Harassment of women: Govt delaying adoption of bills, says Anis

HYDERABAD: The government is not passing the bill of harassment of women at workplace just to appease a few, said Chairperson National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) Ms Anis Haroon on Monday.

The government’s appeasement policy has delayed in tabling the bill in the National Assembly while it had sent the domestic violence bill to the Mediation Committee of Senate to win the support of JUI-F, she said.

She was speaking during a seminar on “killing in the name of honour killing – What needs to be done?” organised by the NCSW at the press club.

She said that women shouldn’t consider themselves weak as it was just a myth which had been proved wrong.

Even, biologically the ratio of heart attack among women was very low while in civilised world they outlive men and are procreators of men, she said.

Ms.Haroon said that people don’t consider women as human beings and karo-kari was prevalent in a particular class which want to have their hold over the society. She quoted the example of Shaista Almani case wherein a jirga was held in the Sindh Chief Minister House forcing a party to pay certain amount for settling the dispute.

“PPP has the distinction of promoting progressive environment during its rule but few among them have reservations on certain issues related to women even before they are referred to Council of Islamic Ideology”, she said. She said that what happened to domestic violence bills in Senate.

One part of harassment at workplace bill pertaining to amendment in section 509 Cr.PC has been passed but the main bill was yet not tabled, she added. She said that this policy has vitiated the atmosphere. “After all these people have not more than four to five per cent of votes and called for ending such policy.

Honour killing is declared illegal under law but was hardly being implemented as powerful always rule the roost, she said adding that polices are not implemented for not being independent. She said that murder had been made a private affair under Qisas and Diyat laws which is not seen anywhere in the world. She said that the parallel legal system also required attention.
Source: Dawn
Date:12/15/2009