Violence against women doesn’t get nearly as much attention as other disasters in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province do, speakers noted at an event held here on Tuesday.
The event was organised at the Peshawar Press Club by Aurat Foundation in collaboration with Sungi Foundation and Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) titled ‘Movement against Violence Women and Children’.
The foundation also claimed a five per cent increase in domestic violence as compared to last year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 287 incidents reported in the last eight months.
Member Provincial Assembly Arif Yousaf was chief guest on the occasion while singers Mah Jabeen Qizalbash and Bakhtiar Khattak were also present at the event.
Awareness dramas were staged to discourage Swara, child marriage and violence against children and women. In the end, renowned singers Khattak and Qizalbash enthralled audience with their melodious voices.
Sharing the data regarding violence against women, AF Resident Director Shabina Ayaz said that 142 women were killed during the last eight months in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Of 142 murder cases, 37 were committed by husbands while 64 are unknown,” she said.
Besides, 32 cases of gang rape and rape were reported with 30 cases of suicide, 20 of child or early marriages and 20 cases of attempted rape, she said.
Most cases were reported from Peshawar with 104 incidents of violence, followed by Mardan with 35 cases, Swat with 31, Kohat with 14 and Mansehra with 11.
She said that almost all suicide cases were reported in Swat. The speakers criticised the legislators for their reluctance to make legislation banning domestic violence despite the fact that draft has been finalised.
The movement aimed to create awareness amongst the masses to stop violence against women and children. National Commission on Status of Women Member Sadia Qasim Shah stressed on legislation to ban domestic violence.
“Sindh and Punjab made legislations in this regard but KP is lagging behind,” she commented. Singer Bakhtiar Khattak said, “Don’t protect women, respect women.”
