Kashmiri women face grave rights violations under militarisation: experts

ISLAMABAD, Dec 21 (APP): Speakers at a webinar on Sunday highlighted the grave human rights violations faced by women in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) under prolonged militarisation, saying Kashmiri women continue to endure violence, discrimination and psychological trauma amid an atmosphere of impunity and repression.
The webinar, organised by Kashmir Media Service and United Kashmir Journalists Association, was titled “Suppression and Silent Suffering: Women’s Perspectives on Militarization in Kashmir” was moderated by senior journalist Dr. Muhammad Ashraf and human rights activist Rais Ahmed.
Addressing the webinar, former AJK minister and CEO Dastak, Farzana Yaqoob, said Kashmiri women had suffered severe human rights abuses for decades, referring to incidents such as Kunan Poshpora. She regretted that these violations had not been effectively highlighted at international forums despite global sensitivity towards women’s rights, and stressed the need to expose crimes committed against Kashmiri women and girls, including minors.
Principal Solicitor Sobia Shawl said India had failed to grant basic rights to the people of Kashmir and had provided complete impunity to its forces through draconian laws such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Public Safety Act. She said these laws enabled arbitrary arrests, prolonged detention without trial and widespread rights violations, disproportionately affecting women. She added that cordon-and-search operations led to harassment, invasion of privacy and severe psychological trauma, while several women activists remained in illegal detention.
Associate Director CISS-AJK, Syeda Tehreem Bukhari, highlighted the historical and contemporary role of Kashmiri women in the resistance movement, naming figures such as Parveena Ahangar, Asiya Andrabi, Asia Jilani and Zumrud Habib. She said women’s political agency and resistance were systematically obscured by dominant Indian narratives, despite women being key political actors in the struggle.
Human rights activist, anchorperson and PhD scholar Naila Altaf described resilience as central to Kashmiri women’s resistance, referring to Kashmiri poets such as Lala Arifa as symbols of cultural strength and defiance. Research Officer CISS-AJK, Saba Ghulam Nabi, highlighted the alarming deterioration of women’s health in IIOJK, citing declining fertility rates, infant mortality and widespread mental health disorders caused by prolonged conflict and militarisation.
Chairperson All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference Women Wing, Saima Sajid, said Kashmiri women remained resilient despite imprisonment, trauma and sexual violence in areas such as Kunan Poshpora, Sopore and Kupwara, and urged the international community to treat Kashmir as a humanitarian crisis. Researcher Soma Aslam said heavy militarisation and routine intimidation had severely disrupted daily life in IIOJK, particularly affecting women and children.
The speakers urged the international community, human rights organisations and global media to uphold international human rights and humanitarian law and to amplify the voices and lived experiences of Kashmiri women enduring prolonged militarisation.