Adil Najam
Sometimes you see a headline that just stops you in your tracks and makes you wonder. I saw such a headline in The Daily Times today: “At Least 100 Rapes in Karachi a Day.“
The story is reporting a statement by Dr. Zulfiqar Siyal, Additional Police Surgeon (APS), Karachi, where he claims that on average, 100 women are raped in Karachi every 24 hours. It takes a little careful reading to realize that he is not saying that this is the number of actual rapes per day, but that he thinks that it must at least be this much and possibly more. In fact, he himself points out that the number of reported rapes are much less, because of the social stigma of reporting such a crime.
I have no reason to is agree with the statement from the APS. Indeed, I have plenty of reason to believe that he is right and that the real number of rapes must be much more. But I did want to make sure that readers interpret the news report properly. Excerpts from the report.
On average, 100 women are raped every 24 hours in Karachi city alone, and a majority of them are working women, said Additional Police Surgeon (APS) Dr Zulfiqar Siyal. A majority of them are working class women or those working as domestic help and are mostly up to 20 years old, he said.
“I am saying with full authority that such a large number of rape cases happen in the city,” he told Daily Times on the sidelines of a discussion on sexual violence organised by the Aurat Foundation on Monday. “But very few rape survivors have the courage to come forward in search of justice.” They do not come forward because of the lengthy medical process and delayed justice system in Pakistan. Only 0.5 percent of cases are reported and the majority (99.5 percent) of survivors prefers to stay silent.
Part of the problem is that there are 11 medico-legal sections in three major public sector hospitals but there are only six women medico-legal officers (WMLOs) for the 18 million population of Karachi. “I am sure that there are more than 100 rape cases every day … but you can gauge how many are reported from the official data which says that during the last eight months (between January to August 2008) a total of 197 cases were reported,” Dr Siyal said. The WMLOs also face a lot of problems, he said. Karachi is also short on hospitals where rape survivors can go through the entire medical examination. “It isn’t just medical facilities but you won’t find a single women police officer (WPO) in any of the total 101 police stations of the city,” he said.
I think that even more important than the number he gives is the point he makes about the majority of rape victims in Karachi being working class women or those working as domestic help, 20 years old or younger. My own sense would be that the situation is not much different anywhere else in Pakistan, whether in terms of the numbers or in terms of who the victims are. I am very glad that the APS has spoken up. I wish more people would, including more victims. However, I can understand all the reasons why many victims do not. As in many societies, this crime persists because the social stigma is attached to the victim even more than the culprit. It is but one aspect of the deeper scars of violence against women.
As with so many other crimes against humanity, rape this a crime that thrives on silence. Not only the silence of the victim, but the silence of society. When, as in this case, the silence is broken, one feels empowered. One hopes that others will break the silence too.
Also see:
Silent Against Domestic Violence
Violence Against Women: Breaking Down Walls
Being Woman in Pakistan
Celebrating the Lives of Pakistani Women
Changing Rape Laws in Pakistan
You can visit ATP on your Mobile Phone. Here's how!
Shahid,
If you don’t know what to say, there are people, maybe in a rape crisis counseling center, who can help you communicate helpfully with a woman who has gone through this…
That quote however is very dismissive and offhand, and will therefore be offensive. You really ought to be able to see why.
I actually met one man who said, rape really doesn’t hurt women, and then they grow up a little bit and figure out how to behave themselves with men, etc. All just a learning experience.
That really did make me want to jump off a bridge.
I think men don’t really “get” this particular crime, unless they’ve been raped themselves (and plenty of men have, but almost entirely by other men, unfortunately). In their minds its still categorized as sex and not violence.
For the record, I don’t think you meant anything terribly bad. But it was rather thoughtless.
Tina and company,
What do you expect me to say to the victim, who is already under lot of trauma and stress and the cultural shame you put on the victim, that ” your life is over and now go ahead and jump off the bridge”?
“What doesnt kill you, makes you stronger.”
So why don’t you go to some place where yu could get raped (there are plenty of gays in the world too) and make yourself stronger?
You seriously need help yar.
To ShahidnUSA:
That quote is total garbage out of an old Arnold movie.
Often, what doesn’t kill you cripples your spirit, breaks your body, and destroys your life. Forever.
How flippant and disgusting of you to say this.
“you whiny ladies. you should welcome being raped by men so that you can use the experience to become stronger”.
Where’s your head, mister? Left it behind on the way into work this morning?
to all the victims,
“What doesnt kill you, makes you stronger”.
Asma Jahangir’s husband is Jahangir Badar? hehehehehe
That’s just too much of a stretch.
Asma Jahangir does have a soft corner for the PPP and the HRCP does at times act like the PPP’s b-team, laikin itna bhee bura haal nahin hai keh Asma Jahangir would marry Jahangir Badar.
Hey, Karachiite! You better get your facts right before you begin to distort them. Asma Jahangir’s husband is Not Jahangir Badar.
Dear Karachiite,
of course, it’s all just an evil plot to “discredit Karachi”. I think you should tell us why the vile Asma Jehangir and her “hypocrite” husband have a grudge against Karachi. Did somebody from Karachi diss them or something? We’d like to know. There must be a reason behind their strong desire to fling mud at Karachi. Right?
Or, sould it be you are just denying the problem behind a rather absurd premise. Look, the police chief and others have admitted that their figures are speculative and mere estimates. They can’t do more because true figures are hard to achieve in a shame based society where women practically never report the crime. The police chief’s statement is startling because he is the one who ought to know. Asma Jehangir, too, didn’t just make her numbers up.
It really doesn’t have anything to do with Karachi’s public image. Could Karachi go any further down in the world’s eyes after the eighteen year old bride was held for days, raped many times and by different men, right in the offices of Jinnah’s Masoleum itself? This case was so brutal it was undeniable. There is maybe some symbolism in it for those who want to see.