More Legal Progress for Women’s Rights in Pakistan

In an email from the Equal Rights Trust, excerpted below, there is good news for further legal reform in Pakistan. There are new criminal penalties for a variety of practices that have been used in the past to oppress women. As I argued in The Honor Code, there’s obviously more to real reform than changing the law. But it’s a start. Now they need to enforce it.

“On 12 December 2011, the Pakistani Parliament passed the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill and the Prevention of Anti-Women Practices (Criminal Law Amendment) Bill. Both Bills provide for amendments to be made to the Pakistan Penal Code 1860. The amendments seek to protect women and children against acid attacks and prevent other practices which discriminate against women, including forced marriages.”