'Law recognises marital rape, courts do not'

At Aurat March's baithak, activists condemn silence around marital rape

KARACHI:

Pakistan's rape laws include provisions against marital rape. However, the conviction rate remains a shameful zero percent - compared to a meagre five percent for other forms of rape. Advocate Sara Malkani shared these statistics during Aurat March's baithak "kya shaadi marital rape ka license hai?" held at Frere Hall.

The attendees - activists, survivor-advocates, legal experts, and community leaders - discussed the "brutal marital rape" of Shanti, which occurred four months ago and resulted in her death. "It is an example of what happens when societies view women as their husbands' property," participants remarked.

Feminist community leader from Lyari Najma Maheshwari shed light on the ongoing social and legal fight for justice in Shanti's case. She applauded Aurat March for bringing the case to public attention, which helped pave the way for the recent arrest of Dr Rauf, the doctor whose alleged medical negligence further diminished Shanti's already slim chances of survival.

Participants noted that gender-based violence affects women across society, but when the perpetrator is a spouse, such abuse is even less likely to be recognised. Deeply rooted social norms grant men ownership over their wives' bodies and choices - turning marriage into a space where women often lose even the most basic right to bodily consent.