Last week, the Pakistan government proposed the “Wife Protection” bill as a form of ‘discipline’. In the proposal, Mohammad Khan Sheerani suggested that a light beating is acceptable should the need arise to ‘punish’ a woman. It also listed down other things like the ban of women to work in the military, receive foreign/non-related individuals, and the husband’s approval before consumption of birth control medication. The proposal also encouraged beating if a woman did not wear a hijab or gave cash to others without permission.
It recommended that an abortion after 120 days should be considered ‘murder’, and proposed a ban on women working in ‘vulgar’ advertisements.
Many people, including human rights activists termed the proposal as unconstitutional, bringing a bad name to Muslims all over the world.
“A husband should be allowed to lightly beat his wife if she defies his commands and refuses to dress up as per his desires; turns down demand of intercourse without any religious excuse or does not take bath after intercourse or menstrual periods,” Pakistan’s Express-Tribune newspaper cited the proposal as saying.
#TryBeatingMeLightly
Women all over Pakistan responded with dissent, and a Karachi photographer, Fahhad Rajper started a portrait series this week on Twitter, #TryBeatingMeLightly, for the same. Here are some reactions of the women:
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