Sindh: Sixty per cent 'Haari' women sexually abused: survey

[Naveed Yaseen]

Karachi
According to a survey carried out by PILER in the bonded labour settlements around Hyderabad, 60 per cent of the women responded that they were sexually abused during the period they remained bonded with the landowners.

Moreover, an overwhelming majority of these bonded labourers (90 per cent) are scheduled caste Hindus, reveals the study. Hindus are more vulnerable to bondage due to their religion, caste and weak economic conditions. Since they are in immediate need of credit, they receive loans from landowners and accept all their conditions in return.

However, the landlords in most cases seize the Haris when they don’t meet the impossible conditions of the loans. The Haris continue to remain poor and pay off their debt through work on agricultural fields. This leads to their never-ending bondage with the feudals.

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