Women accused of blasphemy in Pakistan face the same severe criminal laws as men, but gender, poverty and minority status can create additional vulnerabilities.
Asia Bibi
Asia Bibi was a Christian agricultural laborer.
The dispute that eventually led to her blasphemy prosecution began among women working in agricultural fields.
She was sentenced to death.
Years later, Pakistan’s Supreme Court acquitted her.
Her case demonstrates how an everyday social disagreement can escalate into a prosecution with international consequences.
Shagufta Kausar
Christian woman Shagufta Kausar and her husband Shafqat Emmanuel were accused over allegedly blasphemous text messages.
They were sentenced to death in 2014.
The Lahore High Court eventually acquitted them in 2021.
Questions surrounding the evidence included whether the couple possessed the linguistic and technical capacity attributed to them.
Poverty and Legal Defence
A wealthy defendant can potentially hire experienced lawyers, relocate relatives and obtain expert evidence.
A poor woman may have none of those options.
When she is also part of a religious minority, economic vulnerability and religious vulnerability can reinforce each other.
The Other Women Affected
Women who are never accused also suffer.
A man’s arrest may leave his wife without household income.
Mothers may travel repeatedly to prisons and courts.
Daughters may leave school after threats against the family.
Widows of lynching victims may suddenly become responsible for supporting children alone.
Conclusion
Understanding women and blasphemy requires looking beyond the number of female defendants.
The larger story includes:
women accused,
women imprisoned,
wives left behind,
mothers fighting for imprisoned children,
and daughters displaced because of allegations against their fathers.
The gendered consequences reach far beyond the courtroom.
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