In response to a sharp rise in the number of recorded occurrences of sexual assault on women and children, the Punjab province of Pakistan has decided to declare an “emergency.”
The government is exploring additional steps to deal with such situations, according to Punjab Home Minister Atta Tarar, who stated that four to five rape occurrences are recorded daily in the province.
Rape Cases
During a press conference on Monday, Punjab Home Minister Atta Tarar stated that an increase in these instances was a significant concern for society and government authorities.
Geo News cited him as stating, “Four to five incidents of rape are being recorded daily in Punjab. Therefore, the administration is exploring additional means of addressing sexual harassment, abuse, and coercion.”
He said, “The administration has declared an emergency to deal with rape cases.
The minister said that the issue would be discussed with members of civil society, groups supporting women’s rights, educators, and lawyers. In addition, he asked parents to stress the value of safety to their kids.
A rape prevention campaign has been begun by the government. The accused have been imprisoned in some cases, and students are being discouraged from harassing each other in schools, according to Tarar.
The home minister said that now is the perfect moment for parents to get protective parenting training. He said that the government would quickly increase the number of DNA samples.
No Women Safety
In two weeks, he said, “a system on abuse would be introduced, lowering the incidence.
There is widespread violence against women in Pakistan, which affects all socioeconomic groups. Pakistan has been experiencing and fighting a gender violence epidemic.
According to the Global Gender Gap Index 2021 rankings, Pakistan ranks 153 out of 156 nations, barely ahead of Iraq, Yemen, and Afghanistan.
According to research in the International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS), Punjab recorded the most significant number of women in Pakistan over the past four years at 14,456.
Further, harassment and violence against women at work, as well as other types of discrimination against women, have significantly increased.
The Human Rights Ministry paper stated that “the 5,048 incidents of workplace harassment of women and violence against women documented in the country during 2018 were followed by 4,751 cases in 2019, 4,276 cases in 2020, and 2,078 cases in 2021.”
Following the opinions of human rights activists, attorneys, and survivors, IFFRAS stated that overlapping legal systems riddled with loopholes and profoundly ingrained sexism in the society work together to guarantee that women survivors of abuse are unlikely to receive justice.
Activist Nayab Gohar Jan observed that “the entire process from the moment a victim is harmed to when the police handle the case – and then by the court – keeps justice from being served.”
