THE myth that a woman’s clothes is in some way linked to the sex-related physical violence against her has long been disproved, yet it seems the prime minister still harbours this problematic view. Throughout a telethon where participants of the general public were invited to ask him inquiries, Imran Khan’s action to one caller was distressing. Though Mr Khan knocked crimes versus women and kids, his description that sexual violence is in some way a product of ‘profanity’– which he called a Western and also an Indian import– betrayed an ill-informed understanding of a very significant problem.
Not just did Mr Khan state that the prevalence of salacious practices has actually added to these criminal activities, he likewise implied that they can somehow be prevented if ladies observe purdah. In his words, purdah would reduce the lure of those who lack self-control. While he kept in mind that culture would have to advance to far better shield its ladies as well as kids, his factor seemed a lot more regarding restricting federal government responsibility than reforming male behavior. Mr Khan’s sights on this subject are shockingly insensitive as well as even hazardous to the ladies’s movement in the country.
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If the owner of the country’s highest possible office is mounting the story of sexual violence in a way that positions the responsibility of ‘doing more’ on females, it provides little hope that common people will uphold a broader and less misogynistic strategy. If the prime minister had actually involved with civil liberties lobbyists in the country to truly recognize ladies’s grievances, he would quickly understand that this mindset of relating rape with a lack of ‘modesty’ is the very symptom of victim-blaming that ladies battle versus.
Criticizing the increasing incidence of rape on Western influence is convenient, however Mr Khan must not fail to remember that females in the countries he criticizes for profanity and also high divorce prices have better securities and even more flexibilities than women in Pakistan. He must comprehend the fundamentals of women empowerment, and acknowledge that imposing an option is no assistance; the federal government must protect females no matter their options.
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