Why does a culture of impunity exist within our Pakistani society?
Definitions relating to rape culture, assault, female harassment etc center around a white, first-world Western perspective, but can be adopted to our third world Pakistani context as well. Rape culture is treating rape as something that happens because of where you were, or what you were wearing, or what time of the night it was. Rape culture is killing women because they were dancing or talking on a mobile phone, as a mobile phone serves no other purpose than facilitating women with loose morals who conduct affairs with men through the phone and bring shame to their family. Rape culture is throwing acid on a woman’s face because she refused your marriage proposal. Rape culture is victim blaming.
Rape culture is wrong.
There will never be a way to justify rape culture, but in actuality, rape culture is justified. It is justified by the excuse that Islam promotes modesty and has tasked men with protecting inferior women.
Just recently, a girl took to social media to raise her voice against harassment by a private cab driver. The girl who reported the incident, keeping her anonymity intact, narrated that the driver persistently tried to make ‘uncomfortable’ conversation with her in attempts to force her into answering personal questions that she refused to give heed to. Turning down the alleged victim’s requests of stopping the car, he parked the car miles away from her home in a remote location, saying, “if you’re that innocent, why do you get out of your house in the first place..”
https://www.facebook.com/FHMPakistan/videos/1307022806053869/
Rental and private car services have proven to be popular in Pakistan among many who want to travel safe, that is, until, reports of harassment and assault by drivers begin to emerge.
Stay safe girls. Stand up and raise your voice.
