India Criticizes Pakistan at The UN For Sexual Violence Against Women Ever Since 1971

India tells the UN Security Council about Pakistan’s history of sexual abuse and talks about its own efforts to keep women safe around the world.

August 20 in New York: India’s Charge d’Affaires, Eldos Mathew Punnoos, gave a strong and moving speech in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in which he talked about Pakistan’s long history of sexual violence, which goes back to 1971 and is still going on today. Punnoos spoke during the UNSC’s Open Debate on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and decried the horrible things the Pakistani Army has done and continues to do, especially to women and girls from minority groups.

“The complete lack of punishment for the Pakistan army’s horrible crimes of extreme sexual abuse against hundreds of thousands of women in what was then East Pakistan in 1971 is a disgraceful record. “This awful pattern keeps going on and on without punishment to this day,” Punnoos said.

Pakistan’s Bad History of Sexual Violence

India told the UN Security Council about the terrible things that happened to women during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. Punnoos says that these crimes are still happening in Pakistan today: thousands of women were kidnapped, forced into marriage, trafficked, made to work as maids, sexually assaulted, and forced to change their religion.

He noted that Pakistan’s courts typically approve of these crimes, so it’s hilarious that the people who did them are now trying to act like “champions of justice.” Punnoos said that Pakistan is “duplicitous and hypocritical,” and that atrocities like this tear apart communities and leave scars for generations.

India’s Call for Justice and a Focus on Survivors

Punnoos stressed the importance of global accountability and asked the international community to take a survivor-centered strategy that includes many different aspects to make sure victims get justice and help. He talked about UNSC Resolution 2467 (2019), which stresses the importance of providing survivors with legal help, medical care, mental health care, secure housing, and rehabilitation.

He highlighted that “those who commit horrible acts of sexual violence during a conflict must be condemned in the strongest possible terms and brought to justice.”

India’s Role in Helping Victims Around the World

India’s promise to put an end to sexual exploitation in war zones was also brought up. Punnoos said that India was one of the first countries to give money to the Secretary-General’s Trust Fund to help victims of sexual abuse. He also remembered the voluntary agreement that India and the UN struck in 2017 to stop sexual exploitation in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.

India has taken the lead in UN projects under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For example, it has sent female engagement teams and all-women police units to war zones like Liberia, MONUSCO, UNICEF, and UNMAS. He noted that these teams have been very helpful in dealing with issues that affect women, helping victims, and making peacekeeping missions stronger.

India’s Steps to Keep Women Safe at Home

Punnoos also talked on India’s plan to keep women safe at home, saying that other countries may use it as a model:

The Nirbhaya Fund is a $1.2 billion fund that will not run out and will be used to improve women’s safety infrastructure.

Emergency Response System (112): A national helpline for women’s safety that offers help right away.

Sakhi One Stop Centers: Set up in every district to help survivors with police, legal, medical, and shelter needs.

Fast-Track Special Courts: These courts are dedicated to quickly trying crimes against women so that justice can be served more quickly.

Training Programs: Special classes for police, prosecutors, and medical staff to learn how to handle sexual violence cases with care and accuracy in forensic science.

Punnoos added, “India is ready to share this knowledge and experience with member states that are interested.” He was talking about talks that took place at the Conference of Women Peacekeepers from the Global South in New Delhi earlier this year.

A Call to Action Around the World

Punnoos ended his address by saying that India would continue to fight forcefully against sexual abuse in crisis zones and fully support survivors of these terrible crimes. Women’s rights to justice and respect are not up for debate; they are basic human rights.