Postscript to How to Rape With Impunity …
As Mukhtaran Mai continues her life in Pakistan and her struggle for justice following her 2002 gang rape, I ask myself how is it still possible that a woman in Pakistan can be victimized twice – first by rape and then by the justice system. Here’s the good news.
In November 2006, the Women’s Protection Bill was passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan. It removed rape from under Sharia (Islamic law) and put it under the Pakistan Penal Code, based on civil law. This change eliminated the need for four witnesses to a rape and permits forensic evidence in a rape trial.
Well, about time, I thought. What a male-dominated country Pakistan must be. Out of curiosity I looked up the composition of the law-making body in Pakistan, the National Assembly. Here’s what I found.
Pakistan -18%
In Pakistan’s National Assembly, 60 out of the 336 seats are RESERVED for women. That’s 18% representation.
United States – 17%
In the United States, there are currently 360 men and 75 women in the House and 17 women and 83 men in the Senate. That’s 17% representation.
Makes you think, doesn’t it?
Postscript: If you want to know more about Mukhtaran Mai, watch Mukhtaran Mai part 1 A Film by Somy Ali.
If you want to support human rights in Pakistan, see the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.