239 women, children raped, molested in 3 months in Pakistan

Karachi, April 13, 2011 (PPI): Sexual violence against women and children is on the rise in Pakistan and in the first three months of running year at least 239 women and children have been raped or molested, says a report issued here Wednesday, by Madadgaar, the first helpline of women and children in Pakistan.

The database report said from January 01, 2011 to March 31, 2001 at least 870 cases of violence and abuse of children and 1122 cases of violence and abuse of women were reported in the mainstream Pakistani print media.

During these three months, 98 children were murdered and 123 others injured. Thirty-three children were raped, 24 sodomized and 55 molested. At least 62 children braved torture, 27 were trafficked and 61 went missing. Fifty children committed suicide, 27 fell prey to Karo-kari and 161 were kidnapped. Thirty-six children were married forcibly while 23 Vani cases of kids were also recorded.

Like the previous year, this year also there was no respite in the cases of violence against women. From January to March as many as 198 women were murdered, 82 raped, 27 murdered after rape and 18 gang-raped. As many as 247 women were tortured, 33 labelled as ‘Kari’ and 137 kidnapped. Twenty-two burn cases of women were also reported during the first three month of current year. One hundred and six women committed suicide, 123 braved police torture and 27 implicated in Hudood Zina cases. Twenty-one women were trafficked, 51 married forcibly and 30 women made Vani.

Punjab province took the lead with 346 cases of violence against children and 525 cases of violence against women. Sindh followed with 309 cases of violence against women and 269 against women. The cases of violence against women and children in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa remained 189 and 104, respectively, while 99 cases of violence against women and 61 cases against children were reported from Balochistan province. The less number of cases from Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa and Balochistan were due to low access of media to their far-flung areas ruled by tribal and feudal lords.

Madadgaar Helpline also recorded 705 cases of ‘male abuse’ during these three months. They include 253 cases of police encounters, 175 cases of police torture and 80 cases of professional killing. Other male abuse cases included 12 cases of Karo-kari, 79 suicides, 47 Hudood cases, 27 human trafficking cases and 33 death penalties.

Project Coordinator Zia Ahmed said Madadgaar helpline is a joint venture of Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) and UNICEF, working for the rights of women and children in Pakistan for more than a decade. He said unfortunately, the state of women and children rights in Pakistan is still miserable. He said in both rural and urban areas women and children face immense violence and abuse, as the State has failed to provide them due protection. He said poverty, illiteracy, corruption and bad governance are the main causes of growing violence against women and children. He warned that without addressing these root-causes this menacing issue would stay to pester millions of women and children for years to come.

Awan said the government, civil society, judiciary, political parties and media have to play their due role in improving the lot of women and children, the two most vulnerable sections of Pakistan society. He regretted this important human rights issue has so far dealt with hollow slogans and political eyewash. He demanded firm political will and solid actions to improve the situation. He said if we want to see Pakistan as a civilized, democratic and prosperous society, we cannot afford ignoring the rights of women and children.