3 days ago a pregnant woman was tortured to death by her husband in Razaar Tehsil, and 2 days ago a man killed his sister-in-law; while we keep on receiving the news of violence against women on regular basis from different parts of the country, it is strongly realized that we have failed humanity. No wonder why we are at the bottom of the gender equality index, from workplace harassment to early child marriages the entire ecosystem needs to be changed.

Globally an estimated 736 million women, almost 1 in 3 have been subjected to violence; as per data, 32 percent of women have experienced physical violence in Pakistan. And one in two Pakistani women who have experienced violence never sought help or told anyone about the violence they had experienced. (UNFPA)

Ever wondered why? Because we have always taught women to stay quiet, and are blamed for the abuse. We have told women that it is normal, violence is normal but VIOLENCE IS NOT NORMAL, unfortunately, it is common in our households and has penetrated our behaviors but it is NOT NORMAL and should be countered as well as prevented. This silence is one of the reasons for unreported cases hence, the perpetrators are never punished and women continue to suffer in silence.

Though a lot of civil society organizations and young activists are raising awareness of an increase in gender-based violence, there are numerous barriers hindering the efforts in the response and prevention of violence against women, including but not limited to inefficient legislation, lack of support systems, and a weak education system.

While these barriers stay in place, we hope to make continuous efforts toward reducing discrimination and violence against young girls and women. The journey is long and tiring but every cloud has a silver lining.