By Dr.Rakhshinda Perveen Founder /CEO creative anger by rakhshi www.creativeangerbyrakhshi.com

1. By Dr.Rakhshinda Perveen Founder /CEO creative anger by rakhshi www.creativeangerbyrakhshi.com Violence Against Women in Pakistan 2009A qualitative review of statistics by Aurat Foundation with the support of Trocaire (INGO)

2. The evening of the city of friends by Faiz-sham-e-shihr-e-yaran If my suffering found a tongue Mere dard ko jozuban mile • My suffering is a song unsung • my soul a speck without a seal • If my suffering found a tongue • My name and sign it would reveal. • If of my soul I found the sign • I would perceive the worlds design, • If this secret were in m y reach • My silence would acquire speech, • Sway over all created things • And the empire of both worlds be mine. • Mira dardhainaghma-e-be-sada • Mirizaatzarra be-nishan • Mire dard ko jozuban mile]mire zaat ka jonishan mile]mujhay raze-nazm-e-jahan mile • Mirikhamoshi ko bayan mile • Mujhekainaatkisarvari • Mujhaydaulat-e-do jahan mile

3. It gives us(Aurat foundation) no pleasureto present this qualitative review of statistics for Violence Against Women in Pakistan during 2009. The reported statistics are nothing but a true copy, only larger in size, of the earlier two reports in this series, prepared under our national programme of “Policy and Data Monitor on VAW”. Special thanks to friends,colleagues ,activists in the government and civil society a very special thanks to Naeem Mirza, RabeaHadi and staff members from provincial offices of Aurat foundation

4. This national study is a compilation of the four • regional reports put together by our four provincial offices. All five offices of the Aurat Foundation collected the statistics on VAW in Pakistan during the 2009 calendar year from January to December. Not only all the four provinces – Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa and Balochistan– were covered but data was collected for Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) as well.

5. Structure & format • Beginning- context • Body- facts & figures • End- conclusions? Challenges? Way forward

7. 2009 has been another tragic year for women rights in Pakistan. Many cases have been reported, in which women were abducted, assaulted, raped, murdered, forced to marriage or traded to resolve disputes. a total of 8,548 incidents of violence against women were reported.

8. Life is a stage and we all are actors And Men are Perpetrators-in their role-always? Frequently? Regularly?

9. Reported cases= tip of the iceberg Reality is still veiled in the name of honour,cultuure,religion,laws or absence of laws…………………………

10. Speaking numbers? –Silent numbers? Pakistan ANNUAL REPORTED CASES • Punjab • Sindh • Baluchistan • Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (KP) • Islamabad Capital • Territory(ICT) • 5722 cases • 1762 cases • only 237 cases surfaced • only 655 cases were reported • 172

11. Violence against women during or after armed conflicts KP & Balochistan Khyber Pakhtunkhawa • Both these provinces have a tradition of forced marriages, ‘honour’ killing and a high cultural premium placed on securing vendettas. The tradition of exchange marriages in Balochistan and bridal selling in KP are well known. • Over and above this context, Khyber Pakhtunkhawa saw the biggest internal migration in the history of Pakistan in May 2009 when some 2.5 million people were forced to flee for their life from Swat, Dir . and Buner when a military operation against extremists got under way. • ,these Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) lived in camps and host communities for nearly three months. • Hence the observation that VAW remains grossly under reported in Pakistan.

12. Data shows • “murder” and “'honour' killing” of women to be the most prevalent form of VAW in Pakistan. • Abductions and kidnappings of women are also rampant. • Rape and gang-rape has also registered an upward trend. • Domestic violence remains a serious and widespread problem. • Only 50 cases of stove burning forming 0.58% of the total reported cases in 2009 indicate a reduction of 18% percent of the preceding year. • However, acid throwing has increased substantially • Na savalevaslnaarzayghamnahikaiitainnashikaitain • Tireyehadmeindilezar k sabhiikhtiaarchalaygaiyee

13. Categories/forms of VAW YEAR 2008 YEAR 2009 • ABDUCTION-1784 • MURDER-1422 • DOMESTIC VIOLENCE-281 • SUICIDE-599 • “HONOUR” KILLING-475 • RAPE/GANG RAPE.778 • SEXUALASSAULT-172 • ACID THROWING-29 • BURNING/STOVE.61 • MSC-1,970 • NET=7,571 • ABDUCTION-1987 • MURDER-1384 • DOMESTIC VIOLENCE-608 • SUICIDE-683 • “HONOUR” KILLING-604 • RAPE/GANG RAPE-928 • SEXUALASSAULT-274 • ACID THROWING-53 • BURNING/STOVE-50 • MSC-1977 • NET=8548

14. TOP 15 DISTRICTS-VAW DISTRICT DISTRICT • LAHORE • FAISALABAD • SARGODHA • RAWALPINDI • PESHAWAR • GUJRANWALA • SHEIKHIPURA • SUKKUR • MULTAN 10.KASUR 11.JACOBABAD 12.LARKANA 13.ISLAMABAD 14.VEHARI 15.TOBATEKSINGH

17. Breakdown of VAW cases Punjab Sindh • 1698= abduction • 1220=msc • 786=rape…. • 752=murder • 448=suicide • 271=Domestic violence(DV) • 245= ghairat/honour killings • 227=sexual assault • 42=acid throwing • 33=stove burning • 535=msc • 228=murder • 284=ghairat/honour killings • 176=suicide • 160= = abduction • 134=DV • 122=rape • 44=227=sexual assault • 10=stove burning • 09=acid throwing

18. Breakdown of VAW cases Baluchistan KP • 88=msc. • 59= = ghairat/honour killings • 39=murder • 22=dv • 13=abduction • 10=suicide • 04=rape • 01=sexual assault • 01=stove burning • 266=Murder • 163=dv • 93=msc • 43=suicide • 07=rape • 04=stove burning • 01=acid throwing

19. CAUSES • ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Silence on violence • Policy inaction • Under reporting • Elite consensus ????????????????????????????????

20. Age wise distribution • In the total number of 8,548 cases of VAW were recorded from all over Pakistan, the number of victims or survivors was reported to be 9,743 in 2009. However, there was no information available about the age of some 6,336 victims in the reported cases of VAW. An analysis of the data available showed that of these, 1,663 women victims fell in the age group up t1,123 women were in the between 19 to 36 o 18 years. Another years age group. The remaining 621 women were all 37 years or above in age.

21. FIR Status of cases of VAW • According to compiled data, FIRs were registered only in 113 cases reported by the media. No FIRs were registered against 63 reported cases and as many as 61 cases had no on their FIR status during 2009. The case of Baluchistan

22. FIR Status of cases of VAW • Although some 8548 cases of VAW were reported from all over Pakistan, yet only 5996 cases were formally registered with the police. Formal registration entails a “First Information Report” or FIR that forms the basis for prosecution. This number has been computed based upon media reports excluding cases where registration of FIR was not reported. These reports or ‘crime stories’ appearing in the newspapers informed that 1154 cases out of the total 8548 were not registered with the police. • No evidence was found in media coverage on the FIR status of the remaining 1398 cases.

23. Marital Status of Victims/Survivors • The 8548 cases reported from all over Pakistan recorded crimes against 9743 victims. There was no information given on the marital status of 1471 victims of reported VAW crimes in Pakistan during 2009. • Excluding these, 4,215 victim women were married and 3,868 were unmarried. Some 145 women were widows while 44 were divorcees

24. Change is the way forward victim survivor

25. For Women and girls violence must not be a norm Strive for a society where VAW/Girls is not endemic Not socially and morally endorsed And ignored legally

26. Way forward

27. Dreams are not negotiable(Paulo Coehlo) Dream of a society where people (women and men) are recognized because of their strengths and not because of their power, physical attributes or class. Alas! It`s not an ideal world but there is no harm & loss in striving for a society characterized by gender harmony.