Woman Empowerment

 “The world has never yet seen a truly great and virtuous nation because in the degradation of woman the very fountains of life are poisoned at their source.”- Lucretia Mott

Gender equality and women's empowerment are human rights that lie at the heart of development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Despite the progress that has been made, six out of ten of world's poorest people are still women, less than 16 percent of the world's parliamentarians are women, two thirds of all children shut outside the school gates are girls and, both in times of armed conflict and behind closed doors at home, women are still systematically subjected to violence. According to the United Nations Millennium Campaign, women work two-thirds of the world’s working hours, but they earn only 10 percent of the world’s income, and consequently own less than 1 percent of the world’s property.

Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed.  If I fail, no one will say, “She doesn't have what it takes.” They will say, "Women don't have what it takes.”  -Clare Boothe Luce

Throughout history woman have been exploited, repressed and relegated to pariah status. Male domination of society through the ages thus came to be viewed as natural. It is one of the baser traits of human nature to exploit the economic needs of weaker segments of the society. Gender discrimination is not confined to third world countries; rather it has plagued the whole world. Even the woman related issues were on the official agenda of G20 Seoul Summit of 2010. While Pakistan being no exception, the women's rights vis-à-vis men are quite scant. The social and cultural context of Pakistani society is predominantly patriarchal. Women have a low participation in society outside of the family realm. The violence against women in Pakistan is an over-arching problem. Feminists and women's groups in Pakistan have lambasted the Pakistani society for upholding the decadent societal values.

We are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our women have to live.- Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Women are not pre-ordained to serve the man; rather it is the Machiavellian scheme of the unscrupulous men that retrogressed women from its due position in the society. The relegation of the women to the social backwaters in the earlier societies had its impact on later times and undermined her standing in the eyes of the religious theocracy. The male dominated priesthood increasingly equated her biological make-up to her perceived spiritual weakness and thereby accorded her inferior position to males. Thus organized religion has been instrumental in perpetuating the dynamics of male power play and the continued subjugation of women. The Bible establishes a woman's inferior status and her subservience to man as divinely ordained. The New Testament declares: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection”

According to the 19th century feminist, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the church and Bible have proved to be "the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women's emancipation." The western feminist activism that focuses on gender politics and power relations is in fact a reaction to church-sanctioned discrimination against women. The Hindu mythology relegates the women to a status of a serf, this discriminately culture has its roots in Hindu religious doctrines. The oldest Hindu religious scriptures contain discriminatory passages concerning women. The religious doctrine outlined in the Vedas encourages female infanticide, child marriage and the burning of the widow (sati). The ideal role model is Sita, Ram's wife, who proved her fidelity to her husband by passing through flames. Buddhism and Jainism though condemned the Hindu Vedic system, yet they profess asceticism and consider women as deviant. Buddha is said to have warned his disciples to stay away from females and to avoid even looking at them.

Islam fosters an avant-garde approach toward women’s rights and their rightful place in society, but paradoxically, Muslim women remain among the most oppressed. This state of affairs has arisen due to multifarious reasons, the most significant of which pertains to misconstruing Arab culture as Islamic. As far as the Muslims of the subcontinent are concerned, they lived side by side with the Hindus for centuries, resultantly, the culture in subcontinent has propensity towards the Hindu culture, based on Hindu religious decrees, especially in the societal attitude toward women. The majority of religious scholars in Pakistan do not openly denounce the inhumane customary practices against women in the tribal as well as feudal regions of Pakistan. Thus, to a large extent, their hypocrisy, fear of change and male chauvinism are responsible for the misery of the Pakistani women. The fundamentalists of the modern era are disenchanted with modernity and abhor change. They erroneously link the emancipation of women to western, secular culture and insist on conformist, traditional roles for females.

The outcast of women from social sphere has put a crimp on the societal advancement. The majority of the work force is out of the job market, thus making it impossible to realize the true economic potential of the country. Reports and surveys cite married women to be the most vulnerable to physical and emotional abuse. Abuse directed at the mother is bound to have far-reaching negative psychological consequences on her children. It is a folly to expect a confident, educated and rights-conscious next generation, when the society has advertently scuttled their mothers to realize their due rights and hampered the ways of their empowerment. The phenomenal increase in violence against females in Pakistan is abhorrent and indicative of the degeneration of the society, and has tarnished our image in the international arena, and has provided a stick to the so-considered developed world to beat us with. 

However, there could be a silver lining to this dark cloud of gloom because persistent denial of women rights symbolizes a reaction among women about their inalienable rights. The enlightened sections of the society has always vociferously decried any infringements and endeavored to act upon the apt words of Jinnah: “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you”. Moreover, the government of Pakistan has taken a number of steps to empower the women, such as,   the women of Pakistan got the suffrage since the inception of Pakistan and the provision of reservation of seats for woman in the Parliament existed throughout its constitutional history.  In the 1970s, all the government services were opened to women including the District Management Group and the Foreign Service of Pakistan. Not only women can compete on the open merit but there is a reservation of 10% quota for women in Central Superior Services. Gender equality was categorically guaranteed in the Constitution of Pakistan adopted in 1973. The constitution stipulates that "there shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex alone." In 1975, an official delegation from Pakistan participated in the First World Conference on Women in Mexico, which led to the constitution of the first Pakistan Women's Rights Committee. There are Women's Studies centers at five universities and a sole woman university- Fatima Jinnah university. There is separate bank that is managed and run solely by woman- First Women Bank Ltd. (FWBL) established in 1989 to address women's financial woes.

 On the legislative front, the parliament repealed the past draconian laws concerning women and enacted the pro-women laws that accorded the women their due standing in the society, such as, the parliament passed the Women's Protection Bill in late 2006, repealing some of the Hudood Ordinances. The bill allowed for DNA and other scientific evidence to be used in prosecuting rape cases, thus saved women from being exploited. In 2006, The Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act was also passed. Pakistan has also acceded the number of international conventions regarding the elimination of violence and empowerment of the women, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was ratified on February 29, 1996. In order to timely assuage the plight of the women, On September 2, 2004, the Ministry of Women Development was made independent ministry, separating it from the Social Welfare and Education Ministry.

Despite the initiatives of the public sector, the change is still not discernable at the grass root level. The repression, discrimination and violence against women are just the symptoms of the problem and the problem is the illusion that the women are meant to be the weaker segment of the society. There is a need to inculcate in the society that women have equal stature vis-à-vis man. Crime against them is in fact a crime against humanity. But the cornerstone of the problem is that women are themselves oblivious of the injustices inflicted on them. The education of this gender can bring a significant change. Educating women will have a two pronged effect: firstly, it will make the women right-conscious and secondly, it will enable them to contribute more to national economy.

 When you educate a man you educate an individual when you educate a woman you educate a whole family”.- Johnetta Cole

On a parallel track, there is need to impart religious education to the women. Men have hitherto monopolized the interpretation of scriptural texts. The existing courses in academic institutions are intellectually inadequate and do not question the narrow-minded approach of commentators on female rights in Islam, women's involvement in the interpretation of dogma will undoubtedly enable them to determine the truth and form independent opinions.

Despite the rhetoric of providing jobs to females, the Planning Commission report has suggested the otherwise and has revealed alarming statistics about the lack of representation of women in public-sector organizations. According to the study, which collected data from the Planning Commission itself and 16 ministries, these groups employ a disproportionately low number of female employees, especially at the higher levels of the bureaucracy. Across the 16 ministries surveyed there were no women at all at the BS-21 and BS-22 levels and only six per cent representation of women across all levels. Ironically, the study itself contains some observations that do not demonstrate sensitivity to gender issues. It claims, for example, that one reason for the lack of women in higher positions is that they “by nature sit back” and fail to push for their annual reviews to be completed in time for promotions. Such preconceived notions and stereotypes about the performance of female employees are part of the problem standing in the way of a more equitable representation of women in the workforce.

But aside from trying to change mindsets the bureaucracy needs to take concrete steps to both hire and retain women, from running active recruiting drives targeted at women to providing daycare centers at work for mothers. As public-sector entities these organizations should be leading the way in terms of incorporating women into the workforce in order to set an example for the private sector, help change societal mindsets and empower deserving women.

The key to economic progress in the world lies in unleashing women's potential as well as economic independence of women is the pith of the women empowerment.  Women with their own means of livelihood are less prone to fall victim to the discrimination of the society and family. It also triggers off a virtuous cycle as financially independent mothers are more likely to invest in their daughter’s education and future. Empirical evidence suggests that women tend to be better entrepreneurs and have a better rate of success. Such enterprises yield not only financial gain but also societal benefits. There is strong evidence that social uplift and economic empowerment of women translate into happier families and members of the society.

It is the obligation of the elected representatives especially the female cadre to ensure that the complex issue of women's rights is debated in the parliament, followed by balanced and forward looking legislations. It is even more crucial that laws, new and existing, are enforced with a focus on women protection. An independent judiciary is vital to ensure the implementation of the policies and curtailment of police corruption. Empowered women will reciprocate with their participation in the economic and social activities.

The electronic and print media, can play a pivotal role in highlighting the plight of the downtrodden women. They must focus on the female predicament, especially in the far flung areas and need to depict the true picture regarding the status of the women. The government should facilitate their access to the tribal and feudal regions and give them protection against reprisal. The tribal and feudal structures of Pakistan are relics of the past and reminders of the pre-Islamjahaliyya period. Unless the writ of the state becomes all encompassing, these structures cannot be dismantled. The problem is complex and multi-layered and there are no easy solutions in sight. Yet, history tells us that a strong political will has the capacity to introduce meaningful changes. A long term strategy along with swift, surgical measures can bear fruit if public support is gained through awareness, debates and media campaigns. Human attitudes can change through awareness as well as law and policy enforcement. Both must work hand in hand.

The government needs to take decisive measures to initiate and facilitate the process of Ijtehad to ensure that the universal principles at the heart of Quranic laws are not compromised. Selective verses that can be manipulated to the advantage of an unjust male member of the society must be reviewed within contextual parameters and in conformity with the true spirit of Islam. Theocracy has no place in Islam; legitimizing it gives privileged status to a social class in contravention of Islamic principles. Women themselves must be proactive and demand gender equality based on both rights and duties. Females in the legal profession as well as women scholars of the Quran and Islamic jurisprudence must become a viable part of the process of ijtehad. The government should consult the representatives of diverse sections of the society to gain insight into the nature of the complexities involved.

Given the multiple facets of the problem, the government alone cannot provide, what is required, thus it is incumbent upon the civil society too that they must endeavor to assuage the plight of the women. A joint venture by government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must take the lead to remove the injustices foisted upon women. There is a dire need to change the feminist attitude to address the women problems and in this regard, female jealousy towards other females needs to be eliminated. The medical community should develop and facilitate community development programs. Such programs should include family counseling sessions for both males and females to ensure social behavioral reforms and gender parity. Gender-related education aimed at enlightening the females and sensitizing the male is of fundamental importance. Governmental and private organizations working for female emancipation should join hands to involve different sections of the civil society to formulate a comprehensive strategy to ensure women's empowerment.

The knowledge revolution of the 21st century focuses on human mental and intellectual capabilities. In an increasingly competitive world, genderless knowledge-based services are required. In order for the human race to survive in the face of emerging global economic realities it will be suicidal to imprison the potential of a substantial number of human beings. The change is bound to happen; it would be sensible to learn from history and apply a visionary approach to resolve the issue. A well planned and state supervised empowerment of Pakistani women pertaining to their physical, psychological, emotional and economic uplift will obviate societal turmoil that accompanies cataclysmic natural changes in the society. By fulfilling her biological function of reproduction and physically sharing her sustenance with her unborn child a female provides the human race with the greatest example of sharing and responsibility. Powerful humans must learn from her and apply this model of sacrifice to inter-gender power sharing based on mutual respect and individual dignity.