In 2002, Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission reported a 25% increase in cases of ‘honor’ killings, or murders in which family members kill a female relative for reasons ranging from suspected adultery to failure to bear sons.^[1] That same year, after seeing The Vagina Monologues performed in London, activist Nighat Rivzi became determined to bring the show to Pakistan to highlight women’s issues and raise awareness about violence.

Undaunted by the prospect of controversy, Rivzi herself was also the first woman to campaign publicly about AIDS in Pakistan. “I’ve had my office raided, red-painted rocks thrown through my windscreen, had a fatwa put on my head, but if we don’t say what we believe, nothing will change.” ^[2] Equally unfazed to speak out, actress Samina Pirzada and others signed on with Rivzi to perform The Vagina Monologues. At one time, Pirzada was barred from television for two years for appearing with her head uncovered.

Localized with Urdu and Punjabi words, The Vagina Monologues was first staged in Islamabad in 2003 for an audience of 160, mostly women, followed by performances for mixed audiences in Karachi and Lahore. Organized with AMAL, an NGO working on gender rights in Pakistan, the actresses added information about local incidents of violence against women and honor killings.

As a result of national and international media attention, the performances came under discussion in the National Assembly. Meanwhile, from January to September 2004, authorities recorded 410 reported honor killings.^[3] In October 2004, hundreds of Pakistani women’s rights activists demonstrated outside of the parliament to speak out against the government’s inaction on honor killings and violence against women. ^[4]In an major step forward, Pakistan's lower house of Parliament passed legislation in October 2004 that proposes life sentences in prison and even the death penalty for family members that commit “honor killings” of a woman. The bill also recommends that forced marriage be punishable by ten years in jail. ^[5]

In March 2004, Rivzi and Karachi-based actress Ayeshah Alam joined hands with an Indian cast in Mumbai to perform the Asian premiere of Eve Ensler’s play, “Necessary Targets.” Also featuring Ensler and Jane Fonda, Necessary Targets addresses women and war in the setting of a Bosnian refugee camp. Rivzi brought Necessary Targets home to Islamabad as well, and was honored to perform the play during the First Asia/Pacific Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Best Practices Conference, organized by AMAL in November 2004. And in 2005, Pakistani and Indian artists and activists will perform The Vagina Monologues together again, on tour in India.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN PAKISTAN

AMAL
“AMAL” which means “Action” in Urdu, works with particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness, gender sensitization, reproductive health awareness and capacity building of NGOs and individuals.
Nighat Rivzi (email)

Progressive Women Association
Since 1985, Progressive Women Association has fought for women's rights at the local level, to raise awareness about domestic violence, and provides a safe house, AASRA--meaning shelter in Urdu. AASRA also provides women with medical and legal support. In addition to advocating change in the nation's rape laws, the association also actively investigates "stove deaths," in which a husband or his relatives drench a wife with gasoline or kerosene and set her aflame. These incidents usually occur in the family's central quarters, and the families usually blame faulty kitchen stoves. Less than 1 percent of these women survive. Over the last nine years, the Progressive Women's Association has uncovered over 5,675 stove-death victims as part of the 16,000 cases they have documented of violence against women.
Shahnaz Bukhari (email)
Islamabad, Pakistan
Info at PWAI (email)

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¹ Feminist Majority Foundation, 12/12/2002, www.feminist.org/news
² The Sunday Times (London), March 17, 2003
³ Reported by the Associated Press, Feminist Majority Foundation, 10/29/2004, www.feminist.org/news
⁴ Feminist Majority Foundation, 10/11/2004, www.feminist.org/news
⁵ Reported by the Associated Press and New York Times, Feminist Majority Foundation, 10/29/2004, www.feminist.org/news


News Articles: V-Day and Pakistan

9 Mar 2004		Mid day: 'Staging it in Pakistan was tough'
17 Mar 2003		Sunday Times: Feminist forces invade Pakistan to win the battle of Vaginabad Amid all the shaven-headed Americans who have moved into Pakistan during the past 10 days in the search for Osama Bin Laden, another US invasion has gone almost unnoticed.