{"id":5158,"date":"2021-06-24T14:34:04","date_gmt":"2021-06-24T14:34:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hrcp-web.org\/hrcpweb\/?p=5158"},"modified":"2021-09-29T17:40:05","modified_gmt":"2021-09-29T17:40:05","slug":"pm-must-apologise-for-remarks-linking-rape-to-womens-attire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrcp-web.org\/hrcpweb\/pm-must-apologise-for-remarks-linking-rape-to-womens-attire\/","title":{"rendered":"PM must apologise for remarks linking rape to women\u2019s attire"},"content":{"rendered":"

Karachi, 24 June<\/em>. At a press conference held earlier today, 16 civil society organisations\u2014including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the Women\u2019s Action Forum, Tehrik-e-Niswan, Aurat March, and the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, among others\u2014have strongly condemned Prime Minister Imran Khan\u2019s troubling remarks linking women\u2019s attire to the incidence of rape.<\/p>\n

This is the second time that the Prime Minister has reduced sexual violence to an act of \u2018temptation.\u2019 This is dangerously simplistic and only reinforces the common public perception that women are \u2018knowing\u2019 victims and men \u2018helpless\u2019 aggressors. For the head of government\u2014a government that claims to defend the rights of women and vulnerable groups\u2014to insist on this view is simply inexcusable. It is equally disheartening to see that several women members of the ruling party have jumped to the Prime Minister\u2019s defence and justified his comments in vague, illogical terms.<\/p>\n

Even a cursory glance at the news should make it painfully clear that survivors of sexual violence can include women, girls, men, boys, and transgender persons\u2014and that such acts can occur in schools, workplaces, homes, and public spaces. Gender, age and attire do not \u2018prevent\u2019 rape any more than the time of day or the relationship between survivor and perpetrator. The Prime Minister would do well to understand that rape is an act of power, not lack of sexual control.<\/p>\n

We demand an immediate public apology from the Prime Minister and assurances that his highly flawed perception of how and why rape occurs does not inform the government\u2019s attempts to tackle what is a serious and prevalent crime in Pakistan.<\/p>\n

On behalf of:<\/p>\n

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan<\/p>\n

Joint Action Committee<\/p>\n

Siaasi Aurat Tehrik<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s Action Forum, Karachi<\/p>\n

Sindh Commission on the Status of Women<\/p>\n

Tehrik-e-Niswan<\/p>\n

Aurat March<\/p>\n

Pakistan Institute for Labour Education and Research<\/p>\n

Peace and Development Organisation<\/p>\n

Aurat Foundation<\/p>\n

Women Democratic Front<\/p>\n

Home-Based Women Workers Federation<\/p>\n

Democratic Youth Front<\/p>\n

Sindhu Vaas Foundation<\/p>\n

Gender Interactive Alliance<\/p>\n

Bait ul Momneen Church<\/p>\n

First Church for Eunuchs<\/p>\n

Legislative Watch Group<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>