Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Women Suppressed and Unvoiced!

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Women Suppressed and Unvoiced!

The frequent tale of bloodsheds, aggravation, injustices, vindictiveness, corruption and mercilessness witnessed, have made us believe, the society thrives for its very existence against multiple annihilating forces. These evil forces exert hard forcing us to the verge of extinction. If not countered with virtuous forces, they might dominate, once forever. The attributes of modern society, encompassing everything for the good of human progeny, certainly is pursuable. We, pursuing this harsh reality approach to the purpose of our very existence.

The long course we advanced, could earn us nothing, except the rule of nuisance, wicked deeds, widespread manipulation of power, suppression of oppressed and endless tales of barbarism against powerless segment of society. The blind and irrational socio-religious dictates have irreversibly dominated our deeds and thoughts, equally beleaguering our fairer and lucid disposition in every field of human endeavor. Deeming women inferior creature is deliberate negation of their innate aptitude and universal attribute of God’s equity. We have to turn to think otherwise, about this much belittled section of our socially betrayed society.

Afghanistan is the land where women are treated as a third class citizen, and a household commodity, whose fate rests to parental sightless ruling. Women found exercising her willingness contrary to parental dictate is subjected to severe castigation and humiliation; is recklessly shunned to depth of utter hopelessness. The society where negation of unsound commandment is deemed immodesty and conceit, and pursuit of a rational discourse unpardonable sin, lies at the depth of moral abyss. Hence, a woman is bound to lead a life, at utter submission of her family associates.

The tales of haplessness ends not here, as is hampered every time she gets out in the pursuit of earning herself a modest livelihood. Our tolerance and patience turn off finding women chase a goal-oriented life.  We are born and raised underestimating girls, consequently we dare hindering equal participation of women in socio-political arenas; we strive hard equating their right to liberty and pursuit of happiness, bashfulness and contrary to Islamic teachings. Despite such assertions if one fails to impose ones’ narrow and irrational interpretation, what they heard from so-called clergies, on others, tend to come up in the streets and shamelessly begin molesting the passerby girls and women. This is absolutely a great service they are paying to a morally civilized society.

Gender-based street harassment limits people’s access to public spaces and lowers their comfort level there. It can cause people to “choose” less convenient routes and alter their routines; give up hobbies and change habits; and even quit jobs or move neighborhoods or simply stay home because they can’t face the thought of one more day of harassment. 

Girls and women suffer the most while commuting to school or public places given every street in our major cities have earned a wide recognition in using abusive verbal language against them. Street harassment is a deliberate negation of women rights issue, provided it limits women’s ability pursuing their dignified goal as happily as most men. The stance in fact jeopardizes their right to freedom of movement given the members of the community is discouraged due to deliberate harassment and socially motivated hateful violence.  

Great number of girls being taunted, ill-treated and harassed in our streets is witnessed on daily accounts which ranges from leers, whistles, beeps, kissing noises, and non-sexually explicit evaluative comments, to more insulting and threatening behavior like offensive gestures, sexually charged comments, flashing, and stalking are sufficient to bring down their self-confidence and self-esteem. Seeing them dauntless doing such deeds, one finds the law blind to see and society dumb to hear such morally illicit voices. Resultantly, women restricted to walk and are simply limited to their habitat. This is a deliberate move to push women to the periphery of social-political undertakings.

In order to make the society accept these illicit acts taking rampantly in the society, a lady opted a strange way to register her voice.  Formerly, an Afghan girl protested against street harassment of women and girls in the country through a symbolic demonstration by wearing a strange outfit which apparently was made of metal. The dress she wore depicted her being a woman irrefutably owing all attributes a woman has to have. The society has to create an acceptance her with entire her bodily feature and must not harass and underestimate her upon owing such peculiar trait.

Later on it was seen the photos went viral on social media websites. There have been mixed reactions by online social media users in the country with majority opposing with the act of the girl, while certain people saying that such acts are organized with an aim to implement the western culture in the country. Should we deem the inhuman deeds exercised in the urban streets are eastern culture? No better west is held responsible for every crime one commit –consider being the sole guardian of moral values.

Almost all Afghan women experience various forms of street harassment every day in their life, but it’s not just a daily experience to be forgotten a few seconds later; it leaves long lasting scars on women’s spirit and sense of confidence which discourages and limits women’s participation in public life, according to a report by Stop Street Harassment Organization. However, due to the predominant culture of “shame” and “honor” and high social stigma attached to issues of sexual harassment, Afghan women often do not talk about their experiences of street harassment. The scar remains invisible and women continue to suffer, generation after generation.

 

The government and law enforcer agencies and other responsible authorities must come forth playing their responsive role against this very menace. Creating general public awareness against such practice might succeed discouraging them continue such deeds. The government in collaboration with society may win undoing socially charged abuses against women; granting them lead dignified life they deserve.

Asmatyari is the permanent writer of Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at asmatyari@gmai.com

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