Watch the documentary The Girl in the River and then answer the following questions in English as a comment to this blog post.
- How did the documentary make you feel? For example, what shocked you the most and why?
- What did you learn about the judicial system in Pakistan?
- What would you do in a similar situation?
- What does the UN say about the status of women in Pakistan?
EYL Global Citizens 
The documentary made me feel a little bit uneasy and also made me really mad about the situation in pakistan and these unwritten “society laws”. The most shocking thing was that society had totally approved everything Sabas father had done and thought it was Sabas fault..
The judicial system in pakistan is pretty bad,unfair,sexist and the list would go on and on just by taking into consideration these kind of “forgivenesses” because this puts more pressure on the victims by the society. This way it is their choice to make, therefore they get judged and punished for it afterwards either ways. What I have learned about the pakistani judicial system is that it definitely does not have enough resources to protect people’s rights
Well if I was the father I would just be okay with the situation, as long as my daughter is happy with someone she loves. If I was the girl that got shot in the face by her own father after he had broken his promise to something such holy as the quran ( pretending I would believe in god and being a muslim, I understand that lying in the name of Quran would by itself be a very bad thing). I personally would have never forgiven my father for doing all that.
UN says that women are often treated as second grade citizens or even lower which means that it is pretty bad of a position for women’s rights, gender equality and even basic human rights
1. I think that the documentary was shocking and I felt disgusted after hearing what Sabas father did.
2. The system doesn’t protect the victims and ”rewards” those who have done wrong.
3. You can’t forgive him no matter what.
4. In Pakistan women do not have the same rights as men thus not treated equally.
How did the documentary make you feel? For example, what shocked you the most and why?
Documentary made me feel disgusted and sad, because Saba’s dad tried to kill her for no reason which is disgusting and sick
What did you learn about the judicial system in Pakistan?
It’s very bad. People should not get released just like that, expecially when it is obvious that the victim doesn’t want that. People clearly pressured her to do that.
What would you do in a similar situation?
I wouldn’t have forgive my dad. Why would I? Clearly he doesn’t love me if he tries to kill me, why should I forgive him?
What does the UN say about the status of women in Pakistan?
Society in Pakistan doesn’t treat women equally. They don’t have rights like men do. They usually stay at home and aren’t allowed to go to school
How did the documentary make you feel? For example, what shocked you the most and why?
– I felt a bit disgusted because sabas father tried to kill her what was weird . And I don’t understand why Saba forgive her father who tried to kill her.
What did you learn about the judicial system in Pakistan?
– I learned that relatives can release a criminal if they forgive him for their actions even if their loved one tried to kill them It’s really hard being a girl in Pakistan because they do not have the same rights as men
What would you do in a similar situation?
– I would’t forgive him no matter what
What does the UN say about the status of women in Pakistan?
-Women are’t treated well in Pakistan and they don’t have the same rights as men
How did the documentary make you feel? For example, what shocked you the most and why?
– I felt a bit disguised because the dad tried killing the girl and he just got more appreciation. And I don’t understand why did she forgive her father because if I was here then I would not forgive that easily.
What did you learn about the judicial system in Pakistan?
– Not good and men get better respect then women even if he did something bad. It’s really hard being a girl in Pakistan.
What would you do in a similar situation?
– not forgive him that easily but he is my dad so I think he can change so I would eventually forgive him. But I would move away so He won’t get a second chance to kill me. But what I was thinking was in Finnland but if I was in Pakistan and this happened it would be a hard decision.
What does the UN say about the status of women in Pakistan?
-Women aren’t treated well and Pakistan is one of the lowest in gender equality. They can’t do the same things as men. Many women have to stay at home and do work and not go to school.
The most important thing that shocked me, was that Saba forgave her dad and uncle. I have heard about these kind of things, where families kill their own daughter, if they believe, she has dishonored her entire family. It was really empowering to know, that women have the guts to stand by themselves and possibly send her own family members to jail. The judicial system in Pakistan, is weird. Because you can forgive you’re own father, and he can het out of jail for that? In Finland things doesn’t work that way. I would suggest, that even though the victim forgives the suspect, the suspect would stay in prison at least for five years. When this happens again, the suspect would just think, that the victim will forgive him. Or if we think the worst, the victim will die. If this would be me, I wouldn’t forgive him. But in Pakistan, where the father brings the food to the table, I would forgive him, just because I don’t want my family to die in famine.
The UN is working in Pakistan, to get gender equality by 2030. The UN has noticed, how bad quality is in Pakistan and they are doing everything for it.
1. The documentary made me feel mad. It also made me empathize with Saba. I was shocked to the reasoning behind Saba’s father’s decision to kill her. I felt disgusted after hearing that Saba’s father got more respect after what he did. The father also felt proud of himself which was horrible.
2. It is not good. The justice system helps those that do wrong. Something major has to be done to change how the system works. You can’t let someone free just because the family is pressured to forgive them.
3. I would have done the same as Saba. Not because I would want to forgive them but because I would be pressured to. The Pakistani society pressures you to make that decision.
4. Women aren’t treated as equals in the Pakistani society. They don’t have the same possibilities as men. Women are rarely allowed to go to school or work. Pakistan is ranked as one of the lowest in the gender equality ranking.