- India
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How have womens rights in Pakistan changed after world attention on Pakistan gangrape victim Mukhtar Mai and global outrage after wide viewership of videos of the Taliban administering vigilante justice (allegedly on a teenage girl and then on a young couple)?
Its a question with no easy answers,says Pakistani journalist and filmmaker Beena Sarwar,who has extensively covered womens rights in Pakistan. Sarwar was in the Capital to showcase documentaries on Pakistani women.
Mukhtar Mai,a low caste Pakistani woman gangraped for honour in 2002,became an international poster-woman for justice and gender equality. (A few weeks ago,Mukhtar chose to get married,becoming the second wife of a policeman). Despite all the unprecendented world attention,changes have to come within Pakistan,Sarwar says.
International attention on the rape victim Mukhtar Mai,who fought a courageous battle to get justice did help her. But on the whole,the world watching videos of the Taliban or condemning Mukhtars rapist has led to no change. Often,the world gaze tends to overlook social contexts of the case. There isnt a sense of empathy for the victims,mostly an attitude,Oh,this happens in Pakistan and a lot of Islam bashing. People in Pakistan look at these issues as bringing a bad name to Pakistan. Religious leaders barely ever speak out against them. Pakistan needs to get its own laws sorted out for itself, she says.
One of Beenas films focusses on the Hudood Ordinance,an ordinance first brought in under the late president Zia-ul-Haq which punishes adultery,but which also makes rape charges difficult to prove.
The ordinace does not allow woman witnesses. It often overlooks rape as adultery,also allowing women to be stoned or flogged to death. Though some recent changes have been brought to this ordinance,there is still a long way to go, she says.
Political climate is such in Pakistan,that there are no easy victories for women,she argues. For instance,the reinstating of the Pakistans Chief Justice was looked at by many as a major civil victory. Its strange that many of the groups lobbying for reinstating judges are right wing. These were groups led by Jamaat-e-Islami,Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan. The Jamaat-e-Islami has recently said they will support the Taliban. So are these the people who are likely to stand up for womens rights? she asks.
But Mukhtar Mai did become a beacon for women,especially now that the Taliban is increasing its sphere of influence in Pakistan. Sarwars documentary tracks a young woman who walks two kilometres everyday to teach in the school opened by Mukhtar,after being encouraged by Mukhtars courage. Mukhtar got married weeks ago,to the discomfort of some feminists all over the world who thought she had regressed into the system. Sarwar does not agree.
Mukhtar did not elect to be a torch bearer for feminism. She has married a man seven years younger to her after signing an agreement with him saying he would also take care of his first wife. She is challenging norms in her own way. We have to understand that ultimately,change for women in Pakistan needs to come through the judicial and political system,and not through an individual.