We want to see girls as wives but are not ready to accept them as daughters. This contradiction explains our thinking about women who make more than half of our population. From malnutrition and forced marriages to domestic violence and honour killings, it is the women who are the victims.

But about rejecting a wife over a baby girl? It happened in the Daharki area of Ghotki district in Sindh where, according to 24NewsHD TV channel, Najma Khatoon was tortured and forced to leave the house after she gave birth to a girl.

According to her sister Irshadan Khatoon, Najma has no place to take shelter after the episode. The girl was born 15 days ago as a result of an operation – cesarean section which is also called a c-section – which infuriated male chauvinist Sikandar Malik who started torturing his wife. Later, she was expelled from the house.

But it did not stop there as Irshadan said the elder children have also been snatched from Najma. Officials should take notice of the issue and provide justice to them, she appealed.

With the women facing torture and threats at every level, the PML-N government’s decision to establish Violence against Women Centre (VAWC) in Multan was considered a big breakthrough. It was a first of the similar facilities planned in Punjab.

However, the PTI government has not made any progress in this respect. In fact, the staff working at the centre in Multan did not get their salaries for months, which were released after a strong protest by the people from different segments of life. The state of affairs had reached a point that there were fears that the centre would be closed forever.

The VAWC was set up following the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act 2016 – a 24/7 facility run completely by women to streamline investigation-prosecution case flow process which provides services like police, prosecution, medical, rehabilitation, counselling and shelter for the violence survivors who have no home to go to.