Females Abused In Rural Pakistan? ... It Must Be The Water!

There was a lack of acceptability of gender 

based legislation by state institutions.

Rural women suffer greater abuse than urban women

Published: December 7, 2011

Express Tribune LAHORE: 

Women in rural areas suffer greater abuse and violence as compared to women in urban areas, Dr Samia Amjad of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) said at a gender based violence seminar on Wednesday.

Dr Amjad while addressing the seminar said the state must formulate a strategy to tackle with abuse of women in rural areas.

The Department of Gender Studies in collaboration with the Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) had conducted a seminar titled ‘Gender based violence – Issues and Challenges’, marking 16 days of activism against gender based violence at the Punjab University.

Salman Abid, Regional Head of SPO which is a not for profit organisation working to strengthen and support community organisations, said that women friendly reforms were introduced in the administrative structure of state institutions.

He added that gender discrimination should be abolished in order to ensure enforcement of laws securing women rights.

Mehnaz Rafi of the PML-Q said that despite legislation to protect women against gender based discrimination, they were not enforced because of a lack of acceptability by state institutions. She added that in order to completely abolish gender based violence there was a need to promote a dialogue between parliamentarians and state institutions.

Professor Raana Malik and Dr Samar Fatima from the Department of Education, Punjab University also spoke at the seminar.