Daily Times

Census 2017 in Pakistan makes us realize that actually we are less than 50 percent but our impact is much larger on the polity. The often-romanticized role of women in the lives of powerful men has over shadowed the efforts of potent women. Particularly when we talk about history we read about the male-stream perspective and little to none about the defining role of women. Figures such as Fatima Jinnah and Benazir Bhutto and more current day active female politicians are recognized and remembered yet nothing but short paragraphs of information can be found on the several women that gave in their best effort to bring us a free nation.

Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan, to begin with, was one of the amazing women to play a key role in the foundation of Pakistan and in its early political development. The economic graduate was married to a rather well known figure in Pakistan’s history, Liaquat Ali Khan-the first prime minister of Pakistan. From philanthropic work such as food drives to being a crucial player in establishing women’s defense initiatives in Pakistan, Begum Raana is seen as being only important as the backbone emotional support for the first prime minister of Pakistan. Though that might be it is equally as important to recognize the work she had put in before and after the death of Liaquat Ali khan in improving and protecting women’s rights in Pakistan. One of the biggest steps taking by Begum Raana was the establishment of the Pakistan Women’s National Guard (P. W. N. G.) and the Pakistan Women Naval Reserve (P. W. N. R.) in 1949. She herself ranked as a brigadier in both. However, it was Begum Raana herself who was the sole reason for the survival of these organizations as it was still in early stages. Therefore, when she had moved abroad as an ambassador, they dismantled.

Despite the short-lived success of both these Begum Raana was the first president and early leading members of the All Pakistan Women Association (A. P. W. A.). Begum Raana’s commendable work for women’s social and political standing did not end till the day she passed. She earned the honour of being the first and only female governor in Pakistan. We recognize her or not she was became the first Pakistani woman to be recognized as she was decorated with International Human Rights Award by the United Nations.

These stories of courage and commitment make me believe that Pakistani women are the hope and this must not die to reclaim the real Pakistan

Begum Shaista Ikramullah, one of the two female representatives present within the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. Begum Shaista Ikramullah is often forgotten in history despite her admirable work for the all India Muslim league, her close ties to politics in the integral period of determining the formation of the nation. One of the first Muslim women of the subcontinent at that time to get a Ph. D from University of London she was highly educated and talented women. A politician, a diplomat and a writer Begum Shaista Ikramullah devoted much to the nation than that what is recognized. Upon her death she was rewarded with the Nishan-i-Imtiaz and she still lives on through her publications. One of the most important roles that Begum Shaista played was her thesis paper on ‘Development of the Urdu Novel and Short Story’. Her paper contributed to the early stages and continuous development of Urdu literature. Shaista Ikramullah’s dynamic role in authoring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, especially engendering it has been recognized by the United Nations while celebrating the 70 years of the UDHR.

Zubeida Habib Rahimtoola who was the other founding member for the ‘All Pakistan Women’s Association’ played an integral role during the partition period and is another woman whose work has gone less acknowledged than others.However, since during the time of the partition she was in the United Kingdom, she served as the president for the All Pakistan Women’s Association and Jinnah’s All-India Muslim League based in the U.K. She continued to work for various conferences and commissions for women’s empowerment and laws concerning women’s rights. President Ayub Khan recognized her work when she was awarded the star for her order of service, Sitara-e-Khidmat. This was not only for her work for the women organizations she ran or helped set up but also for her help in making family laws in West Pakistan. She was a social worker and a political activist who helped shape legislation and build integral aspects of organizations that have helped women to this day.

How can we forget the role of Begum Nasim Wali Khan-the first woman to win a direct constituency in a male dominated politics, SyedaAbida Hussain to have defeated religious obscurantism in conservative Jhang.The short accounts given of these women are not enough to explain their contribution to the work of Pakistan’s development today. With little to find about them and with a small minority that would even remember them it is sad to see how history doesn’t recognize the efforts and accounts of Pakistani women that shaped us. History seems to have become bias not just towards a nations standing but towards roles of females and males too. Even with bigger more recognized names, as Benazir Bhutto the contributions and efforts get skimmed through and some parts of her story are even hushed. How do they expect us to know, understand and learn from history if we’re only given one side of it? Fatima Jinnah against Ayub Khan, Asma Jhangir against Yahya Khan, Benazir Bhutto against Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf epitomize that they were only the courageous women who stood-up against the worst dictatorships that this had to suffer unfortunately.

These stories of courage and commitment make me believe that Pakistani women are the hope and this must not die to reclaim the real Pakistan. We will be better off if we respected and internalized Pakistani women’s struggle for democracy and rule of law.

Zainab Zafar is a student of politics and a freelance writer

Published in Daily Times, January 7^th 2019