Rape case in Pakistan highlights misogyny and the justice system

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Updated: March 10, 2023 10:35 PM IS

islamabad (Pakistan), March 10 (ANI): A young woman goes for a walk afternoon walk with a friend was beaten and sexually abused in gun point by two men in Fatima Jinnah Park, the largest park in the capital. The February 2 attack sparked an uproar on social media and protests from women’s advocacy groups. A case of rape in islamabad and the murder of the alleged attackers by the police have provoked a new scrutiny of the rights of PakistanI the women and the defects of the nation justice systemNikkei Asia reported.
Two weeks later, on February 16, the islamabad Police said both suspects had been killed in an exchange of fire when they were stopped at a checkpoint.
The victim’s lawyer and others criticized what they said were extrajudicial killings, which the police department denies.
Experts say the episode highlights the problem of violence against women and the need to review the criminal justice system.
In 2021, 5,200 rapes were reported in PakistanAccording to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). The conviction rate in rape cases is less than 3 percent, says the activist organization War Against Rape, Nikkei Asia reported.
Zohra Yousaf, former chair of the HRCP, believes that the space for women is shrinking.
“In a country like Pakistanwhen women try to break down barriers, the patriarchy in society tries to stop them using the violent tool of rape,” Nikkei Asia quoted Zohra Yousaf, former HRCP chairwoman, as writing. She added that law enforcement agencies are generally uncooperative. with the victims, increasing their suffering.
Yousaf, who has been campaigning for women’s rights since the 1980s, argued that misogyny is rampant at all levels of PakistanI society.

“Even women parliamentarians and high-profile journalists are often the targets of misogynistic attacks in Parliament and in online spaces, respectively,” she said.
In June 2021, former Prime Minister Imran Khan said that if women wear less clothing, “it will have an impact on men, unless they are robots.” Yousaf responded that if even a prime minister blames women for sexual violence, what can be expected from average people?
Peter Jacob, executive director of the Center for Social Justice, a human rights and social justice advocacy organization in PakistanHe said that sexual violence is caused by psychological conditions, social patterns and criminality.
What is clear is that the rape at the heart of islamabad he has expressed concern that if women are not safe there, they will not be anywhere else.
Hameeda Noor, a Balochistan-based human rights activist, noted that victims do not report all rapes due to the social stigma attached. Otherwise, she said, the figures could be much higher.
Noor suggested that there is a need for a campaign to educate and sensitize lawmakers and others. “Making laws alone will not solve the problem, because in Pakistan the implementation regime is very weak,” he said.
Yousaf emphasized that the criminal justice system It needs a drastic reform. “Police personnel must be trained to deal with rape cases properly so that they can record all the evidence and present a strong case against the culprits,” he said.
Yousaf added that the government also needs to invest in improving the capacity of prosecutors so that they can effectively argue rape cases in court.
Even with a stronger justice system, he lamented, it is likely to take years of work to eradicate misogynistic attitudes. (ME TOO)