2008 Woodie Awards
Pakistani rape laws take a step backwards
Caryn Washington
Issue date: 9/29/06 Section: News
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"According to the country's independent Human Rights Commission, a woman is raped every two hours and gang raped every eight hours in Pakistan. These figures are probably an under-estimation as many rapes are not reported," according to BBC News. In a world of poverty and inequality, it is always inequality that seems to prevail.
Last week, Pakistan President Musharraf announced that he would amend the existing rape laws that make it almost impossible for women to prove they have been raped. As the law stands, any illicit behavior between a man and woman outside of marriage is considered adultery.
The widely criticized Hudood Ordinance law, based on Islamic Tenets, requires a woman who claims she's been raped to produce four witnesses, according to CNN.
Musharraf's bill proposed to protect women from consensual sex outside of marriage, separating it from rape. According to Pakistani Christian Post, the bill would then eliminate "the four-witness requirement to prove rape, establishing that rape cases be tried in civil rather than religious courts."
Musharraf's announcement of amending the law caused much aggravation. Pakistan has been divided. Pakistanis are protesting against Musharraf for betraying Islam by wanting to reform the law. Others are commending him as a savior of women.
The bill has not yet been passed and has been indefinitely postponed. Rape will still remain a crime that is punishable by death.
According to the Hudood Ordinance, if the woman does not produce four witnesses and is deemed guilty, she is then free to be charged with adultery, which is also punishable by death.
Pakistani women have struggled with fair treatment for a long time. On Jan. 18 Hidayat, a Pakistani woman, was accused of adultery by her former husband.
Her husband claimed that she had sexual relations with the man who leased her house. The husband said that the couple had not yet divorced when the relations happened.
Even though the ordinance requires four male eye witnesses in order to prove adultery, Hidayat was thrown in jail along with her two-year-old daughter for three weeks.
Last week, Pakistan President Musharraf announced that he would amend the existing rape laws that make it almost impossible for women to prove they have been raped. As the law stands, any illicit behavior between a man and woman outside of marriage is considered adultery.
The widely criticized Hudood Ordinance law, based on Islamic Tenets, requires a woman who claims she's been raped to produce four witnesses, according to CNN.
Musharraf's bill proposed to protect women from consensual sex outside of marriage, separating it from rape. According to Pakistani Christian Post, the bill would then eliminate "the four-witness requirement to prove rape, establishing that rape cases be tried in civil rather than religious courts."
Musharraf's announcement of amending the law caused much aggravation. Pakistan has been divided. Pakistanis are protesting against Musharraf for betraying Islam by wanting to reform the law. Others are commending him as a savior of women.
The bill has not yet been passed and has been indefinitely postponed. Rape will still remain a crime that is punishable by death.
According to the Hudood Ordinance, if the woman does not produce four witnesses and is deemed guilty, she is then free to be charged with adultery, which is also punishable by death.
Pakistani women have struggled with fair treatment for a long time. On Jan. 18 Hidayat, a Pakistani woman, was accused of adultery by her former husband.
Her husband claimed that she had sexual relations with the man who leased her house. The husband said that the couple had not yet divorced when the relations happened.
Even though the ordinance requires four male eye witnesses in order to prove adultery, Hidayat was thrown in jail along with her two-year-old daughter for three weeks.
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