IMPROVING THE SITUATION
Some groups have taken things into their own hands to improve the situation in the country. Among them is Aurat Foundation, which conducts workshops to raise awareness about women’s rights.
“People lack awareness because our education system doesn’t teach us about our civic rights. If youth learn about harassment and how to report it early on, it can make society more civilised for the future,” said director of programmes Mumtaz Mughal.
The foundation also advocates for legal reforms. Through roundtable discussions, it empowers female members of the country’s legislative body, the National Assembly, to table resolutions for the protection and safety of women.
In 2018, the foundation presented a resolution on women’s safety and security, collaborating with parliamentarians to propose laws aimed at protecting them from harassment.
The reluctance of women to use public transportation out of fear limits participation in the workforce, which in turn hinders the nation’s progress, said Pakistani lawmaker Shaista Pervez.
“(The government) should have separate transport because this is hindering women. Even if they don’t report (incidents), they themselves stop using it and when they stop using public transport, they can’t contribute to our national economy,” she said.
The government said it is implementing measures to make it safer for women to commute, including a women-only bus in its largest city Karachi in 2023.
There are plans to roll out the service nationwide.
However, residents like Ms Hafeez are concerned that the service may not be extended to the outskirts of the city – and so it may take time before she can directly benefit from it.
