- Sexual harassment too can be misused
Who could have imagined that he was holding such a gigantic volcano of depression that would explode someday and destroy his life? Muhammad Afzal was a young lecturer of English in Govt MAO College Lahore. He was falsely accused of sexual harassment by one of his female students over grading issues. An inquiry committee was formed that absolved him of all charges. He was verbally communicated his innocence, but that was not enough. The damage was already inflicted on his soul. His character and reputation were already tarnished to a level that nobody was willing to buy his verbal narrative. People’s murmurs and piercing eyes haunted him at every corner and hit him like bullets in the skull. His wife left him, and mother was also cynical about his morals. He rightfully wanted a written proof of his acquittal which he requested time and again. The institution was supposed to inform him in writing within a month of the inquiry, but he didn’t get a reply even after three months. Finally, he sought peace in killing himself by consuming a toxic substance.
Who to blame for the suicide of a fine gentleman – the treacherous girl or the recklessly insensitive government institution? Was the college principal too naïve to realize the consequences of this case? In this society of ours where honour and respect are valued more than anything else, where talking about sex-related matters is a taboo, where being involved in sexual offenses is taken as more ignominious than committing murders– how could the college administration overlook the sensitivity of the matter and hold back the inquiry report for three months? This is a serious breach of law and ethics that led to the killing of an innocent man from the lower-middle class who was the only breadwinner for his family. This warrants the accountability and punishment of officials responsible for negligence.
naïve brains fail to understand that #MeToo is an effective platform for the weak and unheard women in the remote corners of the world. There are countless cases in which women raised their voices, got noticed by the respective authorities and were served with justice. #MeToo is a tool; it can be used positively as well as in an evil way, but mostly it serves its real purpose
Despite the abuse and misuse of laws, there is absolutely no denial of the fact that sexual harassment at workplaces is a genuine problem all over the world. In Pakistan, this menace is more frightening due to the highly patriarchal nature of our society. A very low proportion of women can work, particularly in a mixed-gender environment. On the other hand, sexual frustration in general sometimes triggers unwelcome sexual advances by male co-workers. Our society is a unique blend of religious and tribal conservatism and Western cultural invasion. So, while there are generally very few women in workplaces, it is quite likely that they could be a victim of sexual harassment at some stage in life. Luckily, a good set of laws is available to address women’s complaints, but still, it’s not easy for women to report such cases due to the honour conundrum and then to prove them in the legal proceedings.
In Afzal’s case, the complainant girl fabricated stuff to take revenge for poor grades and framed him in sexual harassment that finally claimed his life. This is not the only case of a brutal counterfeit in Pakistan. Many cases have already been reported in which women make false accusations of harassment against their colleagues and ex-boyfriends only to settle scores and take revenge. While it hurt the very essence of the women protection laws as well as caused enormous mental trauma for the victims, it also backfired on the women– they lost all honour and bore a stain on their character that will haunt them their entire lives. It’s true that women generally gain sympathy, cooperation and benefit of the doubt considering the laborious task of producing evidence to support their claims in such cases, but it’s very sinister and malevolent to use such respectful concessions as a ‘woman card’. The system that protects and empowers women is the ultimate victim of such deceptions. It shatters confidence in the system and law, and women with genuine complaints suffer the most.
Some institutions recklessly handle sexual harassment complaints and form the inquiry committee immediately. They are either unaware of their responsibilities or they callously overlook the grave consequences of the decision. Law has the provision that the two parties can be made to sit together, have a dialogue and try to resolve the matter informally. Senior colleagues and mutual friends can be brought in to settle the dispute. The stakes are so high that the matter should be forwarded for official inquiry only after all informal methods are exhausted.
Lastly, after every such incident, there is an undue hue and cry against the #MeToo (hashtag) on social media. Many people call it the real cause of such fake harassment cases. Some say it’s a conspiracy against the land of the pure. Such naïve brains fail to understand that #MeToo is an effective platform for the weak and unheard women in the remote corners of the world. There are countless cases in which women raised their voices, got noticed by the respective authorities and were served with justice. #MeToo is a tool; it can be used positively as well as in an evil way, but mostly it serves its real purpose. Social media is like a kitchen knife– you can cut vegetables or even cut someone’s throat.
Sexual harassment is a scourge, and so is any attempt that uses it for blackmail or revenge. Afzal is no more in this world, but his suicide note has a lot of substance to shake our morals and conscience.
