There has been outrage in Pakistan and in the international community after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said that a rise in rape cases in the country was because of the way women dressed.
There has been a recent spate of high-profile rape and rape-murder cases in Pakistan that have shocked the nation and brought about widespread protests. This included a woman being pulled from her car in broad daylight and raped in front of her children. A police chief later said the woman was partly to blame.
In the statement, Khan said:
"What is the concept of purdah? It is to stop temptation. Not every man has willpower. If you keep on increasing vulgarity, it will have consequences."
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan responded by saying:
"Not only does this betray a baffling ignorance of where, why, and how rape occurs, but it also lays the blame on rape survivors."
A spokesman for the Prime Minister later said:
"The prime minister spoke about the societal responses and the need to put our efforts together to eliminate the menace of rape completely. Unfortunately, part of his comment, consciously or unconsciously, has been distorted to mean something that he never intended."
Laaleen Sukhera, a Lahore-based author, strongly condemned the Prime Minister's statement, saying:
"Victim blaming and policing women's clothing choices both perpetuate rape culture. Everyone and everything seems to be blamed except the actual perpetrators. It's already tremendously challenging for women of all ages in public spaces in Pakistan, whether on the streets or at work or in the digital space, even in their own homes. Regressive preaching prevents women from reclaiming what's rightfully theirs, and must be addressed."
Imran Khan was a famous cricketer before he became Prime Minister. He has been married on three occasions and divorced twice. It has been claimed that he has taken a highly conservative position while in power and is even sympathetic to the Taliban.
[h/t: The New York Times]
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