HISTORIES of oppression are always followed by histories of subversion. In societies that have silenced women for decades and subjected them to exclusion, there have still been instances of resistance by strong-willed women. Not only does this give reason to hope, it also reminds us that the recent outpouring of women’s stories from across the world is an alternative to ceding to the dark undertow of patriarchy. In effect, the 16-day global movement against gender-based violence couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment when igniting more conversation and action on women’s rights in Pakistan is essential. Starting Nov 25 (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and ending yesterday (Human Rights Day), this annual campaign conceived by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University puts the spotlight on women’s empowerment. For Pakistani women, the gender equality challenge constitutes a lifetime of struggle requiring sustained intervention. Wavering political commitment to women has proven problematic especially when parties fail to confront regressive forces for reasons of survival.

Tolerating a litany of excuses to keep women backward is no longer an option. Closing legal loopholes and implementing laws stringently so that victims of ‘honour’ crimes, rape and sexual harassment are not deprived of justice is imperative, especially as the poison of misogyny remains pervasive. Ours is a country where statistics on crimes against women defy belief — every second woman has suffered some kind of domestic violence; 93pc have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime; and 2,300 women were killed in the name of ‘honour’ in 2016. Yet again, we ask this question of the state: when women continue to battle patriarchy with their lives, why are perpetrators of heinous acts allowed to maim and murder with impunity? Refusing to change the status quo denies the nation of women’s full participation. Our policymakers must know that the price for no change in women’s lives gets much higher by the day and this is unacceptable to all.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2017