Her Crime Was Being A Woman

Over the four decades, Pakistan has witnessed major moral and ethical changes regarding women’s rights. Before the late 1970s, specifically before the era of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, women had greater political influence and more fundamental rights. However, near the end of the 1970s, Pakistan entered a period of military rule that became known for Islamic conservatism. General Zia introduced legislative and social changes in Pakistan. Women were expected to cover themselves with veils, and restrictions were imposed on women working in certain sectors of government. Throughout his rule from 1977 to 1988, the number of female prisoners increased significantly, and many women were accused of adultery. These were the ideological seeds planted into the mindset of Generation X, and their influence can still be seen in Pakistani society today.

In June 2002, Mukhtar Mai from Muzaffargarh, Punjab, Pakistan, was gang raped as a punishment imposed by an unofficial tribal tribunal known as a “jirga.” Mai, who was 30 years old at the time, was dragged before the jirga for her so-called punishment. When we examine the case in depth, we learn that her younger brother, Abdul Shakoor, who was only 12 years old, had allegedly been abducted and raped by men of the Mastoi clan in a sugar mill. Instead of remaining silent, the boy reported the incident, and an investigation began. However, false allegations were later made against him, claiming that he was having an affair with a woman from the Mastoi clan, Salma Naseen, who was in her twenties. Despite the boy being only 12 years old, he was arrested on allegations of adultery.

Mukhtar Mai was then dragged before the jirga, an unofficial form of tribal justice. Initially, the jirga suggested that she should marry one of Salma’s brothers, while Abdul Shakoor would marry Salma. However, villagers rejected this proposal and instead demanded that “honor should be repaid with honor.” The Mastoi men were then ordered to rape Mukhtar Mai. After the crime, many people expected her to commit suicide, but she showed extraordinary courage and filed a police complaint instead. Six men were arrested. Initially, the perpetrators received death sentences, but later the verdict was changed, with some receiving life imprisonment while others were released. After pressure from the government and human rights activists, Mukhtar Mai eventually received justice.

There are many cases like Mukhtar Mai’s in Pakistan. Some gain national attention, while others remain unheard. Decades later, even in this era of technology and globalization, the ideology associated with General Zia’s Islamization policies still exists deeply within sections of Pakistani society. During 2025, while defending human rights online, I personally received threats from a Pakistani man who told me, “I will behead you.” Many Pakistanis believe that anyone who speaks against religion deserves death. Even those raising their voices for human rights are often threatened with violence.

During discussions surrounding Aurat March, one artwork portrayed a woman being treated like a child-bearing machine with the slogan, “Woman is not a machine, her body, her choice.” In response, many Pakistani men gathered online and used abusive language against women’s rights activists. One man commented, “Women are supposed to wash dishes and do laundry, nothing else.” Such attitudes reflect the ongoing hostility many women face when advocating for equality and bodily autonomy.

On 9 September 2020, a woman whose identity was withheld for privacy reasons was travelling on the Lahore motorway with her two young children late at night when her car ran out of fuel. While searching for help, she was gang raped in front of her children. The incident shocked the nation. While some sympathized with the victim, others blamed her for the crime. I personally heard many people asking why she was travelling in the middle of the night and saying she should have remained at home. Many claimed the assault was somehow her fault because she was outside at night. This reflected the deeply rooted victim-blaming attitude that still exists towards crimes against women.

In June 2025, a TikToker named Sana Yousaf, a 17-year-old girl, was murdered by a man who had previously proposed to her. After she rejected him, he shot her. The nation reacted with anger, and campaigns demanding justice spread across social media. However, many people also defended the criminal online, saying, “She should have accepted the proposal. She broke his heart, so he did the right thing.” Although people demanded justice for Sana, much of the discussion shifted away from the crime itself and focused instead on whether her photos should appear online. Many argued that displaying her pictures violated Islamic customs because she was a Muslim woman whose face “should remain covered.” Instead of prioritizing justice for the victim, the public debate once again became centered around religion and the veil.

In 1999, around 1,000 women were murdered in Pakistan, while approximately 90% experienced domestic abuse. Authorities often dismissed these incidents as private family disputes. Even within developed countries such as the United Kingdom, many Pakistani women still hesitate to report domestic violence. In 2025, while staying at a hotel, I came across a case involving a Pakistani woman in her mid-twenties who was a mother of two. She was regularly beaten by her husband, who was also committing adultery by having affairs with other women. One night, after he assaulted her severely, the police arrived and took her and her children to safety. Officers knocked on my hotel room door while I was sleeping and asked whether I had heard anything. I explained that I had been staying at the hotel for months and had repeatedly heard the husband shouting at and physically abusing her. However, the next day I learned from the reception staff that the woman had withdrawn her case. Many Pakistani women fear separation from their children or social rejection, which often discourages them from reporting abuse.

Vani is an other extreme and harmful marriage custom that has historically been practiced in rural areas of Punjab. Under this practice, young girls, often teenagers, were forcefully married in order to settle tribal or family feuds. Fortunately, the occurrence of vani has decreased in recent years, and more young girls are now able to live their childhoods freely without being forced into such arrangements.

Women’s rights in Pakistan are still viewed negatively by many people, and advocacy for gender equality is often wrongly portrayed as being against Islam. Despite progress in some areas, women continue to face violence, discrimination, social restrictions, and victim-blaming attitudes. The struggle for justice, equality, and dignity for women in Pakistan remains ongoing.