Notes Gender Bias in Society and Judiciary in Pakistan

Abstract

The lives of millions of women in Pakistan are circumscribed by traditions which enforce extreme seclusion and submission to men, many of whom impose their virtually proprietoral control over women. For the most part, women bear traditional male control over every aspect of their bodies, speech and behaviour with stoicism, as part of their fate. Exposure to media, the work of women’s rights groups and a greater degree of mobility have seen the beginnings of women’s rights awareness seep into the secluded world of women. But if women begin to assert these rights, however tentatively, they often face more repression and punishment; the curse of honour killings has risen parallel to the rise in awareness of rights. State indifference, discriminatory laws and the gender bias of much of the country’s police force and judiciary have ensured virtual impunity for perpetuators of honour killings