647 women killed in the name of ‘honour’ last year: HRCP report
* HRCP report says 3,021 people killed, 7,334 injured across country
* 1,668 suicide cases reported
ISLAMABAD: The 2009 report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) released on Monday revealed that there was a sharp surge in violence against women and 1,401 women were murdered during 2009. Out of these, 647 were murdered in the name of “honour”, while 757 were killed for other reasons.
According to the report, 928 rape cases were reported last year and 563 women committed suicide, while 253 attempted it. It also said 135 women fell victim to burning, while cases of domestic violence, including torture, beating, murder attempts, increased from 137 in 2008 to 205 in 2009.
The report further revealed that in 2009, 3,021 people were killed and 7,334 injured across Pakistan. Addressing the ceremony, HRCP Secretary General IA Rehman said according to unofficial estimates, around 164 incidents of target killings took place in Balochistan in which 118 citizens and 158 security officials were killed, while 83 citizens and seven security officials were injured.
HRCP Chairwoman Asma Jahangir chaired the ceremony.
According to the report, more than 209 people – mostly from political parties – were killed in Karachi in 2009.
Moreover, seven journalists were killed across the country while performing their duties, while four died in crime-related incidents, the report said. In 2009, 163 attacks were aimed directly at the media, including murders, kidnapping, threats, assaults and attacks on media establishments.
Also, 224 cases of kidnapping for ransom took place in Punjab as compared to 248 in 2008, whereas 163 people were abducted in Sindh, 241 in Balochistan and 592 in the NWFP.
Suicide cases: The report said 1,668 suicide cases were reported across the country in 2009, whereas 747 people were killed in Karachi.
It said around 20,000 children die of diarrhoea every year and nearly 20 percent of children suffer from asthma, adding 39 percent were moderately or severely malnourished.
The report also said Pakistan ranked 117 among 134 countries in terms of quality of primary education in the World Economics Forum’s Global Competitiveness index of 2009. app
Source: Daily Times
Protect ‘em Violence against women soared 13% in 2009
LAHORE: Violence against women has increased by 13 percent in Pakistan during 2009, and these are only the reported cases, White Ribbon Campaign Pakistan (WRCP) Director Umer Aftab said on Monday. Talking to reporters at Lahore Press Club, Aftab said to stop violence against women, it is not sufficient to just create awareness about their rights. He added that men should join women in encouraging respect and gender equality, and promote gender roles based on non-violence and justice. “WRCP is a men’s movement for gender equality based on the ideology that justice should be provided by those who do injustice as they have the power to do both,” said Aftab, adding that the aim of WRCP is to sensitise men that masculinity can be used ‘positively’ rather than for violence and sexual assault. He said that during July 2008 to March 2010, WRCP reached out to 30,000 men in Multan, Bahawalpur and Lahore in addition to providing support to 213 violence cases through district core groups in collaboration with Gender Justice and Protection Project of UNDP and DFID. He said White Ribbon’s One Million Signature Campaign has also been initiated with the aim of applying non-violent pressure on the government of Pakistan to urge it to improve legislation and practices that support women. He said that strategies that WRCP has adopted to achieve its goals include promoting volunteerism for ending violence against women, stakeholder engagement and involvement, creating local role models, involving religious scholars, regaining space for women’s rights issues, especially when priorities have shifted to security and terror issues, and promoting non-violence in men. staff report
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=20103\30\story_30-3-2010_pg13_8
Outlaw domestic violence
The inability of Zakia Perveen to get some form of
justice after falling prey to domestic violence is criminal. Her husband tortured Ms Zakia for seven years and when she filed for a divorce, he struck again by throwing acid on her face to destroy her left eye. These sad incidents are all too common in Pakistan.
According to the Aurat Foundation, there were at least 7,571 incidents of acid attacks, rape, spousal beatings and other acts of violence against women in 2008. Other reports suggest that 80 percent of wives in rural areas of Pakistan fear physical violence whereas 50 percent of women in urban surroundings admit that their husbands beat them. As a nation we need to assess the root cause of our inability to address domestic violence. The law against domestic violence, which not only gives legal protection to women but also elderly parents, children and husbands, should be passed without further delay.
When women try to report cases of domestic violence, social and cultural obstacles arise. Subsequently, women suffer even worse harassment for speaking out. Matters of the household are even more complicated than the recently enacted law against sexual harassment in the workplace due to the nature of relations. The police seem uninterested in getting involved in domestic issues due to social taboos. Domestic violence plagues not only Pakistan; developed countries have also struggled to come out of its shadow. Change only came about in the developed countries when the women’s movement took up the matter and ensured that women get basic rights. Pakistan has a long way to go since our society, the police and courts are reluctant to transgress into domestic issues.
Legislation is necessary but it is only the first step as laws provide a legal umbrella to victims for protection and more importantly justice. However, in and by itself this law is not enough. Community involvement at the micro level is also a must to ensure implementation. Community involvement was the ultimate reason in bringing the much-publicised Shoaib and Ayesha Siddiqui saga to an acceptable end. Victims and society as a whole will be better served if they have the advantage of the community in reaching just solutions. Pakistani legislators and the people must come forward and help women in achieving a safe environment, which will help them live a normal life. The implementation of this law can only work if society gets involved.
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\04\10\story_10-4-2010_pg3_1