Khuda kay liye Bol, Verna
Why aren’t Verna’s critics talking about rape? Six years after the release of Bol, Shoaib Mansoor has brought us Verna, his third film. We can put the three titles of his films together to form a sentence: ‘Khuda kay Liye Bol, Verna’… (For God’s sake, speak, or else). Mansoor is an acclaimed filmmaker who has always been at the cutting edge of his craft. And this time he has produced a...
Every institution failed Amina
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE Amina set herself on fire in front of the police station in Muzaffargarh on the 5th of March 2014 because her rapists were released with the help of the police. Her case created a media hype. Despite getting attention from the highest authorities it fell into the routine game playing of the police. Unfortunately, Amina’s parents did not get justice. The court acquitted the culprits on the basis of...
My experience of working with the women’s ministry
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE Elitist NGOs, some high-flying consultants and the top brand of development donor agencies still miss the Federal Women’s Ministry. It was so nice to have that small club for women’s issues, mutually beneficial to all players — well, except the women of Pakistan. Long after the Eighteenth Amendment devolved this subject to the provinces, nostalgic sentiments came surging back and small groups continue to lobby with donors...
Struggles of working women
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE In the working women’s assembly on December 22 in Islamabad, women domestic workers to women parliamentarians spoke about how they gained confidence to be where they are. The examples of women’s agency in Pakistan are incredible and need to be acknowledged on the National Working Women’s Day. Despite conservatism that still prevails in society, Pakistan’s working women have consistently made space for themselves, whether it is lady health workers...
International Women’s Day: Legislations Passed – The silver lining
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE WASHINGTON, DC: Today is a day to highlight issues confronting women, to celebrate our achievements, to identify the gaps and, most of all, stand in solidarity for change. Taking a quick look at the progress made on the implementation of the seven women-related laws passed over the last four years, it seems that the highest marks can be given to the Benazir Income Support Programme Act, the anti-sexual harassment...
Anti-harassment laws for universities
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE The anti-sexual harassment law is applicable to all institutions, government, private, civil society and as the text of the law regarding this clearly states, “to the educational institutions” as well (Section 2 Paragraph 1). A recently proposed amendment in the Senate created an impression that the law is not currently applicable in the educational institutions. This is totally incorrect. I will explain the challenges this law is facing because...
Unending woes: The naked truth about fishing
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE ISLAMABAD: World Fisheries Day is celebrated across the planet on the 21st of November, and is marked by celebration and solidarity of all fisherfolk. In most countries, the key issues revolve around over-harvesting, marking international water boundaries and sanctioning countries that refuse to follow international conservation norms. However, our Pakistani fisherfolk are still struggling for basic personal dignity. Extortion by the coast guards is a daily routine for those going...
Obituary: Zubeda died not on Saturday but decades ago
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE Many think that Zubeda Khanum died on Saturday, but considering the enormous talent she possessed, she died the day she was asked not to sing anymore. She was told to live like a ‘good woman’ and a ‘good wife’. She was gradually pressured into staying at home and caring for her children. This came from a husband who was Syed by ‘ethnicity’ and explained to her in many...
Sexual harassment charges: Shameless elite and the daughters of this nation
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE ISLAMABAD: Recently, two universities have let down women students by protecting predator professors from sexual harassment charges. Quaid-e-Azam University, where serious convictions on charges of sexual harassment set a positive tone for the implementation of the anti-sexual harassment law a year ago, has now waivered under the pressure from our shameless elites. One would imagine that after charges of sexual harassment of students have been proven against professors, they...
The words describing ‘rape’: Blaming the victim, shielding the rapist
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE WASHINGTON DC: Pakistani society is still a bit confused about who ought to be punished for a crime of rape. Although everyone agrees that the culprit should be punished, in reality quite the contrary happens. Unknowingly, our society punishes the victim and not the rapist. Like murder, theft and mugging, rape is a crime done by a criminal, but society is quick to stamp the victim as having lost...
- 1
- 2