The recent femicide of Rebecca Cheptegi, the Ugandan national record holder in the marathon, by her former partner at her own home, was gruesome. It has been no more than 4 weeks since she returned after competing in her very first Olympics in Paris, France, in 2024.
Does success make women vulnerable in terms of parochial supremacy? Or is it that the women who earn have no right to their own winnings? Is it for the men who loot these women’s achievements?
Cheptegi’s murder brought back harrowing memories of our own Noor Muqadam’s homicide. Noor, only 27 years old, was brutally tortured and beheaded in the capital on July 21, some three and a half years ago. She is still waiting for justice to see the light of day.
Ayesha Ikram, a TikTok creator, was harassed and groped on the 14th of August while celebrating the country’s Independence Day by more than 400 men at the grounds of the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore.
28-year-old Samia Sarwar, whose murder was arranged by her family in 1999, was shot dead in the offices of Hina Jilani, a well-respected Supreme Court lawyer and human rights activist, for dishonoring the family’s name by filing for a divorce from her physically violent husband.
22-year-old student Giulia Cecchettin was killed by her disgruntled ex-boyfriend on the night of November 11, 2023, in Italy.
The act of femicide has become an epidemic of epic proportions.
Femicide remains pervasive globally, with one woman or girl being killed every 10 minutes by their very own family or intimate partner.
A few of these elite femicide cases get high-profile attention, presenting only a fraction of lives lost, families destroyed, and talent buried due to gender-based violence.
The femicide count in Kenya documents the murder of 32 women by male perpetrators just in the month of January 2024, highlighting the fact that enough is not being done to secure the lives of those who give us life!
How many men are killed, abused, violated both physically and mentally, discriminated against, and subjected to a culture of violence by their intimate partners?
Gender inequality, gender expectations, and systemic gender-based discrimination against women need strong legislation that results in forceful action and the implementation of laws to protect the fairer sex.
Every third day, a woman is killed in England by a man.
Every 2-3 days, a woman is killed by a man in Italy.
Femicide, gender-based violence, inequity, and domestic violence against women are but a few causes impeding trust and the sustainable development of societies.
Justice delayed is justice denied. In Pakistan, very few cases are reported, and this rate is much higher than in first-world countries. One woman is raped every 45 minutes. Up to 626 women were kidnapped, 120 were killed in the name of honor, and 20 were trafficked in 2023. Here, the police refuse to file an FIR as it is considered a normalized thing in our culture. Even if a case is filed and tried in court, the stigma attached, along with the delay in judgment and its execution, simply endorses the crime. At times, these cases get celebrated as justice for “broken boy behavior.”
Fighting this lost battle, we should try to preserve sanity wherever and whenever we can.
Women victims should be protected when they report domestic violence, without fear of victimization.
Community and social groups should be formed to mentor the marginalized.
I believe that awareness through social and public platforms, partnering with NGOs, will engage communities to reshape how men view women and their role as effective members of society.
Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC, said, “At the same time, we must confront and dismantle the gender biases, power imbalances, and harmful norms that perpetuate violence against women.” Nothing is inevitable—prevention may be the key to ending this horrific epidemic.
After Tuesday’s ruling, Mr. Cecchettin told reporters, “I think you don’t fight against gender violence with jail sentences, but with prevention.”
Mr. Cecchettin, Giulia Cecchettin’s father, told the newspaper:
“My feeling is that we have lost, all of us, as a society,” he said, as the news agency ANSA reported. “Justice has been done and should be respected,” he said, “but as a human being, I feel defeated.”
This Women’s Day, let’s remember the femicide victims, for they made us raise our voices against injustices, leaving us with a cause to make the world a better place. – Faiz Ahmed Faiz
ابھی چراغ سر رہ کو کچھ خبر ہی نہیں
ابھی گرانی شب میں کمی نہیں آئی
نجات دیدہ و دل کی گھڑی نہیں آئی
چلے چلو کہ وہ منزل ابھی نہیں آئی
Also Read: Women MPAs to protest against delay in draft of rules on prevention of violence against women
