Trauma and violence: Experts identify reasons behind rising rape incidents in the society

Participants stress educational reforms to address the menaces of patriarchal mindset.

KARACHI:

Rape incidents against children is the worst form of collateral damage of the menace of extremism and the lack of proper education, said human rights' activists, artists and doctors at Karachi Press Club on Saturday.

They demanded immediate educational reforms to eliminate the patriarchal mindset and mullahism in the society. Addressing a press conference, Aurat foundation Resident Director Mehnaz Rehman, noted philanthropist and doctor Shershah Syed, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) president Dr Idress Edhi, Dr Nighat Shah and artist Sheema Kermani urged the nation to unite against the injustices meted out to women and children.

Dr Syed urged the media to play its due role to counter the growing incidents of violence against women and children.



"The government should establish a body like the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee comprising members of the civil society and the media to keep check on child rape cases," he demanded. A powerful and resourceful body that deals exclusively with rape and sexual crimes should be set up and it should be given judicial powers to bring the culprits to the book.

The members of the body should act like a rapid response force to apprehend the accused, he added.

Rehman said that extremist were involved in the violation of human rights, adding that now we are going to hold talks with them. "Rape and other abuses against women and children are against enlightened values and these incidents are the worst form of collateral damage of extremism," she opined, adding that such incidents have been on the rise since the era of former dictator Ziaul Haq. "Such extremist mindset should be dealt with strictly and freedom should be given to all human beings, including women, so that the society could progress."



Kermani said that on October 11, when the world was celebrating International Day of the Girl, a 15-year-old college girl was abducted and raped by a rickshaw driver in Karachi.

"There are a number of such cases, but sometimes parent keep silent for the future of their daughters. The cases we see in the media represent just the tip of the iceberg," she added.

The artist was of the view that through the media the extremists were just trying to reinforce their own thought.

The PMA president said such incidents had deep psychological impact on the victims and their parents. Such tragedies discouraged parents from sending their children to school.

"Our seminaries, schools and mosques have failed to civilise the society, but now we are reforming our education on modern lines," he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2013.