1,321 incidents of violence against women
ISLAMABAD – A total number of 1,321 incidents of violence against women occurred in the country during the first quarter of 2008, says a report launched here on Friday.
The report compiled by the Aurat Foundation on the situation of Violence Against Women (VAW) in Pakistan possesses the statistics of violence incidents from January to March 2008. Minister for Women Development Sherry Rehman was the chief guest on the event.
Speaking on the occasion, she said VAW was a big issue internationally and it was across the class divide. “The bill on elimination of domestic violence has been moved to the ministry of law. All the stakeholders will have consultations on it and it will be processed through a democratic procedure”.
The report says, “VAW is continuing to increase at an alarming pace and unfortunately nothing concrete is being done to stop these gruesome violations of women’s fundamental rights to life, security and freedom to make independent choices in private and public arenas”.
Out of total 1,322 cases of VAW in Pakistan, 366 cases of murder, 90 cases of honour killings, 25 cases of attempt to murder, 246 cases of abduction, 179 cases of hurt and body injury were reported during January to March 2008, said Naeem Mirza from Aurat Foundation. He further told that 119 cases of domestic violence and 66 women committed suicide because of gender related issues and the figures are just tip of the ice burg.
The percentage of the cases of murder of women is the highest among the reported cases that is 27.7 percent followed by the abduction of women 18.6 percent, hurt or body injury 13.5 percent, domestic violence 9 percent, honour killing 6.8 percent, rape/gang rape 6 percent, suicide 5 percent, offences of miscellaneous nature 4.3 percent, sexual assault 2.6 percent, attempt to murder 1.9 percent, custodial violence 1.8 percent, and burning/acid throwing cases 1.4 percent.
Nearly 99 percent perpetrators of the incidents of VAW were male, either relative or non-relative disclosed the report. And in most of the incidents of murder of women, the motives were accusations of “illicit” sexual relations, domestic quarrels, blood feuds, land disputes, lure of property and personal enmity.
Source: The Nation
Date:6/7/2008
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