Women have been suffering at the hands of men for far too long. The recent gang rape of a mother on the motorway in Punjab is unfortunately just the tip of the iceberg. Lest we forget the cases of Mukhtaran Mai, Kainat Soomro, Shazia Khalid and little Zainab, let me help you visualise the magnitude of the problem through numbers: only in the first 60 days of 2020, Lahore alone reported over 73 cases of rape, 93% of Pakistani women experience some form of sexual assault in their lifetime, and over 50,000 women continue to be killed in cases of domestic violence across the counter every year. We must remain cognizant of the fact that in a society like ours a multitude of cases go unreported. Hence, even these statistics and not entirely representative of our harsh reality.
If the figures above appalled you the slightest bit, I urge you to do more than just share posts and pass your two cents only when some horrific incident comes to light. I urge you to understand how you are unintentionally a part of the problem. I urge you to use the privilege you have on account of being a man for some good. I urge you to change yourself before anything else. I urge you to amplify the voices women are raising to call for an end to this oppression. I urge you to relinquish your self-proclaimed superiority. I urge you to un-learn ideas of male dominance and every sexist trait that this society has inculcated in you. I urge you to be more proactive in our fight against patriarchy. I urge you to break your silence. I understand your hesitation in overthrowing a system that has been built to benefit you and only you, but I urge you to join the side of humanity. I urge you to do more.
Fatimah Arif
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, Septe0mber 13th, 2020.
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