Sexual Harassment in Pakistan

Sexual harassment is considered a big evil in the Pakistani society today. The cynical side to it is that no one is safe from it, be it a man, woman or even a child. The main reason behind this curse is the sexual desires of uneducated people, the frustrations of a lonely life and the fire of revenge. The victims of sexual harassment suffer traumas that may affect their whole life in a tremendous way that is, more often than not,  scarring.

We notice one type of harassment that is the form of a professional workplace environment. A large number of female employees in private companies are victims of frequent doses. Pakistan has a law within its constitution that safeguards these victims, yet no one pays heed to the laws and instead prevent the oppressor from being caught, or even judged. Our society ran out of moral values when we unknowingly or otherwise  let the oppressor go.

Some other very common victims come in the shape of kids, who are somehow violated in their educational areas. Places like a government schools, where there is already no check and balance, are prime places for child abuse. Even blessed places like Madrassas, where kids are sent to study more about religion and ethics, offer breeding places for uneducated Moulanas to make victims out of the innocent lives that they see before them.

Generally, when we finally do get hold of an oppressor, it is mostly by the enraged parents or the family of the victim. We see people take justice and punishment into their own hands. This is because our regularities and security agencies prove themselves as infidels and impotent in serving and safeguarding the society from these immoral acts.

An important factor is also that not many people know about the punishments that come with these immoral actions. The constitutional laws clearly state that in the situation of an act of harassment in a workplace, the higher authority is authorized to take action. The actions can be among the following, or up to the standards of the organization: (a) reduction to a lower post or time-scale, or to a lower stage in a time-scale; (b) compulsory retirement; (c) removal from service; (d) dismissal from service;

The solution lies within this society too. Security agencies barely serve as precautionary forces to stop these acts from happening, but the solution to make sure it never happens, lies in education. A learned man would never dwell into these acts or fall into the traps of his sexual desires. There is a fine line between education and literacy, educate every person and your society will form into an ideal mold. The reason this happens is because as a society, we need to self-medicate against apathy and the slow, gradual death that can happen to anyone, should they confuse life with actually living.