Pakistan sees surge in offences against women in 2021

The News International reported citing data that most of the cases of rape in the country happened in Punjab province, whereas cases, such as honour killing of women and burning them, emerged from Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

Giving reasons for the escalating abuses and offences against women, Afzal Shigri, former IGP Sindh, explained to this correspondent that due to increased education and awareness among the women, they are asserting their rights and challenging the male dominance that is facing resistance by the established norms in the country, as per the newspaper.

In 2021, Punjab province received the highest number of complaints contributing up to 71 per cent of the total complaints that the authorities received from all over Pakistan. In Sindh, total number of 6,842 offences were reported to the Women Protection Cell in the same year, whereas, 2,766 complaints were made by women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

A total of 540 complaints of criminal offences like rape, murder and kidnapping, 1,939 complaints related to the inheritance of property, 3,481 cases of domestic violence, 3,571 complaints of harassment and 1,790 complaints regarding the family issues were made by the women to the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women in the past year. Other complaints that were made in Punjab by the women were regarding their education and health, which were 12,975, The News International reported.

According to the information given by the Women Protection Cell, Sindh, reported a total of 6,842 cases of violence against women. Around 142 women were raped in 2021 in Sindh only, according to the data shared by the Women Protection Cell.

Notably, the annual report of State of Human Rights in Pakistan released by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) for the year 2020 had set alarm bells ringing over the plight of women in the country. (ANI)