According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, around 800 women became victims of ‘honour’ killings in the country in 2010 alone. This figure only accounts for the killings that were reported in the media; there may be hundreds more that were not exposed and hence go uncounted.

The findings of the Thomson Reuters Foundation suggest that up to 90 percent of Pakistani women are subjected to domestic violence in one form or the other. This makes Pakistan the third most dangerous country for women to live in after Afghanistan and the Congo. These facts may not be new but they are jarring just the same. Terrible cases of the mutilation of women to settle scores frequently come to light. In some sections of the media, there are new reports of such horrendous acts almost every day.

Nearly fifty percent of the country’s population cannot continue to live in such a wretched condition. Solutions need to be found in order to set things right. The answers lie in empowering women by ensuring they receive an education and creating employment opportunities for them. Studies have shown that when women bring money into households, their status improves quite dramatically. More innovative solutions are also needed, such as an effort to change curricula at schools and alter the image of women depicted in them. This may hold the key to altering mindsets and making Pakistan a better place for women to live and work in as equal citizens.
Source: The News
Date:8/18/2011