alizain585

1
Any Hope for Women in Pakistan?
2

• An ex-colleague of mine asked me to write
  something on women in Pakistan and at that very
  moment, I found myself in a crossroads of
  thoughts about how and why women have been second
  class citizens in the world. So, the first
  thought that crossed my mind was Women
  Suffrage, which was about the voting rights of
  women in America.

www.pakvoter.org/wie/
3

• Yes, you read it right its the United States of
  America, the most developed country in the world
  could not give equal rights to women until
  recently (the 1960s). This does not mean that
  Pakistan is by any means better than America in
  the provision and exercising of equal rights to
  women.

www.pakvoter.org/wie/
4

• Constitutionally women do have rights but it is
  far from reality. For instance, in the recent
  General Elections 2018, PK-23 Shangla Election
  Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ordered re-election
  as womens voter turnout was less than 10, which
  is against the law.

www.pakvoter.org/wie/
5

• What does that benchmark mean? To me, it means
  that even the government knows that womens voter
  turnout will be far less than men, which is why a
  benchmark has to be there to ensure womens
  participation. Even then, women are not
  participating in the election process, why? Are
  they opting for it or they are forced to stay at
  home? I think both are valid reasons for low
  participation. Ill explain why.

www.pakvoter.org/wie/
6

• Pakistan is a patriarchal society and everything
  revolves around men may it be breadwinning,
  decision making for the household, or ones self.
  Men are the real deal in Pakistan. Similarly,
  gender roles have also been strictly defined in
  favor of men in Pakistan. All these norms and
  values of a religious and patriarchal society are
  embedded within us to an extent where even women
  are found to be propagating and imposing these
  very values and so-called rules on themselves and
  other women.

www.pakvoter.org/wie/
7

• The concept of nature and nurture come into play
  at this very moment. I believe that it is not the
  nature of men or women, rather both men and women
  are nurtured in a way that makes us a patriarchal
  society. By nurture, I mean that women also teach
  men to be superior or privileged than women from
  the very beginning.

www.pakvoter.org/wie/
8

• Every female must remember her mother sparing,
  (the leg piece of chicken) THE ACHI BOTI for
  the brother and not allowing them to eat it even
  if the brothers are not at the dinner table.
• Therefore, patriarchy is not imposed by men
  alone women have equally participated in it.
  Similarly, both men and women must and can work
  together to make this society equal for both men
  and women. It is us who have to work together to
  nurture our coming generations in a way that
  both men and women are equal from birth till
  death.

www.pakvoter.org/wie/
9

• Women are progressing in every profession such as
  doctors, engineers, politicians, sports,
  business and you name it. We find women in every
  single profession in Pakistan. So, disappointed
  people must understand that every society grows
  with time and so will Pakistan. InshAllah.

www.pakvoter.org/wie/
10

• Let us work together to make it a progressive
  Pakistan!!! Yes, there is a lot of Hope!!!
• Contributed by Waqas Butt, Researcher
  Social Activist

www.pakvoter.org/wie/