Sindh reports over 800 cases of crime against woman in 6 months

As many as 837 women and minor girls in Sindh were subjected to murder, rape, kidnapping, honor killings, domestic violence, forced marriages, and conditions that compelled them to suicide in the first six months of 2024, according to the Hari Welfare Association (HWA). These statistics were shared during a press conference at the Hyderabad Press Club on Thursday.

HWA President Akram Ali Khaskheli reported that from January to June 2024, there were 174 cases of suicide, 118 murders, 63 honor killings, 140 abductions, 125 rapes, 68 incidents of domestic violence, 13 forced marriages, six child marriages, and three acid attacks against women. The majority of these cases were reported in the Sukkur and Larkana divisions, largely due to inadequate enforcement of women's protection laws.

Khaskheli criticised the police in these districts for their indifference toward crimes involving women and noted that such human rights violations often remain underreported in these regions. Matiari district-based Latif Hariyani Mazdoor Trade Union President Husna Chand, expressed concern that the Sindh Bonded Labour System Abolition Act, 2015, the Sindh Tenancy Act, 1955, and other protective laws are not being enforced. She claimed that district vigilance committees established under the Abolition Act, 2015, are failing to prevent forced labour.

Trade unionist Marvi Gambhir reported that female agricultural workers earn between Rs500 and Rs700 per day but often work under harsh and health-damaging conditions. She also highlighted that the Sindh Agriculture Women Workers Act of 2019, like other protective laws, has yet to be effectively implemented.

Present on the occasion, Union leader Jamul Malokhani criticised the police and bureaucracy for protecting the interests of feudal lords, who are often responsible for human rights violations in their areas. Khaskheli and other activists called for the strict enforcement of all laws designed to protect farm workers, particularly women.