DUBLIN:
Living as a woman in Pakistan means you have to constantly manoeuvre yourself through a hostile environment, but the past few weeks had been particularly traumatic. The gang-rape of a woman on a motorway in Lahore has once again reminded us that Pakistan is unsafe for women. Regrettably, our collective response has revealed why.
This woman was not raped because she was on a particular motorway at a specific time, she was raped because her assailant made a conscious decision to commit a brutal act of violence against her. Not only is blaming the victim simply cruel, alienating an individual who has had a grave act of violence committed against them, but it is also self-defeating. It is in our own best interests that we create an environment in which victims feel comfortable enough to come forward with their stories.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, in the midst of calls for a public execution, stated that he instead supports the idea of chemical or surgical castration in order to prevent international blowback. While this idea seems good on paper, it only targets those who have already committed sexual assaults. Calling for castration also negates the role that violence and power have in such incidents.
We should meet this moment with a much more thorough and honest attempt to examine how we view and participate in the treatment of women in our society and victims in our criminal justice system. A public execution would simply not be enough.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2020.
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