The rising number of rape incidents in the country is a testament to the deteriorating law and order situation in the Land of the Pure. The media is flooded with stories about how susceptible young women are baited under the pretext of marriage or employment and then raped. Quite a few are lured by men befriended on social media. Poverty coupled with rising unemployment and frustration are largely responsible for the exponential increase in crime and violence against women.
The motorway gang rape incident a couple of years ago created a furor on social media. In addition, victim shaming added fuel to the fire. There was widespread outrage and uproar that the victim was held responsible for what had transpired, rather than bringing the culprits to justice. Shaming the victim is a common occurrence and a compelling reason for sexual crimes not being reported. Those who muster up the courage to do so, have to suffer further anguish and emotional distress as the incident is recreated in minute detail when the victim is grilled and interrogated by the authorities.
According to reports, in a span of four years, Punjab recorded 21,900 rape cases, averaging 12 assaults per day or one every two hours, while the convictions are merely around 0.2%. Most of the sexual crimes against women are never reported due to the stigma attached to them and the dishonor it would bring to the family. Recently, there was a case of two sisters who set their father on fire for raping them repeatedly. According to a statistic, the majority of sexual crimes (82% to be exact) are committed against women by men whom they know or trust, usually fathers, brothers, or close family members.
Women who have the courage to report such crimes should be facilitated and assisted. The conviction rate will only increase if more women are encouraged to report such crimes and laws are formulated to expedite justice
Very few are reported and even fewer are convicted. The reprisal and backlash as a consequence of reporting the crime to the authorities is another reason for cases not being filed or documented. As mentioned, the cross-questioning the woman is subjected to is another factor, and the majority also refuse to have a medical examination done. However, if women refuse to speak up due to fear or the stigma attached to it, this will further embolden the males, and sexual crimes against women will increase exponentially.
Rape is nothing but a way to exert control over the fairer sex. Since the conviction rate is dismally low, the majority does not report it. If they do, they are generally blamed and shamed and held responsible for it in a large number of cases. The deep-seated misogyny and the patriarchal mindset where women are seen as inferior beings and treated as children of a lesser God are also responsible for the increasing cases of sexual violence against women.
Revenge rape is another barbaric practice where women are sexually abused to avenge a rape committed by a male sibling. Village councils in the south of Punjab presided over by influential landlords are notorious for encouraging such brutal and regressive practices which only serve to underscore the inferior status of women. Will we ever see a change? That depends.
Changing mindsets is an uphill and arduous task. There are no quick fixes or instant remedies and change requires time, persistence and patience. The laws in this country have to be strictly enforced and rapists should be dealt with in a befitting manner. The reprisal should be swift and decisive. Women who have the courage to report such crimes should be facilitated and assisted. The conviction rate will only increase if more women are encouraged to report such crimes and laws are formulated to expedite justice.
The status of women needs to be elevated in society and practices like revenge rape abolished. The male member of the family who violates the modesty of another woman should be caned in public and an example made out of him. Laws to suppress such medieval and primitive practices should be enforced and strictly implemented with zero relief or relaxation for the offenders.
Will this ever be done? A gargantuan task, no doubt. The stigma around rape needs to be removed for which a change in mindset is needed. Women need to be educated and made aware of their rights rather than named and shamed for sexual violence. Rape is solely about control; in fact, marital rape is also a way to subjugate and suppress women. By stripping them of their rights and allowing the offenders to walk away scot-free, the state is abetting and aiding the perpetrators of sexual crimes. There is no magic remedy and never will be but with time, effort, persistence and patience, sexual crimes against women will witness a drop, making it a safer society for them.