Until January 2018, Zainab Amin's name was only known to her immediate Pakistan family. On January 4, she was reported missing, and five days later, a police constable assigned to find her discovered her lifeless body among a pile of trash near Shahbaz Khan Road. According to the police, it appeared that the girl had been killed four or five days before the discovery of her body. This tragic incident marked the 12th occurrence within a 10-kilometer radius in Kasur within a year.
Following that, the incident became etched in our collective consciousness. Living in the same neighborhood as Zainab, the impact of the tragedy is deeply personal to me. It transcends being just a news story; it is a stark reality that hits close to home, intensifying the pain and underscoring the urgent need for change. The echoes of her story resonate not only in headlines but within the very fabric of our community, emphasizing the pressing importance of fostering a safer environment for all. Parents were gripped with fear, hesitant to allow their children to venture outside, and an unmistakable sense of anxiety permeated the air. Personally, I found myself consumed by fear. The once-familiar routine of going to school, playing with friends, and even being at home alone became a source of dread. The shadows of uncertainty cast by the tragedy made every step outside my door feel like navigating a world fraught with danger. It was a time when fear became an unwelcome companion, casting a long and dark shadow over the simple joys of everyday life.
Child safety education should start at a young age and be integrated into all aspects of a child's education. Children need to be taught about good touch and bad touch, about the dangers of strangers, and about how to speak up if they are ever abused.
They also need to be taught how to stay safe in different situations, such as walking home from school, playing in the park, or using the internet.
In Pakistan, child safety education is still in its infancy. However, several organizations are working to change this. For example, the Zainab Alert Trust, founded by Zainab's parents, is working to raise awareness about child safety and provide educational resources to parents and teachers. Pakistan's government has also taken steps to promote child safety education. For example, it has developed a national curriculum for child safety, which is now being taught in some schools.
However, there is still much more that needs to be done. Child safety education should be mandatory in all schools in Pakistan and taught by trained and qualified teachers. In addition to school-based education, parents also play a vital role in teaching their children about safety. Parents need to talk to their children about the dangers of the world and how to stay safe. They need to create a safe and supportive environment for their children where they feel comfortable talking to them about anything.
Here are some specific ways to incorporate child safety education into school curricula:
Develop a comprehensive child safety curriculum covering all aspects of child safety, including sound and lousy touch, stranger danger, bullying, and cyberbullying.
Train teachers on how to teach child safety education effectively.
Provide schools with the resources to implement child safety education programs, such as lesson plans, teaching materials, and guest speakers.
Make child safety education mandatory for all students, from kindergarten to high school.
It is just sad to think about the fact that you lived in the same neighborhood as Zainab when the incident took place. Not knowing Zainab personally, the tragedy affected me for days. I can never imagine how it impacted you at such a young age.
You are right; increasing child awareness through education is an essential part of the solution. But I feel like Pakistan needs to address the other side as well—the ones who commit these crimes. Although punished, the process takes so long and has many delays. The punishment for rape and murder-related crimes must be solidified and taught in school curriculums. Starting from high school, for example, children should ne aware of the consequences of such…
Thank you for sharing this. The tragic story of Zainab Amin, resonating not only in headlines but deeply within our community truly highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to child safety education in Pakistan. Promoting child safety education from a young age is so important, including vital lessons about good touch and bad touch, awareness of strangers, and guidance on staying safe in multiple situations, including online interactions- and I do hope that awareness as well as subsequent implementations of this is made, because so many children are taken advantage of and exploited
I completely agree with your emphasis on educating girls on sexual harassment. A similar incident that comes to my mind is the murder of an 8-year-old girl, Asifa Bano who was abducted from her home and was drugged and raped by several men, including a police constable. The critical question is what can be done to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future? I believe that education is not the only solution, there has to be a multifaceted approach involving various stakeholders to address the root cause and prevent similar strategies from occurring in the future. Also, the legal frameworks have to be strengthened to ensure strict punishments for those found guilty.
Every unfortunate chance I got to see Zainab’s face on television in regard to her case, I would feel devasted. I cannot possibly fathom what it would be like for you to bid goodbye to her as a neighbor in such a tragic occurrence.
I was reading through your blog and you are absolutely right in emphasizing on the importance of good and bad touch. The fact that majority of girls have had to face some sort of sexual harassment is exactly why sex education is so important. I would like to mention Ashhad Ahmed Qureshi, a young Pakistani based in the United States who took an amazing initiative and wrote a a children’s book in Urdu to help educate…
Thank you for sharing this. It is a very sensitive topic, so not many can talk about it, and I am glad that you did.
What happened to Zainab, such a pure innocent soul, still haunts me. I remember when this terrifying news broke out and everyone around me was talking about it, but Zainab is not the only victim. This has happened to many girls in Pakistan, and it is just terrifying to see. I am glad you talked about this issue and how child safety education should be made mandatory, and I totally agree with you. This child safety education will teach children a lot about how one shouldn’t talk to strangers or go with them anywhere. It…