http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/12-mens+intervention+needed--bi-03
Men's intervention needed Thursday, 26 Nov, 2009 Men who are averse to gender violence should act to expose and prevent atrocities against women.-Photo by APP The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women observed on Wednesday came as a timely reminder of the futility of efforts ostensibly being made to end this scourge. Women continue to be unfortunate victims of male violence worldwide. The data collected on the number of women who are murdered, abducted, raped or burnt does not give the full story, though it is bad enough. There are many more children now who are emotionally and mentally scarred for life after sharing as onlookers the violence experienced by their mothers and siblings. Many boys from abusive households grow up to be violent men. That is why this curse has been escalating. In Karachi alone, Madadgar reported 1,065 cases of violence against women in the first 10 months of 2009. The UN secretary general has come up with an innovative idea to combat violence against women. He has launched a Network of Men Leaders that brings together politicians, activists and religious figures who influence public opinion to champion the cause of women's rights. This is an idea Pakistan could do well to emulate. The network should include many of the sitting male parliamentarians. It is time the men who stand for women's rights should be asked to speak up against those who have proved to be the worst enemies of women behind a progressive garb that fools no one. How women's issues have been treated in the National Assembly shows that it is not easy sailing for women in Pakistan in spite of all the activism they have shown. It is also important that men who are averse to gender violence - mercifully there are quite a number of them around now - should act to expose and prevent such atrocities. It is well known that violence often ends when others intervene. Tags: Violence against Women,violence,gender violence [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
