How do Pakistanis treat women?

Answer 1

Obviously, in a country with 180 million people, the entire country will not treat women exactly the same way, but there are some general trends and most of them are negative. Crimes against women are quite common, including but not limited to:

Sexual Violence: Rape occurs quite often and Pakistanis often blame the rape victim for the rape, leading to public shame for the victim and mass underreporting. Women who fail to submit or call out their attackers may have their faces burned off using acid. Additionally, marital rape (when a husband wishes to have sex with his wife when she does not wish to and forces himself on her, is legal in Pakistan and cannot be challenged in court.

Trafficking: A number of Pakistani women are trafficked to the Gulf countries like UAE or Qatar to serve as prostitutes in those countries.

Bride Burning: In some parts of Pakistan, a man unhappy with the dowry he has received from his wife's family will douse his wife in kerosene and burn her to death.

Domestic Violence: Domestic violence is completely legal in Pakistan because of the Qisas and Diyat Ordinances. Domestic violence encompasses everything from beating to mutilation and chemical burns. Human rights groups estimate that 80% of Pakistani households have some form of domestic violence.

Clothing Requirements: In some parts of Pakistan that are more traditional or under Taliban control, women are required to wear the hijab and may be beaten or have acid thrown at them by the "Morality Police" for "immodest" dress.

Illiteracy and Failure to Hire: Women in Pakistan only comprise around 20% of the workforce and have only half the literacy figures as men.

However, on the flip side, women are not prohibited from seeking public office and there has even been a Woman Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. She was later assassinated in 2008.