VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: TRIAL BY FIRE IN PAKISTAN

Press Release
PI/1167
WOM/1148

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: TRIAL BY FIRE IN PAKISTAN

ISLAMABAD, 27 August (UN Information Centre) -- "Humanity is still being segregated, worst of all, on the basis of gender. What is even more horrifying is the violent nature of this bias", said today by the Chief Coordinator of the Progressive Women's Association (PWA), Shahnaz Bokhari. She is the author of the book Trial by Fire, which documents in graphic details, specific examples of violence against women in Pakistan. It was officially launched during the weekly briefing at the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC).

Trial by Fire aims to break the silence around domestic violence in Pakistan. It is a cry in favour of female victims, which includes case studies and data on so-called "stove burning cases". PWA has so far dealt with more than 2,500 cases of burned women. According to the association's findings, "bride-burning" accounts every year for the violent deaths of at least 300 women, perpetrated most often by the victims' husbands or husbands' families. The data collected from three hospitals in the Islamabad-Rawalpindi area alone shows that, during the last quarter of 1998, 85 burn cases were reported to have been brought to these hospitals. Less than two per cent survived and serious complications developed for all of them. Police cases were registered in hardly eight of the incidents. None received justice.

The United Nations is involved in worldwide efforts to address the situation of women. Ann Keeling, the gender adviser at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Pakistan confessed her helplessness when faced with the facts and the photographs presented in the book. "I keep it hidden at home", she said. "How could I explain this violence to my children?" She denounced the families who decide that they no longer want a woman in their midst, and opt "to set her on fire in a premeditated, cold-blooded act of murder", rather than choosing the option of divorce. "What a horrible way to die! Why choose burning? Because they can be pretty sure that they will never be prosecuted. They can blame faulty cooking stoves, and they won't get caught", she protested.

The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Sir David Dain, was present for the launch of the book, and stressed the commitment of his Government to the promotion and protection of women everywhere. Trial by Fire was funded by a grant from the Department for International Development (DFID).

- 2 - Press Release PI/1167 WOM/1148 27 August 1999

The Special Rapporteur for Violence against Women, Radhika Coomaraswamy, is scheduled to visit Pakistan and Afghanistan from 1 to 11 September. In Afghanistan, she will analyse the nature of violence against women and will discuss possible solutions with the various parties. Her mission will include visits to Islamabad, Peshawar, and Quetta (Pakistan), as well as Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif (Afghanistan). Ms. Coomaraswamy, a lawyer and long time women's rights advocate from Sri Lanka, was appointed Special Rapporteur when the post was created by the United Nations in March 1994. She reports to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

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