Violence Against Women Can Only Be Curbed Through Character Building At Schools And Home

Violence Against Women Can Only Be Curbed Through Character Building At Schools And Home
Article 14 of the Constitution says a person’s dignity is inviolable. This is a natural right, and no one has the legal or moral authority to take it away. But, unfortunately, dignity of women is violated blatantly at homes, streets, schools, workplaces, and even religious institutions in Pakistan.

Women are abused, harassed, raped, tortured. These gruesome infringements of dignity leave indelible scars on the body and soul.

Legally, “a man is innocent until proven guilty”, but in the eyes of our society, a woman is guilty till proven guilty.

For instance, if a victim, howsoever, musters up courage to overcome these excruciating tragedies, then societal mockery makes it difficult for her to live again with respect and dignity. The society repeatedly reminds the victim that her respect and right to live with dignity has been snuffed out, making her life woeful.

Then the society starts convincing the victim that she is responsible for crimes committed against her. She must have done something — improper attire, incorrect route, inappropriate time—owing to which the perpetrator attacked her.

In this regard, the society is composed of four sections: perpetrators, blamers, victims, and rehabilitators. The first two are responsible for the surging number of cases of violence against women. The victim-blamers give air to the perpetrators to carry out such crimes and deserve as much condemnation as the perpetrators. The blamers themselves become perpetrators when they criticise the victims, without condemning the atrocity.

The rehabilitators support the victims and motivate them to live their lives normally. They give impetus to those voices which have been stifled and assist in the fight for justice on part of those who have been suppressed by influential and powerful perpetrators. They take all possible steps to halt this menace. They organise social, legal, and political campaigns to influence the legislators and the masses. This section of the society deserves appreciation and acknowledgement.

The offences against women are less crime and more social evil. Crimes against women are owing to a lack of character building, because these offences are rooted in dominance through sexual power. If an individual possesses good character, he will never seek violence for satisfaction. Where duly penalising offences can halt the spread of crime, character building will be fruitful in the long run.

Though time-consuming, the character building process is not impossible to execute. Character can be built through three learning means: visionary, auditory, and kinesthetic. The first two play key roles since eyes and ears are the gateway to soul and mind. They give rise to thoughts in mind, which turn into actions, the repetition of which defines character. Parents and teachers need to inculcate socially progressive thoughts in the minds of youngsters, to be practiced not only at home and educational institutes, but also throughout their lives.