Liberating Women in Pakistan – The Sane Chronicle

While browsing the Pakistani blogosphere, I found out that writing, grumbling & debating about women issues is in vogue in Pakistan’s literary circle, not considering the fact that it only adds up to an already bad impression created about the country abroad. Well, I want to rest this argument once for good! -My lame attempt to stop educated Pakistanis from maligning Pakistan either intentionally or unintentionally, on International forums. Lets use our pen with responsibility.

Presenting women with financial independence and social autonomy, is often considered the precise approach to impart them power. However, the candid perspective is, empowering women is only a dream without ascertaining two fundamentals; A Blooming Economy & A Free Judiciary. And therefore, earnest political will! Integration of women into the social fabric would happen automatically with an improved economy & amplified employment opportunities. Dynamic government policies & magnanimous economic activity leading to more job generation will indirectly lead to more & more women coming out of homes to work, and hence turning them into financially self-sufficient beings.

Furthermore, enforcing women to work without any increase in jobs will only lead to more frustration in the society as now double the number of people will be applying for the same number of jobs, totting up the competition. However, by broadly improving economy, there would be enough space for both men & women in the job market in different categories. You see men doing many odd jobs that are purely a women’s domain, only because of redundancy. If job market is improved, these chores would also be available to women and even the most conservative ones would come out without eyebrows being raised.

Implying that Islam or mullahs hinder Pakistani women from coming out is totally wrong, since Pakistan is and will remain a moderate Islamic society, irrespective of what the west think of us. Taliban does not at all, are representative of Pakistani culture. 70% of village women here already work outside their homes. Attitude among urban class here has changed, in the last couple of years. Girls are outshining boys in academics these days. More & more girls are joining professions that were previously considered male dominated. More girls than boys are graduating as doctors these days!!More girls are going abroad than ever for higher education. The stereotype has broken. Albeit, more encouragement is needed.

Nonetheless, a piece of advice to those aspirant working ladies; be careful as not to be exploited. Do not mold yourself into a money making machine. Keep this engraved in your mind that the liability of bread & butter lies with the man of the house. To some it may sound old-fashioned, but tell you its very ingenious! A man inept of bearing the burden of his family is not a man enough. Be tactful, shrewd & sober!

Also, I differ from the common obsession of presuming working women as a parameter of modernity or prosperity of a particular society. Women can be very ecstatic & content inside homes. General prosperity, welfare, emotional well being, health, and freedom they hold inside households count more.

Another major concern is harassment and domestic abuse. But yet again, I address it as a minor subset of a foremost & fundamental issue i.e., Lawlessness & Injustice. Endorsing Women Empowerment Bill or Women Harassment Bill is a virtuous move indeed but ineffectual, unless law & justice is ensued. And that needs Political will. Moreover, we have a country where the rights of men, children, women, and elderly equally are being jeopardized. Had there been a situation where men & children were attaining every right & only women were being endangered, I would have totally gone for feminism.

In reality, instead of outrageously fuming over women issues, we need to build the basic infrastructure to begin with. Primarily, toil upon actual & core issues i.e.Education For All, poverty elimination, justice for all brought about by a willing headship.

In our society, Liberation of women could only come through first liberating men. An escalating economy & a free judiciary delivered through genuine political intent, would lead to social uplift anyways & will beget awareness of human as well as women rights. It will change attitude towards women without being overly skeptical about it.This is the lone recipe to resolve women issues in every developing country.

Gosh! Everything is culminating on a truthful, law-abiding political leadership, or is it just my obsession?


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14 responses to “Liberating Women in Pakistan – The Sane Chronicle”

  1. Haroon Mazhar Muhamm Avatar
    Haroon Mazhar Muhamm

    Good Article..

  2. Saira Avatar
    Saira

    Not impressed. I seriously thought this was written by some male chauvinist and was surprised to learn a woman was behind it. I'm all for economic growth and social justice. Yet suggesting that women refrain from joining the work force because there are already men who need to have jobs is somewhat ridiculous. Most women heading towards the work force as also looking to support themselves or their families.

    In addition, in this day and age putting the entire burden of providing for the family on the man is tantamount to inducing a heart attack. If women wish to have more rights, they need to earn them and step up to the plate.

    1. Cervet Cahn Avatar

      Women should restrict their needs and control their extravagance and let the man earn the bread unless its seriously required.

      I am totally unable to get this whole useless rant of women empowerment, women liberating, gender equality since ages!

    2. housewife Avatar

      Economic growth and social justice cannot be achieved with education alone without the religious guidelines and values. Following Islamic teachings of justice, equality, honesty and hardwork will automatically put all the pieces of the puzzle in their places. BUT unfortunately these have become mere “words”.

      These values cannot be taught in schools alone, for that you need a “tarbiatyafta” mother at home who is not running around for jobs when her future generation is raised by an uneducated “aya”. I am not against working of women but her prime role is looking after home and raising her kids. I don’t think the role of the mother or wife is less then that of a doctor or any other professional.

  3. Mansoor Khalid Avatar
    Mansoor Khalid

    Women hold a vital position in a balanced, liberal and tolerant society. They have the ability and intelligence to be as productive as men for any society except in a society hijacked by religious militants.

  4. Ashfaq Avatar
    Ashfaq

    Plz Read this. (its a downloadable PDF)
    http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/cws/arti
    Some of the interesting quotes:

    "Soviet society can list some very real accomplishments regarding women. Equality legislation exists which is the envy of theworld's women. In 70 years, a backward feudal state, with an intervening history which can only be described as tragic, has eradicated illiteracy, produced the largest number of women professionals and specialists on the globe and has 90 percent of its female population engaged in productive labour. It can claim many "firsts," from the first woman ambassador to the first

    woman in space"

    and after all that what Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev have to suggest in Perestroika (Reconstruction):

    "returning women to their womanly mission" as "keepers of the

    family."

    I.m sure both Mr. Gorbachev & Russian Societ is not Hijacked by Religious Militants. 🙂

    1. Nazia Avatar
      Nazia

      Women whether working or not working as professionals are not placed only as tag of keepers of family but should be responsible of character building of any society.

      Societies are build on the personalities of women which superficially looks under control of men .

      I consider a capable woman act like backbone of any live family/society,if one of her disc{qualities) comprising of her values, character,hardworking and devotion for her family and surroundings slips, all matters shatter around men of her concern.Except in feudal culture, I hardly see that her liberation is any way disturbed by our system.Women are dominant in all matters of her interests.If she has a wish to exceed in any matter she has lot of opportunity to excel depending upon her devotion and commitment.

      Girl's brought up matters in developing her sense of liberation.Some woman love to behave like childish nature and some families groom their girl child as confident and equal sharing person .They are picked by their spouses for their such qualities.If Parents themselves degraded their girl child and let them down in front of a male heir she would naturally lose her sense of liberation or might react opposite to this and become rebellious and reactive to hold her importance in this system in which she was first disregarded by her parents.

      Those woman accept abusiveness of men who take it normal from their family life styles and this trend is common in our lower and so called top elite class.

      For lower class it becomes obvious to all as they are in majority and live in open spaces as compared to enclosed elite class who before coming out polish their traces of abused behaviour in fake get up.

    2. Kashifiat Avatar

      Nizia ! Excellent observations & thoughts

    3. Aamir Mughal Avatar

      Nazia says: – June 16, 2010 at 4:22 pm Women whether working or not working as professionals are not placed only as tag of keepers of family but should be responsible of character building of any society. Societies are build on the personalities of women which superficially looks under control of men.

      ===================

      Excellent thoughts.

  5. readinglord Avatar
    readinglord

    What is the woman? She is what the man makes her: First of all family relations: she is a wife, then mother, giving birth to daughters and sons, to be brothers and sisters and then come her free market identities, like sex-worker, both slave and professional, etc.,etc.. What rights do you want to give to each category when the status of each is determined by its relation to the man, as a Punjabi song says:

    "Seiyyo ni mera Maahi menu Heer banaawan aa geiyaa?"

    What more a woman can want, if not to become a HEER?

  6. farrah shah Avatar
    farrah shah

    Fatima Saleem !!What a sane voice and a realistic advice.I hundred percent agree with you and endorse it.

    I was a working woman in Pakistan and UK as well I think you are absolutely right it is not only the women situation which needs to improve it is the men as well .

    It all depends on the social condition in general which co relate to provide better conditions for both men and women and a liberating society.

    Religion is to preserve human morality and dignity but social structure , providing justice and work opportunity is a responsibility of the Government .

    People must work for Justice and social uplift through work opportunities and rest should follow.

  7. TS Avatar
    TS

    I'm afraid I find this article to be rotten from the very outset.

    You say that "…writing, grumbling & debating about women issues is in vogue in Pakistan’s literary circle, not considering the fact that it only adds up to an already bad impression created about the country abroad….My lame attempt to stop educated Pakistanis from maligning Pakistan either intentionally or unintentionally, on International forums."

    Must one temper debate and discussion on domestic issues in the light of "international opinion"? The measure of a nation's worth is not its depiction in foreign media but in the hearts and minds of its own people. One would hope we derived our sense of self-respect from more than the opinions of foreigners.

    The basic premise of your article appears to be to link the issue of women's rights with improvements in the economic and wider social sphere. More jobs will mean more women will work? Improved law and order will mean less domestic abuse?

    You do know that what holds women back in their careers is not an objective lack of opportunities but the attitude and censure of those around them? In how many dual-career households is the job of the woman seen as equal in importance, or even as demanding, as that of the man? How will simply increasing the number of jobs alter such mindsets? You come across as naively ignorant in this respect.

    It was sad to see domestic abuse referred to as a "minor subset" of lawlessness and injustice.

    Minor?

    Subset?

    Violence within the home is more consistent, relentless and permanently damaging than the occasional violence you are likely to be subjected to on the street. How can anyone call it minor? Also, the dynamics of law enforcement are vastly different when comparing public violence and that which is conducted within the home. The key issue here is awareness. Something which the author appears to lack.

    Equating women's rights with the wider and different concept of human rights is an old, old ploy- one which downplays the distinct nature and significance of the specific barriers and problems faced by women in the role of women, rather than in the capacity of a person. To take such a stance is to eradicate in its entirety the concept of discrimination.

  8. readinglord Avatar
    readinglord

    @TS says:

    "Equating women’s rights with the wider and different concept of human rights is an old, old ploy- one which downplays the distinct nature and significance of the specific barriers and problems faced by women in the role of women, rather than in the capacity of a person. To take such a stance is to eradicate in its entirety the concept of discrimination."

    'Discrimination' is the word too much in vogue. One can also protest why in our Urdu media and the public transport, the woman is referred to as 'Khatoon' (lady) and the man not as 'gentleman', just a 'furd' or 'sawaari'. It was only in Swat, under Taliban; that they had mentioned the men as gentlemen in a banner they had displayed on a market, disallowing entry of women, which red,"Only gentlemen allowed in this market".

    In fact, The man and the woman are different, rather complimentary to each other as head and foot are. As it is they are given different statuses according to their functions. Similar is the position of men in any organization. Should different ranks allotted in accordance with the function of each man be called discrimination. So is the family. My father's wife is my mother, whom I respect as none else. But my wife being her Bahu cannot expect the same kind of respect from me. Can it be called a discrimination?

    And there is a culture of 'Heera Mandi' where women are free and equal…and what not. But no 'Khatoon' will treat the sex-worker's profession as honourable. Will you not call it intra-female discrimination?

  9. sarah farooq Avatar
    sarah farooq

    My Goodness!! this is one of the MOST ridiculous pieces of writing I have come across lately. Where are you living Ms. Saleem..seriously what world is it? This is the country where mukhtaran mai was raped before an entire village (and is now being openly threatened by an MNA for pursuing a case against the perpetrators), where a female underage domestic servant was raped, and murdered, where a member of parliament openly defended his ‘cultural and tradition right’ to murder women in the name of ‘honor’!!!!!

    You are propagating that we should not challenge the status quo of women in Pakistan because it tarnishes our image as a country!! you further seem to be suggesting that we dramatize and exaggerate the plight of women??

    TS seems to have covered some of the glaring inadequacies of your argument. But what offends me the most is that you can sit in your comfortable home with your comfy sheltered life and undermine the everyday plight and hardship which the majority of the women in this country suffer on a daily basis.

    You downplay the role that religion has played. You cant seem to understand that when scripture requires a women to cover herself and deems her subordinate to her husband (or any man), how the situation is aggravated and manipulated.

    You seem to think dignity, respect and humane treatment are some kind of luxury item Pakistani women should learn to live without??

    Yes economic hardship plays a role, but it is only part of problem and certainly not secondary to the overhaul that is required in Pakistani mindsets, including yours!

    Do elaborate on what percentage of the Pakistani population constitutes the ‘urban class’ you talk abt, where women go to schools, and outshine boys and go abroad??

    ‘Keep this engraved in your mind that the liability of bread & butter lies with the man of the house’ and what should we engrave as being our responsibility Fatima?: cooking and having babies??? Or what many upper class Pakistani women do nowadays: coffee mornings and visiting tailors?

    Firstly, not all women (obviously unlike yourself) have a choice when deciding to work. For some of us, it’s a financial need, regardless of our husbands working.

    Seondly and more importantly you seem to fail to understand the importance of education and career beyond ‘money’ making. Its about playing a role in society, the more women there are involved in public life and not limited to homes, the closer we will be to a more balanced society. Career and education, not only prevent women from being at the mercy of others but also allow them to develop as individuals, with interests and lives of their own. Being a good parent is a big achievement but your responsibility as a parent diminishes over time.

    I believe just as strongly that being a homemaker is a huge responsibility, but it is not necessarily that of the woman alone. Men need to play just as active a role in the household and upbringing of the children.

    And why should anyone, man or woman, be the liability of another? Why should we convince ourselves that men are responsible for supporting us, are we that handicapped? Choosing to be a stay at home spouse, is any man or woman’s independent decision but what kind of message is that to send to our daughters. “Child! remember that you are your husbands responsibility’. Why don’t you add along, please engrave in your minds that ‘you are your husbands property’. In many relationships men respect and love their wives regardless of their dependence, but economic dependency is a large part of the reason why women also suffer or chose to remain in unhappy abusive marriages!

    You claim ‘General prosperity, welfare, emotional well being, health, and freedom they hold inside households count more’. Firstly, what scientific research led you to this conclusion? Secondly, please define the very wide terminology ‘General prosperity, welfare, emotional well being, health, and freedom (inside the household)’?

    How does one achieve general prosperity, welfare and emotional wellbeing? Did it ever occur to you the many many factors, including careers, education, financial independence and comfort, could contribute towards this state and that these factors differ from individual to individual???

    And really..what is ‘freedom inside the household’..movement from one room to another???

    I am sure I sound like I am ‘outrageously fuming’ as you put it, but its not because I haven’t heard these views before, but because when educated, privileged women like you express these views, it literally disgusts me and it is at points like that I loose all hope for this country!

    Please come out of your shell, your myopic thinking, look around you, empathize with what women in this country go through. Help make this a better country. Yes we need better leadership etc but our leaders are only a reflection of who we are!! Till we change, nothing will. And education and the elevation of the status of women, minorities and the poor in this country are key to any progress!