, despite the contributions of many women in various fields, a large proportion of women are afraid to go out for fear that they may not return home safely. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)