Gender-based violence: 8,539 women reported torture in 2011

‘Hundreds of cases take place everyday but are not reported’.

BAHAWALPUR:

“As many as 8,539 women in Pakistan were tortured in 2011…a 6.74 per cent increase from 2011,” District Coordinator Razia Malik said on Saturday.

She was speaking at a press conference organised by the Cholistan Development Authority, Bahawalpur in connection with the International Campaign Against the Torture of Women starting from November 25.

She said violence against women had increased in Pakistan. “Illegal arrests, in-custody torture, physical and mental torture, sexual harassment, karokari, verbal abuse and early marriages are all forms of abuse women in Pakistan have to go through,” she said.

The district officer said 8,000 cases of violence against women were registered in 2010. “Incidents of sexual harassment have increased by 48.65…acid attacks have increased by 37.5 per cent,” she said.



Malik said 6,745 cases of honour killing were registered in 2010 and 2011. She said 911 of them were not reported and there is no available information about 883.

“Most unregistered cases of violence against women took place in Sindh where 605 cases were not registered and there is no information available on 316.”

“Hundreds of cases take place everyday but they are not reported…the government however has passed a law to protect the rights of women,” she said. The International Campaign against the Torture of Women, represented in 145 countries around the world, will go on till December 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2013.