The ceremony was organised by Mehergarh, on Monday. Notable participants included Chairperson Law and Justice Committee Nasim Akhtar Chaudhry, Vice-Chancellor of the Karakorum International University Dr Najma Najam, Executive Director Interactive Resources Centre Muhammad Waseem, and Waseem Hashmi from Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Despite the fact that Pakistan was the first country in South Asia to declare sexual harassment a crime and has the required legal and institutional mechanisms, it remains a challenge to implement the anti-harassment laws. The main reason for this is the country’s patriarchal society, which is further strengthened by feudalism.
As incidents of sexual harassment continue to rise, the victims remain silent because of insecurity and fear of being stigmatised. The booklet seeks to address this by highlighting several moving stories of women students, documented from all over the country.
“The purpose of the study was to get a quick sense of the level and kind of harassment that is a common phenomenon in our educational institutions,” said the author.
According to the research, the most prevalent types of sexual harassment came in the form of staring, touching, standing too close, sharing vulgar jokes and sexual invitations by teachers, staff and students.
When a man’s offer of friendship or marriage is turned down, he typically retaliates by launching a defamatory rumour campaign against the woman. Most of this “character assassination” is executed via mobile text messages or friends.
“Character assassination is one of the easiest and worst ways in which a male student can harass a female student. It really kills her,” remarked Dr Najam.
To curb this menace, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has directed universities to initiate anti-harassment policies based on certain guidelines.
Nasim Akhtar Chaudhry was of the opinion that there should be no concept of male and female and everyone should be treated equally with equal opportunities to move forward. “If any female in our country becomes a victim of sexual harassment, she should fight and get her harasser punished instead of feeling embarrassed and ashamed,” she advised.
According to Waseem Hashmi, the ratio of female workers at HEC was growing every day, which is appreciable and motivating.
On the occasion, Pakistan’s first web TV, Maati.tv, was also launched. It seeks to provide youth a platform where they can share their views on social issues.
University: the woman’s experience
Being invisible doesn’t help
Fauzia, a timid and introverted lady from Sindh, took up a research position in a laboratory at the university she graduated from. She often had to stay late to finish her work. One day, while she was alone in the lab, a professor offered to help her search for some information online. She accepted the offer. The professor opened a pornographic website. Shocked, she turned away from the monitor. Later, the same professor filled her USB memory stick with pornographic material. She could not file a complaint as no mechanism for it existed. She continues to face harassment from the professor.
Acting normally not allowed
Sarah thinks that the two years she spent at a “good university” in K-P were “hell”. Her friendly, though decent, attitude toward men quickly degenerated into her getting invitations for “special friendships”. This forced her to back off, and the men reacted by spreading heinous rumours about her. A sympathetic teacher counseled her for while, eventually proposing to her himself. When she refused, he did not take it very well and gave the male students a license to humiliate her. Sarah finished her degree with very low scores.
Politics, romance or studies
Saima, from Balochistan, was one of the first girls in her family to be allowed to study at a university. A certain professor, who was considered a hero by the other students, began to take special interest in her. Eventually, he started reciting romantic poetry in her presence, to her utter displeasure. She started missing her dreaded classes. Soon afterwards, the professor started making physical advances. A male student from her tribe witnessed this one day and news reached her village. She was married to the professor to avoid the family’s “disgrace” and a potential tribal blood-feud.
Impact of pornography
Saiqa, a young and ambitious girl from Punjab, went to study at a university in the province’s largest city, despite her parents’ reservations. One evening, while she was returning to her hostel after taking a class, a male student intercepted her and pulled her to one side. He showed her a pornographic film that he was watching on his laptop. When she protested, he tried to rape her. She managed to loosen his hold and ran. Feeling totally violated, she left the university. She is now married and never thinks of studying or working again.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2011.
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