By Gulranga Ali
Despite half part of a society women, till early 21st century, were still considered as men’s property. This was ideology of famous jurists like John Locke and Austin and they never accepted woman as a human being, equal to men, even in the developed and civilized Europe.
Though, after Second World War United Nation entitled all human beings with equal rights through United Nation Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) but still lack of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was felt which was adopted after 31 years of UNDHR by the General Assembly in 1979 by 130 votes.
Pakistan is a country where honor killings, rape cases, acid attacks, violence on women are common where such cases occur regularly. The constitution of Pakistan gives equal rights to women as that of men; Women Protection Bills were passed in regime of General Musharaf and recently in September 2016.
However, hundreds of thousands of cases are pending in courts, FIRs are registered on daily basis, and newspapers cover such incidents regularly, and if say truly, every street and village witness of violence against women.
Theoretically, the Pakistan Penal Code states grievous penalty for woman harassment of just snatching her Duppata in public place, however, practically, if she is made nude, her body parts are axed, her nose is butchered and violence is inflicted on her, law enforcement agencies do not bother to take action against it.
Ironically, in elopement case only a female in our society is held responsible for honors of her family while the male counterpart in the elopement escapes such blames. In this patriarchal society, where men are dominant decision of crimes are in their power.
Here the sun rises with woman violence and sets with her murder. Very commonly, women are made victims of so called honor (Ghairat) where men hold women murder obligatory. What will happen if men consider women protection obligatory on them?
In Swat daily, a women suicide cases are reported but who knows whether they are suicide or murder cases. Male family member kill their daughter, sister or wife for petty issues and then report it as a suicidal incident.
A country having powerful laws against women rights violation is practically failed to implement them and give rights to its women citizens.
Despite claims of KP government, women in police stations feel insecure to go there. At first 99 percent women don’t dare to go to police station to report their issues and if someone dares to go she faces abusive behavior by police.
Women who ran away from injustices or violence are also considered bad and are not welcomed by society. Even, rape incidents of women have been reported inside the police stations by the police. Nobody bothers to guide a misguided or distracted woman but she falls a victim of greed and honor.
NGOs and civil society though stage protests and raise their voice for women empowerment; however, there is a high need to give them their basic rights and protection first rather than empowerment. Thought laws and bills are passed frequently but no practical steps are taken to implement them.
We even don’t realize the miserable condition of our Dar ul Amans where women have to stay and live. Many widows and orphans are compelled to live with disrespect just for earning bread. Simply we are a poor nation in safeguarding women rights.
