Allah made human beings with equal rights irrespective of gender. Both men and women have same dignity, respect and treatment as defined in Islam. The Article One of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)" stated that "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."
Nowadays, incidents of malpractices against girls and women have been increasing. Cases of torture, rape, vani, karo-kari have been reported in the media. One recent case of vani was reported from Goth Jam Samejo of Daharki in Ghotki district, where a jirga gave verdict of handing over a 7-year-old orphan girl named Rabail as penalty to settle a dispute of just one acre of land.
Vani is a cultural custom wherein girls are compulsorily married as part of punishment for a crime committed by their male family members or to settle any dispute.
Just imagine for a second, how would you feel, if you are given to the rival party as penalty to settle dispute. One cannot bear the pain even for the seconds, but that young girl Rabail had to face it for her whole life. The young girl does not even know as to what is happening to her and how the cruel jirga system decided her fate.
The decision taken by jirga in Ghotki was shameless and is contrary not only to the teachings of Islam but also to Article 5 of UDHR, which stated that "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."
In different parts of the country, females continue to experience violence, inequality and injustice. Not only in remote areas but also in some urban localities, girls and women are not even given right to live according to their own wish and will. Despite having many laws and declarations, they cannot even claim their basic rights.
Such ill-practices like vani, also known as sawara, ultimately spoil the lives of women. These outdated customs are the result of disorder and mindsets of men, who treat women as commodity to settle down their disputes.
In the present era of modern technology and development, still many people behave like cave man by disgracing the women and snatching their basic rights. The irony of the fact is approximately fifty percent of such cases neither published in newspapers not flashed in the electronic media.
Even after mass awareness campaigns, seminars against the issue of 'Vani' and other ill practices, such incidents are happening and the culprits involved in these heinous crimes go unchecked.
Laws against violence and ill practices against women will no longer serve if there is no proper and effective implementation. This also needs educating and creating awareness amongst those sitting in power or making policies, so that these outdated customs can be eliminated from our society.
Pakistan is already having bad reputation in terms of human rights and now the increasing violence and injustices against women is adding bad name to it. Provision of all basic rights to the womenfolk is the next thing to discuss, but before all that, at least the women should be considered as human. Everyone should realize the fact that they also have their right to live.
This write-up has also been published in Online Indus News.
Below is the link:
