Empower 100 Child Brides in Pakistan

The assault-cum-murder of innocent Zainab has shaken the conscience of the nation once again. Such incidents have ever been taking place all over the world without any distinction of developed or developing and Muslim or non-Muslim countries.  

22,528 children sexually assaulted in 7.5 years in Pakistan:

During the past years, the number of child sexual abuse cases has gone up continuously. A study showed that during the past seven-and-a-half years, from 2010 to mid-2017, at least 22,528 cases of child sexual abuse were reported.

In 2010, 2,252 such incidents were reported; in 2011, the number went up to 2,303; in 2012, as many as 2,788 such cases were reported; in the next year, 2013, the number further went up to 3002; in 2014, a visible increase was seen with the total number of reported cases reaching 3,508; in 2015, the reported cases stood at 3,768; in 2016, 4,139 cases of child sexual abuse were reported; while in the first six months of the year 2017, 768 incidents were reported. (Ref. The News article of Rafiq Mangat on the topic of Child abuse talk still a taboo in Pakistan)

According to the year 2016 report, at least 11 children fell victim to sexual assault daily on an average in Pakistan. The total number of cases, involving sexual assault, kidnapping, going missing and forced child marriages, reported to the police stood at 4,139 in this year. The increase in the number of such cases was 10% compared with the year 2015. The major crimes, committed against children, reported to the police, were 1,455 abductions, 502 rapes, sodomy 453, as many as 271 victims were gang-raped, cases of sexual assault involving more than one person stood at 268, while rape attempts reported were 362.

However, it is a common belief that the number of child sexual abuse is much more than what is reported to the police or in the press. Mostly majority of such cases are not reported to the police due to the so-called ‘shame’ attached to the issue in our society. 

 Jaag Welfare Movement's Project "Empower 100 Child Brides in Pakistan" focused on the increasing incidents of Child Sexual Abuse. The pamphlets, brochures were published and Radio advertisements were broadcasted. While a District Forum was organized for policy formulation to sensitized the political representative, educationists, religious leaders, trade and businessmen community, Civil Society organizations. The District Forum was conducted in collaboration with Child Protection & Welfare Bureau and  Social Welfare Department. 

Member Provincial Assembly Chaudhry Asif Majeed agreed to present resolution in Punjab Assembly for the protection of Children from Sexual Abuse. School Syllabus should be based on Life skills. Children should be informed about "Good Touch and Bad Touch". The Child Protection Officer informed about Destitute and Neglected Children Act 2004 and performance of Child Protection Institute. Social Welfare Officer informed the latest laws about Child Protection which are under consideration.  

Religious Leader Riaz Ahmed  Noori, Educationist Asif Akhtar Leader Primary Elementary Teachers Association promised to trickle down Life Skill Based Education to protect children from any incident of sexual abuse themselves.

Shazia Ismail Khan, an activist of the Project "Empower 100 Child Brides in Pakistan" told her success story that how she protect girls of a school from sexual harassment by a senior male teacher. I encouraged girls to speak out and convinced their parents to stand against the teacher and do not feel shameful to discuss these talks to their Children especially in co-education setups.