On July 17, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) suffered a heavy loss in the by-elections as it only managed to win four seats out of 20 while its rival party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 75 per cent (15 seats) of the Punjab constituencies.
Despite the PML-N’s disastrous performance in Punjab, the federal government has decided to complete its constitutional tenure till August 2023. The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday (July 19). The coalition partners also agreed that they will give a tough time to Imran Khan.
The Current reached out to experts to ask their opinion on what the PML-N should do next and what will be PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s next move.
Here is what they have to say.
PML-N is no longer popular among the masses: Shafqat Mahmood
“PML-N is no longer popular among the masses. The people of Pakistan have realised that these people are “bhayaanak” [horrible]. It is because of their history of corruption and bad governance during the last three months that they have been badly defeated,” said PTI leader and former Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood.
Talking about Khan and his future plans after winning the Punjab by-polls Mahmood said, “PTI only wants fair and free elections. On July 22, PTI will be in power in Punjab once again.”
PML-N needs to go to the drawing board: Mansoor Ali Khan
Senior journalist Mansoor Ali Khan said that the PML-N needs to go to the drawing board to fix its problems and start the process all over again.
“They have to go back to the drawing board and start the process again. The most important thing in the present situation for the PML-N to think about is when can Nawaz Sharif come back to Pakistan. His absence has already caused a lot of damage. The party really needs to take a look at all the mistakes committed by them, which led to its defeat in the Punjab by-polls.”
“I think this is Imran Khan’s winning moment and he will only want early elections. Khan will keep putting pressure on the government and will only want elections. Since the last two months, we have already witnessed him doing this and the Punjab by-polls result is evidence enough that Khan’s plan is working.”
Federal capital without Punjab is nothing: Kashif Abbasi
Senior journalist Kashif Abbasi said that the federal capital without Punjab is nothing.
“The PML-N should talk to the PTI and find a way to work towards early elections. There is no point in running the federal capital without Punjab.”
Abbasi said that Khan has all the cards at the moment while the PML-N is in trouble.
“Early elections will possibly favour the PTI as well. So at present, early elections are the solution both for the PTI and PML-N.”
Early elections should be called: Absa Komal
Journalist Absa Komal said that the PTI secured a clear mandate in Punjab by sweeping the by-polls in PML-N’s home ground.
“Ideally, sanity should prevail within the PML-N and early elections should be called.”
“Khan sahib will keep on resisting, especially if the government creates problems in making Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi chief minister. Meanwhile, he will continue to build a narrative about the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Khan will continue to use his victory in Punjab for building his future narrative,” said Komal.
PML-N reaction
Meanwhile, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique said that these by-elections cannot measure the popularity or unpopularity of the PML-N.
Finance Minister Miftah Ismail stated in an interview that the government would keep making difficult choices in an effort to save the economy and keep the nation from going bankrupt.
The finance minister also noted that it was crucial for the government to take unpopular measures, which also resulted in political setbacks. “But if need be, we will take more tough decisions,” he said.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) swept the Punjab by-elections held on July 17 by bagging a total of 15 out of 20 Punjab Assembly seats while the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) only managed to win four seats. An independent candidate won one seat. The unexpected and sweeping victory of PTI in the all-important Punjab by-polls is set to influence the political as well as economic future of the country. The outcome of the by-elections has not just sealed the fate of Hamza Shehbaz’s government in Punjab but also sent alarm bells ringing for Shehbaz Sharif’s federal government.
The million dollar question is, what happened in Punjab that the kaptaan was able to pull this off in the heart of PML-N? PTI Chairman Imran Khan led a vigorous campaign against those who had ditched the party during the first poll for the chief minister on April 16 and voted for Hamza. Even the PML-N’s voters did not vote for the ‘lotas’ or turncoats. Khan continuously targeted the ‘neutrals’ for not siding with him in foiling the so-called ‘conspiracy’ the PML-N, PPP, and other parties had allegedly hatched “with the help of the United States” to oust him from power. That his foreign conspiracy mantra sold like hot cakes shows that Pakistanis love conspiracy theories.
The Punjab by-elections have brought to the limelight further questions: what is next for the PML-N? The ruling PML-N really needs to ‘introspect’ its shortcomings and need to go back to the drawing board and check every possible situation that led the party to its failure in Punjab. Was the vote of no-confidence the right move? Was the PML-N really thinking that a father-son duo as prime minister and the chief minister can turn out to be successful? At present, the most important question is, when is Nawaz Sharif coming back? The party has faced a lot of damage in his absence. Within the PML-N, a lot of people are of the view that Hamza should accept defeat and immediately resign as chief minister, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should call the next general elections as soon as possible. What the PML-N will do next can shape the future of Pakistan. Will Shehbaz Sharif announce the general elections or stick to power? Will a caretaker government be formed that can also take care of the economy for three months given how crucial the IMF deal is?
Whatever happens, Pakistan is in need of massive reforms. With the pertaining economic crisis and inflation, major political, as well as economic stability, is required. The country needs stability more than ever.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) de-seated 25 dissident members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in May. Out of these, five seats were reserved. Later, ECP notified PTI members on all five reserved seats while there will be by-elections on the rest of the 20 seats today (Sunday, July 17).
Why is it important?
The results of the by-elections will decide the fate of Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Hamza Shehbaz as the Supreme Court ordered a run-off poll for CM Punjab on July 22, five days after the by-polls are held. The magic number required to be the Punjab CM is 186.
Four Lahore Constituencies:
There are a total of four constituencies in Lahore.
1- PP-158
In PP-158, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Rana Ahsan Sharafat will contest against PTI’s Mian Akram Usman. The constituency falls under NA-129, where PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq is a Member of the National Assembly (MNA). PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s former close aide Aleem Khan won the constituency as a PTI candidate in 2018 but in these elections, he will not contest and will instead support the PML-N candidate.
In PP-167, PML-N’s Nazir Chohan will contest against PTI’s Shabbir Gujjar. In 2018, Chohan won the constituency as a PTI candidate. The constituency falls under NA-133, where PML-N’s Shaista Pervaiz Malik is MNA.
Areas: Mainly Johar Town
3- PP-168
In PP-168, PML-N’s Malik Asad Ali Khokhar will be against PTI’s Malik Nawaz Awan. In the 2018 general elections, Khokhar won from this constituency. The constituency falls under NA-133 and NA-131, where PML-N’s Shaista Pervaiz Malik and PML-N’s Saad Rafique are MNAs respectively.
Areas: Walton, Cavalry, Kot Lakhpat, Kainchi
4- PP-170
In PP-170, it will be PML-N’s Muhammad Amin Zulqarnain versus PTI’s Zaheer Abbas Khokhar. Previously, in 2018, Zulqarnain won this constituency as a PTI candidate. The constituency falls under NA-134, where PML-N’s Rana Mubashir Iqbal is MNA.
Areas: Wapda Town, Valencia, Township, and some rural areas of Lahore
Who will win Lahore?
Talking to The Current, senior journalist Majid Nizami said that the PTI claims that it will win three seats out of the four in Lahore in the upcoming Punjab by-polls. They think that the PML-N will win PP-168. Similarly, the PML-N also claims that it will win three out of four seats in Lahore. They think that PTI will win PP-170. According to Nizami, it is quite likely that both parties will win two seats each. From PML-N, Khokhar in PP-168 and Nazir Chohan from PP-167 are the strong candidates. From PTI, Mian Akram Usman from PP-158 and Zaheer Abbas Khokhar from PP-170 are likely to give a tough time to their competitors.
5- Multan: PP-217
In Multan, PML-N’s Salman Naeem is standing against former Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s son Zain Hussain Qureshi. The constituency was previously won by Naeem in 2018 when he defeated Shah Mahmood and became a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA).
According to Majid Nizami, Naeem is likely to become MPA again this time.
6- Sahiwal: PP-202
Three candidates are contesting against each other in PP-202. From PML-N, there is Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial who is fighting against PTI’s Major Ghulam Sarwar and Independent Candidate Adil Saeed Gujjar. The constituency falls under NA-149, where PTI’s Murtaza Iqbal is MNA. PTI has a chance of winning this seat.
Areas: Chichawatni Tehsil
7- Bahawalnagar: PP-237
Under this constituency, there are two candidates. PML-N’s Fida Hussain Wattoo will fight PTI’s Syed Aftab Raza, who is contesting for the first time. It is pertinent to mention that Wattoo earlier won this constituency in 2018 as an independent candidate. He later joined the PTI. Despite the fact that in the past Wattoo was elected MPA thrice in a row, Majid Nizami says that there is going to be a tough competition between these two.
Areas: Minchinabad
8- Lodhran: PP-224
PTI’s Amir Iqbal Shah will contest against PML-N’s Zawar Hussain Warraich, who won the constituency in the 2018 general elections. Zawar is also considered close to Jahangir Tareen. This seat is likely to fall in the hands of the PTI.
Areas: Dunyapur
9- Lodhran: PP-228
PML-N’s Nazir Ahmed Baloch, PTI’s Captain Retired Izzat Javed Khan and Independent Candidate Pir Syed Rafi Bukhari are contesting. Baloch already won the constituency in 2018. The constituency falls under NA-161, where PTI’s Mian Muhammad Shafiq is MNA. Reports indicate that the PTI is in a tight position here. The tough competition will take place between Pir Syed and Baloch.
Areas: Rajapur
10- Rawalpindi: PP-7
PML-N’s Raja Sagheer Ahmed who won the constituency in the 2018 elections is going to fight against PTI’s Lt. Col. Shabbir Awan. The constituency falls under NA-57, where PTI’s Sadaqat Ali Abbasi is MNA. In this constituency, the PML-N is ahead of PTI.
Areas: Kahuta and Kallar Syedan
11- DG Khan: PP-288
The son of PTI MNA Amjad Farooq Khan Khosa, Abdul Qadir Khosa, is contesting on the ticket of the PML-N. He will be against PTI’s Saif-ud-din-Khosa who is ahead in the race.
Areas: Tehsil DG Khan, Shah sadar din and Ghaus Abad.
12- Khushab: PP-83
In PP-83, PML-N’s Ameer Haider Sangha is going to lock horns with PTI’s Hasan Aslam Awan and Independent candidate Malik Asif Bha. In this constituency, there is going to be a three-way fight.
Areas: Jauharabad, Khushab city and Hadali
13- Layyah: PP-282
Tahir Randhawa, on a PML-N ticket, is now fighting against PTI candidate Qaiser Abbas Magsi. Magsi contested the 2008 and 2013 elections on a PML-N ticket and won as MPA. Despite this, Randhawa is ahead of Magsi.
Areas: Chowk Azam and Chaubara Tehsil
14- Muzaffargarh: PP-272
Syeda Zehra Bukhari will be against PTI’s Moazzam Khan Jatoi. Zehra is the wife of PTI MNA Basit Sultan Bukhari and she won in 2018 from this constituency. Meanwhile, Jatoi is a former minister and MNA. Syeda Zehra has a stronghold.
Areas: Shaher Sultan
15- Muzaffargarh: PP-273
PML-N’s Muhammad Sibtain Raza is going to be up against PTI’s Yasir Arfat Jatoi. Raza won the constituency as a PTI candidate in the previous elections. However, this time Jatoi is likely to become MPA.
Areas: Ali pur Tehsil
16- Bhakkar: PP-90
PML-N’s Saeed Akhbar Khan Nawani will fight against PTI’s Irfan Ullah Khan Niazi who just joined the party. Nawani won as an independent in 2018 and later joined the PTI. Here, Nawani is said to be ahead of Niazi.
Areas: Darya Khan Tehsil
17- Faisalabad: PP-97
The former Provincial Minister in Punjab, PML-N’s Ajmal Cheema is up against PTI’s Ali Afzal Sahi in Faisalabad. Although, Cheema won the constituency in 2018, Sahi is likely to win this seat. Sahi is the son of the former speaker of the Punjab Assembly Muhammad Afzal Sahi.
Areas: Chak Jhumra Tehsil
18- Jhang: PP-125
PML-N’s Faisal Hayat Jabboana will be competing against PTI’s Mian M. Azam Cheela and Independent candidate Iftikhar Ahmad Khan Baloch. Jabboana won as an independent in 2018 and later joined the PTI. PML-N candidate is likely to leave his contenders behind.
Areas: Athara Hazari Tehsil
19- Jhang: PP-127
In PP-127, PML-N Mehr Aslam Bharwana is going to fight against M. Nawaz Bhawarana. In 2018, Aslam Bharwana won as an independent candidate. There is going to be a tough competition between the two.
Areas: Jhang Tehsil
20- Sheikhupura: PP-140
PTI’s Khurram Virk is going to fight against Mian Khalid Mehmood who won the MPA seat from this constituency in 2018. The constituency falls under NA-121, where PML-N’s Javed Latif is MNA. However, Virk is likely to win this seat. It is pertinent to mention that according to Majid Nizami, a TLP candidate is also contesting against these two and has a pretty strong position.
Five women journalists from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have won the grand jury and first runner-up prizes at the Women’s Empowerment and Religious Freedom Film Competition in Washington DC, USA.
For her movie, “She Stood Against Religious Extremism”, Peshawar-based journalist Zeenat Khan won the main jury prize at the festival, with a $3,000 cash reward.
Khalida Niaz won the first runner-up prize, and won a cash prize of $1,500 for her movie “Peace Promoters”.
Talking to The Current, Khalida said, “Peace Promoters is a network established by two Muslim sisters who belong to Pesahwar. They have 200 members, which include Hindus, Muslims, Christians and people from other religions too. They go to places of worship of different religions to promote peace and religious harmony. They also try finding commonalities in different religions.”
Khalid further said that although she has got the second position, this award is very precious to her as it made her feel rewarded for her nine-year long struggle in journalism.
“This award is an example that women journalists can do reporting on every subject,” she said. “I believe this award will inspire other women of my area to do what they want.”
“The area from where I come from is really backward. Women were not even allowed to study here for a long time, but things are gradually changing.”
“When women of our area see someone getting recognition for their work, it gives them hope for their future.”
“I want to dedicate this award to every woman, women who are working in different fields or women who are sitting at their homes but want to do something in their lives.”
Former President and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has expressed his wish to see his son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as prime minister of Pakistan in his lifetime.
Zardari said that when his son became foreign minister, his old friends told him that Bilawal would brighten the country’s name.
“Islamabad says you have weakened us but I say I have strengthened the provinces,” added Zardari. He said that when he was the president, he transferred power to the prime minister and the provinces through constitutional amendments. He said that the PPP had always raised its voice against political and social injustices and it would continue to fight against poverty and ignorance.
“We are fighting for a society where every citizen has economic and social justice and the state is a paradise for them.”
The Minor is a household name these days. A young girl, came into the limelight when a case of a missing minor girl was reported in Karachi. The missing or allegedly abducted girl was later found in Punjab where she had gotten married and was apparently living a happy life with her husband. This is where the case unravelled.
The Minor happens to be underage and her marriage to her husband is not considered a legal one per law. A girl/boy getting married under the age of 18 years is considered to be illegal. Earlier this year, Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared any marriages under the age of 18 years unlawful even though each province has different legal age for marriage.
The problem, in this case, is that no one is talking about the law here. The Minor is being dragged to the hospital every now and then to check her age through medical tests. Her parents come on television, record videos, and say how their daughter has been trapped. The Minor, on the other hand, keeps saying that she is happy and is not under any pressure. The court allowed her to decide who to stay with instead of keeping her in a government shelter until everything had been settled, under the law. Legal observers have raised another question including why a medical test, which is not accurate, is allowed when NADRA documents prove that she is a minor. Did the court not trust NADRA records and if not, why? These questions have so far not been answered.
In this case, we have left the main issue, i.e. underage marriage behind and are only catering to the drama that is unfolding: the fact that she sat on a cushion during an interview or that she wore make-up. Why is no one talking about how important it is for parents to talk with their children? Why is no one talking about how this case will impact the minds of children whose television screens keep flashing The Minor and her husband, the crying mother, and sister of The Minor ? Why is no one talking about how traumatic all this is for girls and boys of this age? Why is no one talking about how two children — who are apparently underage — got married after meeting online? Why did the boy’s family agree when the girl was quite obviously a minor? Why is there silence around these issues?
We hope that parents start to have open conversations with their children and create an environment where children can speak openly and a relationship of trust is built between them.
Twitter in India has withheld accounts of journalists Murtaza Ali Shah, Rana Ayyub, and C J Werleman.
Murtaza Ali Shah, a Pakistani reporter for Geo News, told The Current, “I am not sure what really happened but I received an e-mail from Twitter yesterday informing me about the withholding of my account in India. Whenever I posted or covered a story relevant to India or Khalistan, Sikhs For Justice, or Kashmir freedom movement and shared it on Twitter, I was informed by the latter that India has reported my tweet.”
“Twitter at the time did say that there was no violation seen in tweets [relevant to India]. This happened last year. I suppose this is the reason as to why my account has been withheld in India” said Shah, who is a Kashmiri by origin and hails from Azad Kashmir.
Pak Journalist @MurtazaViews‘s account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.
— Aditya Jha | আদিত্য ঝা (@khurlucchi) June 27, 2022
Rana Ayyub, a Muslim-Indian Indian journalist took to her Twitter account and said, “Hello Twitter, what exactly is this?”
The notice from Twitter read, “In order to comply with Twitter’s obligations under India’s local laws, we have withheld the following account in India under the country’s Information Technology Act, 2000.”
Werleman is a journalist who writes on Islamophobia and other issues regarding the Muslim communities. His account got suspended before Ayyub.
More proof @Twitter is operating as a protection racket for the Indian government: my account has now been withheld in India because of demands made by the far-right, Hindu fascist regime of Narendra Modi.
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemning the act tweeted, “Twitter complying with Indian government’s directive to withhold journalist @RanaAyyub’s tweet and block columnist @cjwerleman’s account in India are part of an unacceptable new trend of censorship on social media. This must stop! Journalists voices are essential for a democracy.”
Twitter complying with Indian government’s directive to withhold journalist @RanaAyyub‘s tweet and block columnist @cjwerleman‘s account in India are part of an unacceptable new trend of censorship on social media. This must stop! Journalists voices are essential for a democracy https://t.co/jtXvHP6Nq3
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Wednesday took up the issue of blocking the official Twitter accounts of Pakistani embassies and other noted personalities by India.
The Foreign Office spokesperson has said that India had withheld access to the Twitter handles of Pakistan’s embassies in Iran, Turkiye, Egypt, and the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
The spokesperson said that social media platforms must abide by the applicable international norms.
“We are urging Twitter to restore immediate access to our accounts and ensure adherence to democratic freedoms of speech and expression,” the spokesperson remarked.
‘Woman of bad character’ is one of the phrases we often hear when the word ‘abortion’ is mentioned in our country. Abortion means the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion sparked a debate after the United States (US) Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, a landmark ruling that granted the right to abortion. The court determined that there is no constitutional right to an abortion, leaving it up to the states to decide whether or not to allow abortions.
According to a 2020 article in ‘Soch writing’, Pakistan has an annual abortion rate of 50 per 1,000 women as per a 2012 survey, the highest in South Asia and one of the highest in the world. (A previous study estimated a rate of 27 per 1,000 women in 2002).
So at present, we understand the meaning of abortion but what we don’t understand is why is it required. A woman conceives a child, but somehow her circumstances lead her to the “choice” of not having the child anymore, and “she ends up deciding of quitting the will to bring a child into this world”. What happens next? She decides to “abort” the baby. Will she be “allowed” to do so? What if the woman was raped and conceived the child as a result of sexual assault? What if she is in an abusive marriage and doesn’t want to risk another life at the hands of her partner? What if the child conceived is a serious threat to the mother’s health? What if both parents are drug addicts? What if they don’t have the financial means to nurture a child? What if both parents carry childhood traumas that they haven’t fully recovered from? What if they are simply not ready? The situations are plenty but they all lead to one word, “choice”. A choice that a woman and her partner must have. A choice to decide when to bring another life into this world and their lives.
Women in Pakistan are no different. They are clearly seeking abortions, and medical practitioners often refuse to perform them or do so only in secret, which are very risky and at times, very expensive —in general, both seekers and providers of abortions tend to believe the procedure is against religion or Pakistani law, or both. So where does it lead us? Education on abortion must be taken up as a priority by the health practitioners and by the individuals involved. Yes, abortion is a big step and comes with its own weight and worries but one’s mind and body should be allowed to make a choice. A choice that doesn’t lead to a judgement about a woman’s character but will only be considered a choice which she freely made for herself. Her body, her choice.
After years of relentless hard work, Pakistan finally received a positive response from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The country is finally close to its removal from the global money-laundering and terrorist financing watchdog’s ‘grey list’. This for sure is a huge win for the country. This was made possible after countless days and nights our officials worked to bring Pakistan one step closer to being removed from the grey list. But here’s the twist. Who should be crowned for the FATF success? Many people are declaring it as their own victory.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan credited his government for this achievement. Khan congratulated former Energy Minister Hammad Azhar who was the main man working on FATF. On the other hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated the nation and appreciated the performance of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and the members of her team. According to Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, the premier made a telephone call to the army chief and “lauded his decision to set up the core cell at the GHQ”. Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major-General Babar Iftikhar termed the development “a great achievement” and gave credit to the “civil-military team” and mainly to the core cell set up at the army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi for it.
Though there is no doubt that the road to success in terms of FATF has been a long one for Pakistan, let us not forget that many have done a lot of hard work to bring the country to this point. But this recent episode of many claiming credit for our success at FATF has raised one question: Can we as a nation stand united and be able to celebrate the major wins together, keeping aside our political and personal differences? The answer, for now, seems, ‘no’. The recent political scenario has divided the nation so much that even conversing on a simple topic that involves politics ends up in a heated argument. Does one wonder where have the days of critical thinking and constructive debate gone? We can only hope that Pakistanis — be it politicians, think-tankers, policymakers or the common citizen — be able to celebrate Pakistan for its glory and wins.
Last week anchors Imran Riaz Khan and Sami Ibrahim were condemned for making homophobic and rape jokes just because the ‘boys club’ could not have a decent debate and in return thought it was okay to make fun of child abuse and rape. The anchors, in order to avoid being interviewed by journalist Matiullah Jan, insinuated that the interviewer was raped in the army barracks back when he was a cadet at the Pakistan Military Academy. Imran and the group of journalists around him, including anchorperson Sami Ibrahim, could be heard laughing and ridiculing Jan, who then challenged them all to invite him on their shows. This incident made us see so-called ‘civilised men’ making rape jokes, clearly reflecting how a sensitive subject like rape and abuse was nothing more than a joke for them. The men seen in the video laughing about someone being raped are not only disgusting, but triggering for those who have actually gone through sexual violence.
Recently, two advertisements of a perfume company in India glorifying rape culture were taken down by the Indian ad regulatory body, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). In one of the ads, four men can be seen entering a store. They are shown having a dispute over who will take a ‘shot’. There are four of them, but only one ‘shot’ is available. During this debate, instead of the bottle of body spray, a woman is shown and it looks like they are having an argument over who will first rape the woman. The woman even turns around in anger, believing the four men are talking about her. However, she is then shown relieved, when one of the men picks up the body spray called ‘Shot’.
What is most appalling in the scenarios discussed is how normally it is being engrained in our society that promoting rape or making rape jokes is a trait of masculinity. We need to understand that women and men are afraid of sharing their ordeal when they are sexually assaulted because society ridicules them instead of showing empathy. The question remains, why? Why is society not accepting of the person who has been raped? Why do we find the need to ridicule and shame them? When will people understand that it is the rapist who needs to be rebuked, punished, and questioned, not the survivor. The day our society learns to provide the strength where it is required and stand with the survivors of sexual assaults, no one will be frightened to talk about their horrific experiences. It is time to stand up for all victims.
