Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Pakistan can result in significant increase in crime rate and can lead to imbalanced society, leaving the women folk to deal with emotional, mental and psychological traumas. This was the crux of the seminar titled 'Awareness Raising on Gender Based Violence' organised by Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment (DTCE) in collaboration with USAID and the Aurat Foundation on Tuesday.
While talking to the participants of the seminar, Azhar Bashir Malik, Chief Operating Officer, DTCE, said that the seminar was organised to recognise struggle of Pakistani women for their legal rights. He said that if a mother could handle a family then she could also handle a nation. Males hinder implementation of policies related to women rights, he added.
He said that 8539 cases of acid throwing and rape were reported in 2011, arguing that gender based violence must be ended by organising small meetings in offices for discussion on the gender related issues. Dr Rakhshinda Perveen, Director of Creative Anger gave the civic entrepreneurs' perspective on gender based violence. "The words sex and gender are commonly used interchangeably in Pakistani society, which creates difficulty in conveying the right message to the people," she said.
"Men and women both face injustice, but women have to face violence throughout their life, often because honour is associated to women in our society," said Dr Perveen. She stressed that men should also participate in these seminars, as they were social gatekeepers in our society. "We have two choices either enjoy conveniences of sub ordination or choose to pay for empowerment," she concluded.
Rabeea Hadi, National Co-ordinator, Aurat Foundation, shared the statistical data related to the gender based violence from 2008 to 2011. "About 8539 women became victims of violence in 2011 and there was an overall 6.74 % increase in reported cases of Violence Against Women in the country as compared to 2010." Out of the total 8539 cases of violence, 6188 incidents were reported in Punjab, 1316 in Sindh, 694 in KPK, 198 in Balochistan, and 148 in Islamabad. From the year 2008 to 2011, the total number of cases pertaining to burning of women remained 178, acid throwing cases 158, sexual assault 630, gang rape 3461, honour killing 2341, suicides 2673, domestic violence 1985, murder 5817 and kidnapping 8096.
Zunnorain, Gender activist, in her presentation on Causes and Repercussions, explained that patriarchal system, secondary status of women, illiteracy, infertility and poverty are some of the common causes of violence in our society. Gender based violence is linked to women's subordinate status in society. It includes any act or threat by men, women and institutions that inflict physical, sexual, or psychological harm on a woman or girl because of her gender. In most cultures, traditional beliefs, norms and social institutions legitimise and therefore perpetuate violence against women.
Violence against women is a persistent and universal problem, which occur in every culture and social group. At least one in every three women has been abused in her lifetime around the world. In Pakistan different forms of gender based violence included traditional practices harmful to women, such as honour killing, burning or acid throwing, domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, sexual harassment, stove burning, dowry related violence, karo kari, trafficking of women and girls and emotional abuse such as bullying and use of abusive language.
Unequal power relations between men and women significantly contribute to gender violence. In fact, gender based violence is intended to maintain gender inequalities and/or reinforce traditional gender roles for both men and women. Pakistan's existing laws such as Gender Reform Actions Plans (2005), Human trafficking Ordinance (2002), and the recently approved Anti-Women practices bill has laid the ground for protection of women constitutionally. But there is a serious need to support the implementation of existing laws at grass roots levels for protection and rehabilitation of women who face violence.
Saba Ismail, Executive Director, Aware Girls shared the gender based violence situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). "Around 90 percent men of KPK think that it is acceptable to beat women, while 90 percent women of KP also feel that it is alright to be beaten by men," according to a survey. "We have launched a Madadgaar hotline in KPK to provide telephonic and face-to-face counselling to women on safe abortion methods because every day 10 women die of unsafe abortion in Pakistan," stated Saba Ismail.
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