Statement submitted by Sahkar Social Welfare Association, a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council [E/CN.6/2019/NGO/29]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
United Nations
E
/CN.6/2019/NGO/29
Economic and Social Council
Distr
.: General
19 November 2018
Original: English
18
-
19645 (E)
141218
*1819645*
Commission on the Status of Women
Sixty
-
third session
11
22
March 2019
Follow
-
up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and
to the twenty
-
third special session of the General Assembly
entitled
Women 2000: gender equality, development and
peace for the twenty
-
first century
Statement submitted by Sahkar So
cial Welfare Association
, a
non
-
governmental organization in consult
ative status with the
Economic and Social Council
*
The Secretary
-
General has received the following statement, which is being
circulated in accordance with paragraphs 36 and 37 of Economic and Social Council
resolution 1996/31.
*
The present statement is issued without formal editing.
 
E/CN.6/2019/NGO/29
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Statement
Wom
en in Pakistan; Gender Gap and Honor killings
Pakistan is a developing country and came into being in 1947 as a new Muslim
state, but civilization first developed in the Indus river valley around 3,000 BC (before
Christ) in present Pakistan. The populati
on of Pakistan is about 190 million and more
than half part of its people live in rural and backward areas. Pakistan has two genres
of laws
sharia and civil law. Constitution of the country categorizes equality between
women and men, but despite that setb
ack, in Sindh, there are spreading the honour
crimes, dowry system, marriages of women with holy Book, child marriages and
forced marriages still remain, sale and purchase of a woman and the giving girls or
women to marry in the shape of compensation to th
e victim
s family. In rural Sindh,
people mostly purchase a woman in the shape of marriage to use her for sowing and
harvesting of agriculture and rearing of livestock. There are several strict and brutal
societal rites in Pakistan which are not only taint
on the name of humankind but also
are against the teaching of Islam where the religion prohibits the likes of these actions.
Furthermore, behind these treacherous acts different offenses has also been
commonly committed as acid throwing on the faces of wo
men. In fact, the woman
could not get a position which should have to be owned by her. According to database
of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan there were 987 cases of honour killings
with 1096 females and 88 males of whom at least 170 were minors.
The above cases
reported by The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan which have observed through
various forms of their sources while unreported cases were silent alarming than above
figure.
Honour killings
There are a couple words of
honour killing
(
Karo Kari) means homicide of a
woman and or a man, if any girl or woman caught or labelled with any male in
objectionable position, then she (kari) and her co
-
accused (karo) will be killed by her
family or community. Even though a woman can prove that she
is a victim of rape
cases, ultimately she may be killed by her family in the name of honour and they are
proud of what they did.
H
onour killings are a tough tradition in a tribal antiquated
community that is experienced for centuries. According to the his
torians they claim
that honour killing tradition in Pakistan originated with many Baloch tribes of
Balochistan and spread to other communities as they migrated to different parts of the
Pakistan in the 17th century while Arab progenies migrated to settle i
n Balochistan.
The Sindhi nation has adopted honour killings from a culture of Baloch tribes. As per
the report of The United Nations Population Fund, all around the world about 5000
women and girls are killed annually in honour killings and out of the fig
ure
approximately, 1000 women are killed in Pakistan per year. It shows clearly that 20
per cent of the total figure of honour killings occur in Pakistan.
Women rights in Islam
Prior to Islam, women were extremely worsened and depriving of their rights
and independence by the society and treating women as second
-
class citizens. Quran
and Hadiths declared the respect and honour of women in the religion. The Quran
says;
And for w
omen are rights over men, similar to those of men over women.
(Qur
an 2:228). Holy prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said,
Among you the most
respectable is the one who respects women and the most disrespectable is the one who
disrespect the women.
 
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Gender Ga
p in Sindh
Sindh province has rich resources, but still stands with a high rate of
unemployment, maternal mortality, female illiteracy and gender inequality.
According to recent annual gender gap report by World Economic Forum (WEF)
Pakistan ranked 144 o
ut of 145, second last in world gender equality. Although,
women of Pakistan have earned the Oscar awards and Nobel Prizes, unfortunately,
the country rank is increasing to bottom on the Index of gender gap.
Education in rural areas of Sindh
Illiteracy
is the main role to increase the honour crimes and gender inequality,
approximately there is half population of the male is illiterate and two third population
of female cannot write even their names specially who are living in rural areas is
upsetting. Am
ong the world Pakistan is listed as one of the lowest literacy rates, as
per data of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), which reported that Pakistan is listed at 160th in all countries of the
world and there is 5
5 per cent. There is an alarming situation in Pakistan
s rural areas,
especially in rural of Sindh where the female literacy rate is between five to 15 per
cent and in various areas the education of girls is banned by their family on cultural
and religious
grounds. A common practice observed in this area is mainly witnessed
amongst old
-
age persons who marry teenage girls.
O
wing to unmatched relationships,
and lack of trust, men are very suspicious of their young wives leading to cases of
torture in efforts
to keep them (wives) under control.
Faislos and Jirgas System (Informal Justice system)
Most cases of honour crimes are jointly settled between complainants and
respondents in the courts and or in Faislos / Jirgas. Hereafter, a Faislo or Jirga is fixed
up through reps of both groups and lead by the local tribal chief, Wadera or Sardar
then a man or boy who has been proved a guilty in the case he has to pay compensation
for his life to be secure. While the complainants commonly relatives of the victims,
t
hey excuse the respondent due to compensation and force of their relatives, Wadera
and Sardar (Landlord).
Furthermore, the major cause of female victims to avoid for reporting their
incidents is the ill
-
mannered attitude by the police, lawyers and prose
cutors who
would ask shameful interrogations and clear details during the prosecutions usually
held in open trials. In the other hand, pressure and attitude of the community are also
one of the few reasons to sidestep the cases to report.
Conclusion
Th
e statement concludes that honour killings remains an unsettled matter as the
current rules and their implementation have unsuccessful to stop the crime that
continues still without any fear, in this situation, there is difficult for women to
receive justi
ce owing to the existing system of Law and Tribes. Faisla and Jarga
system (non
-
formal justice system) permits local leaders to create decisions based on
their knowledge and local trend and traditions. On the other hand, the concepts of
honour (gairat) and
aboriginal council system (wadera and sardari nizam) often
hushes victims of the crimes. The world has to keep an eye on the said system.