IBA Y TODA I S S U E A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 Women's Right to Life

Pakistan: a safe Haven for women?

I know the answer!

Dear Society : A rant by a woman for women

Are we failing our victims twice?

Impacts of on mental health of Pakistani Women (TW: and murder)

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OUT NOW! Late Noor Mukadam protesting in Aurat March just 8 months before she was murdered

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Editorial Board : a safe Haven for women? Anisa Saba Abbasi Junior Editor

Assuming the role of a leader in households, the men of our society have been abusing their powers against women. Domestic violence, forced marriages, honor killings (Karo- Kari), marrying sisters to the Quran to ensure her share of property remains within the house, unequal treatment of daughters as compared to that of sons and the list goes on. This all has created a male dominated society where women have become as good as materials and not humans at all.

All around the globe, the slogans of are being chanted since decades. But there haven’t been any significant changes to the poor treatment and deplorable state of women in every society.

Pakistan as a Muslim nation advocates the role of men a leader of the household but fails to ensure that the men do not abuse this power against women in any way. There is a complete lack of accountability and justice in Pakistan which validate the atrocious behavior of men. This state of Pakistani law and justice system has enabled many likes of, privileged and non-privileged, Zahir Jaffars. Many women and innocent girls have become prey like Noor Mukadam in every corner of Pakistan. Be it little Zainab, or the victim of highway rape incident – a helpless mother, or the victim of Qandeel Baloch, these all women had become prey to nothing else but to a accountability free society. Protests against honor killings

Had there been strict enforcement of laws and regulations, women would have been in a better place to survive. We are in such a sad state that the least a woman can hope for is survival. Power, status and money have become the new law. But irrespective of these things, men still manage to stoop so low to rape, abuse, assault and sell women in every socio-economic class of the society. It is thus not a socio-economic class related issue rather a generally Zainab: raped and prevalent crime. killed in Kasur

Pakistan needs to make more efforts than to hang the rapists and hand life imprisonment verdicts o the molesters. There is a lot that must be done on ground levels. The men must be held accountable for abusing their power as the leaders of the house. They must be brought before law for their wrong actions towards women and children. Last but not the least, there should be Islamic law enforcement by letter and spirit to ensure a morally functioning society. We are currently a morally ill society that breeds all kinds of haunting beasts in form of men like Zahir Jaffar. In order to cleanse our society, we must change as a society by enforcing strict laws and adopting Islamic laws. We have to become a safe place for every member alike, we have to become a place where mere survival is not the only reason to live.

I Know the Answer!

Wajeeha Ashfaq Senior Writer

Why has women’s safety been so hard to be ensured? Why is an open secret? Why do we repeat the same things only to find ourselves at square one? I know the answer. Deep down, everyone knows the answer.

The world is what it is for women because of the choices made by us. What species on earth has caused rampant violence against others and itself? Is it the cats, dogs, elephants, lions, eagles, cuttlefish, moths, or butterflies? Sadly, it’s none other than the humans. We repeatedly choose to be our own enemies. You can find a number of laws and constitutions that proclaim women’s rights. They talk about women’s protection and punishment for those who violate it. Yet, undeniably we are in a sad state.

We can blame scarcity of laws that hinder women protection, or weak enforcement of such laws that result in an unsafe environment for women. While on the other hand, others can blame lack of awareness about women’s rights. However, the problem is lack of humanity- be it from a literate or an illiterate person. It doesn’t take much to choose to be moral and respectful person. All it takes is a choice within our hearts and the determination to go through with it. Ask yourself, how many of us stick to that choice as we grow up?

Think back. How many times have you heard your peers, male and female, use abusive words centered on women? How many times have both men and women laughed off jokes on women? How many of us wait for crimes to happen to remember that they happen at all? I know the answer. Deep down, everyone knows the answer. In our daily lives, our attitudes do a lot to perpetuate the sad state of things. We assume a distance between us and this evil until something happens. We forget this evil when news reports change or we’re told enough times to get over it- until something happens again. We forget the commands of Allah SWT on morality and respect. We forget that even in the most remote corner of the universe, men and women are still required to lower their gaze because the command of Allah SWT never changes. We forget to stand up for justice, and we forget that crimes happen more often than our protests against them.

Nevertheless, positive change can arise even now. We must acknowledge that we are the change makers. We must call out threatening attitudes and acts against women (or anyone) in our individual daily lives. We must teach and remind each other to respect to deserve respect. We must teach and remind each other of God-consciousness because only then can we be mindful of the consequences of our actions. This change can begin now if we want it to, so can we come together to make the world a better place? I know the answer. Deep down, everyone knows the answer: yes, we can!

Dear Society: A rant by a woman for the

Laiba Shah women SubJunior Writer

Mother. Daughter. Sister. Wife. Woman. But most of all, human. Then why does society fail to recognize that? Why are we treated like dispensable objects? Why is it that someone finds a way to round the blame back on to us every time an atrocity occurs? “You shouldn’t have worn such clothes,” “You spoke a little too familiarly,” “You should have been more careful,” and on goes this endless list. Are we not members of this society as much as men are? Do we not deserve to live a peaceful and safe life? Are we not allowed to live unless we have our guard up every waking moment of our lives? WE ARE TIRED. We are tired and so utterly disgusted by this society that we live in. We are scared for our lives. We are traumatized by the brutality we have to see every day. This brutality that we have to live and breathe in because we have NO other choice. What’s worse is that every time such acts of barbarity happen, there is ALWAYS someone who defends the criminal. There is ALWAYS someone who feels like the woman was at fault somehow. But, forget women, things like this happen to innocent children, even to animals. How long are you going to keep defending those who are actually at fault? How long are you going to enable the perpetrators? How long before you, the society, realizes that you have made this country a living hell for women, children, animals, and all kinds of minorities? Beheadings, , acid attacks, honor killings, domestic abuse. Women are reduced to one hashtag after another. One wrong word, one look, one mistake, and it’s all gone. Your entire life was stolen from you all because some low life decided he had the power to do as he pleased. All because our law is not strong enough to protect its own citizens. But it's not just the law at fault. It's us too—all of us.

How many times do we see cat-calling and slut-shaming, and we let it pass as the norm? How many times do we hear jokes on working women, and we let it slip as something inconsequential? “It’s just a joke” “Stop being so sensitive.” How many times have we heard these words when we do try and take a stand for ourselves? I personally have had them thrown at me countless times and at some point. I did stop paying heed to such jokes. I stopped giving a reaction to them. And I am ashamed of that. I should have let myself feel the anger at those stereotypes because my anger was valid. Instead, I accepted it as a norm and let it be.

And so, my message to you all is to never stop fighting. Change starts in the smallest of ways. Keep speaking up for what is right. Cut people off who refuse to change their misogynistic ways. But most of all, never for one second believe that any of us could have done something to deserve all this pain and brutality. We have the right to live our lives the way we want and NOTHING, and NO ONE can take that away from us. As Dan Brown said, “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis”.

Are we failing our victims twice? Anum Anjum SubJunior Writer

In June 2021, the Pakistani Senate passed the Domestic Violence Bill to protect vulnerable entities from all forms of abuse: physical, verbal, sexual, etc. While one side opposed the bill, flagging ‘disintegration of the family as a reason, another group lauded the bill for being a ray of hope for the victims. Soon, members of the government rushed to have it reviewed by the Islamic Council. War broke out on social media platforms. Keyboard warriors had found another opportunity to carry out heated debates on Instagram, Facebook, and . The battle had begun. All whilst this was happening, one video started circulating, and three bone-chilling hashtags started gaining traction on social media. #JusticeForSaima #JusticeforQuratulain #JusticeforNoor

Their spouses killed the first two. The last one, heinously beheaded by a family friend. This wasn’t the start. Before this, Usman Mirza’s video was circulating in the news. Usman Mirza's story is not the first; people were already asking for justice for British-Pakistani Myra Zulfiqar, who was murdered for saying one word that God forbid should come out of a woman’s mouth: “No.” In such a case, how do we stop our victims from being failed again? Some of the ways are discussed below.

Legal Empowerment against domestic violence and abuse of all kinds Abuse is not limited to the four walls of the house, as was in some of the cases above. Abuse goes above and beyond. Workplaces can become a breeding ground for such disturbing activities. It is not surprising that only 2% of the workforce knows the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010 (PaHWW Act 2010). As students who are eventually going to step into the workplace, many women will never hear about this in Codes of Conduct. Before starting any job, remember to highlight all the rights that the state has provided. Search the laws and read them up because there is no open discussion around them. Moreover, this shows that more awareness needs to be created around these laws for better legal empowerment of women. Discussions are not unnecessary debates.

Keyboard warriors It is so easy to sit behind the screen and direct anger towards it at the same time. However, everyone has something to say. Social media has no barriers to entry; hence everyone comes here to speak their mind. The point here is, they see something, they say something. They might get offended and start arguing with one or two people who oppose them. After that, they shut their phones and go to bed as if nothing ever happened.

They make their point, and Ta-Da! They feel that putting their statement on the internet has resulted in them being the victors of the battle. However, in the heat of winning a battle, we are losing a war. More and more people need to drop the keyboard warrior attitude and gather around a table to discuss viable solutions to the problem. In a time like this, a single citizen's opinion does not bring change. Rather, a movement that solves the issue at hand could be the way forward. Abuse goes above and beyond.

Laws and legislative executions regarding domestic violence This is a problem that is not new. Pakistan has the necessary legal framework; however, not many people want to take advantage of it. The only ones who are the ones who are exploiting the loopholes. The courts and relevant institutions need to be strengthened. Also, there needs to be a better punishment to set an example for the other citizens. Laws are in place. However, execution is needed. Additionally, perpetrators wouldn't be allowed to escape the wrath of the State.

Conclusion These are the things that happen on a large scale. If you find it difficult to help the women at such a scale, start small. For women, listen and sympathize with all the women around you. You are each other's greatest strength in these difficult times. For men, you do not need to feel attacked. Instead, ask every woman around you if they are ok. For elders, never let the youngsters get away with their wrongdoings. Don’t let one face the damage while the other gets away. For the authorities, please strengthen your process of accountability. Don’t let their blood go in vain.

The Impact of Femicides on the Mental Health of Pakistani Women (TW: Rape & Murder)

Usman Adnan SubJunior Writer

Femicide: a criminal misogynist act that has no limitations. It has now taken different forms such as dowry-related , honor killings, intimate femicide & non-intimate femicide across the globe.

Worldwide, this issue has been brought to the forefront quite a bit (especially with the #MeToo movement). Vigorous light was shed on the now infamous 2012 Delhi gang rape & murder case of 23-year-old Jyoti Singh. Similarly, another extremely horrific case is one you can scout for in the darker history of japan - the tragedy of 17- year-old Junko Furuta. One only has to take to Google to look up everything they need to know about these & many more femicide incidents that have transpired over the years.

Femicide in the context of Pakistan However, the situation in Pakistan is much worse. The backward Pakistani mindset only fuels violence against women. Just by looking at the very recent murder of Quratulain, mother of 4, by the hands of her husband & the fact that it was followed by the rejection of the "Domestic Violence Bill," one may easily call this culturally imposed if not state-endorsed . Coming right after this was the latest case that stirred quite the uproar in the desi community - the case of Noor Mukadam. It was all over the media. These are only some examples of the increased rates of femicide in Pakistan.

The aspect of these occurrences & instances being discussed so openly isn’t bad in & of itself. It’s actually ideal to talk about topics that are so prevalent in society. Furthermore, when one receives continuous exposure to this news, it makes one realize the gravity of the situation Has the Pakistani Government done anything to prevent femicide in Pakistan? Most western governments have established legal frameworks to prevent domestic violence. However, the Pakistani government may appear to propose the opposite. These actions only make Pakistani women feel as if their country has rejected them. Moreover, ending up with a sense of hopelessness & dread regarding their rights & protection. This may only be further hammered home by the strong resentment & disagreement many Pakistanis show for the “Aurat March".

Women may be inclined to believe that their own country has rejected them The effect on people after reading about the heinous crimes happening in Pakistan Some may also experience vicarious trauma by reading up on cases of injustice with women. This can cause stress that may or may not already be present in their daily lives. Moreover, an unfortunate result of this can be the inculcation of anxiety in the people who have experienced such violence. Anothe r sentiment can be sadness, and its prolonged effect can invite depression. More over, such feelings may sometimes influence one to think about or even carry ou t destructive outcomes like substance abuse and/or self-harm.

Conclusion In a nutshell, it does become pretty clear as to why many do not feel safe. Moreover, femicide in Pakistan harms everyone who calls Pakistan home. Archaic practices, alongside perceiving men as demigods, can be the main factor contributing to femicide in Pakistan. Furthermore, the only viable solution to end femicide in Pakistan is changing the mindset. Understanding the concept of can play a huge role.

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