Women today face several biases in society despite all the progress that has been made. This is more prevalent and drastic still in the developing world. Conservative and reserved societies have made it challenging for women to stand up for themselves and their basic rights, whether it is their health, education or dignity. Honor killings have started to take up the media by storm in Pakistan, since a few cases brought rage to the public. This issue was further highlighted by the Emmy award winning documentary “A Girl in the River: A Price for Forgiveness” by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
Women face bias in Pakistan due nature of the society, as they are not treated as equals to men, particularly in the more conservative rural and tribal areas. Even if a girl or a woman is raped or sexually assaulted the blame is placed on her, which further complicates the matter, as it indicates that they are seen as a second-class citizen.
According to statistics provided by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, around 15222 cases of honour crimes pertaining both men and women were reported between 2004-2016. These statistics only provide a little insight, as there are several cases that go unnoticed and unreported. What adds to the problem further is how there is a problem is for turning a blind eye towards the issue. A lot of the people who might observe certain family problems just avoid interfering since they would claim it is not their place to say anything. However, when such acts are committed that is when the guilt of others comes to play a role. Therefore, there is a fundamental problem with the way people see and approach this issue.
Source:http://hrcp-web.org/hrcpweb/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/State-of-Human-Rights-in-2016.pdf