File this under "why gender counts in law and society."

In the USA we lead priveleged lives and do not face this kind of terror, at least in more prosperous neighborhoods. One of the chronic problems in Pakistan and other authoritarian countries is the exclusion of women from positions in governement and the law. It does make a difference that John Roberts is a man, despite whatever fine characteristics he has a jurist. The eye of "The Other" whether it be a person of color, a person of a different gender, someone of a different economic class will pick up nuances and details (and in the case of egregious episodes like the one Christoff write about here) and give voice to those who are invisible to the "official eye." If there were more women in the law, army and police in Pakistan, would this be such a rampant problem? But it is a truism that often oppressed people, such as the Pakistani men, turn to humiliate those closest to them in order to feel better. Getting people to see what is really oppressing them is a first step and it requires that we listen to the voices of "the Other."t r u t h o u t - Nicholas D. Kristof | Another Face of Terror