Anti-women remarks

May 03, 2018

AN apology alone will not be enough, even though an unconditional one is absolutely necessary.

The ugly, hateful and, yes, deliberate remarks of Rana Sanaullah, Punjab law minister, and also Abid Sher Ali, an evidently uncouth PML-N politician related to the Sharif family, against women have been widely condemned and only somewhat repudiated by the PML-N.

There is further disgust at Mr Sanaullah’s intransigence, for he not only refused to apologise for his unacceptable remarks but has scurrilously attempted to rake up disquieting allegations against Imran Khan.

A public backlash against the PML-N’s seemingly regular verbal vileness against female political opponents and voters has caused sections of the PML-N to distance themselves from the comments, but that is not enough. Within the PML-N, there are far too many male politicians, senior and frontline party leaders, who are repeatedly obnoxious to women in politics and the electorate.

An apology loses its meaning and effect if the offending behaviour does not change. The PML-N must not only censure but should also sanction party members who are repeat offenders. A meaningful deterrent is needed at this point.

Certainly, the PML-N is not alone in spewing anti-women rhetoric.

All political parties have male leaders who have either publicly made derogatory remarks or are dismissive of female colleagues and politicians. While the Constitution has enshrined and the law encourages the participation of women in the political process, the mostly male leaderships of political parties have not evolved quickly enough to genuinely regard women as political equals deserving of the same respect that male peers are accorded.

True, there are positive examples of men in politics who are respectful of women, but the overall position is unpleasant enough to warrant serious intervention. Perhaps incidents against parliamentarians can be referred to an ethics committee for action.

The ECP could consider requiring political parties to have effective internal disciplinary mechanisms. The next assemblies could have mandatory training and awareness sessions for incoming representatives about what the rules require of them in working with and addressing female colleagues. Women parliamentarians should be invited to make recommendations for improving the political atmosphere for women in politics.

All this should be backed by a sense of a decency and willingness to punish misbehaving colleagues. As a frequent offender, the PML-N should help lead the way in correcting an ugly problem.