Our minds sometimes wander off to the imagination of a revolutionized and progressive world where no one will worry about the social, political or economic problems and there will be peace prevailing everywhere. Soon, however, our thinking switches back to the real world because our minds have become accustomed to the platitude that the creation of such a revolutionized and the progressive world will require a prodigious amount of sacrifices. We remain oblivious of the fact that only small yet significant efforts are required to revolutionize society. Every society is composed of males and females. They are interdependent and cannot survive alone. Both have been blessed with equal mental capabilities despite slight physical differences. History bears witness to the fact that women have played a significant role in the development of societies. Even in contemporary predicaments, women are never shy to stand united with their male counterparts to resolve issues. However, they are suppressed and subjugated due to conventional norms and values. It is saddening to see that the efforts of women are not given due acknowledgment in a society. As they amount to a large part of the world’s population, giving them due participation in social, political, economic and peacemaking spheres will definitely create a revolutionized world that we dream about.
In the past decade, according to UN Women Report, there has been a considerable increase in women participation in politics from 11.3% to 24.3% across the globe, yet it is not proportional to the increase in women population. On one hand, women are denied liberty to cast vote for the representatives of their choice and on the other hand, they are discouraged to participate in the political sphere themselves. In this way, the problems of women are not duly attended to in a society. There are fewer laws dealing with problems of women. Giving equal participation to women in the political arena will provide them with an opportunity to legislate and solve their problems thereby bringing peace in the society.
There exists a perpetual gap between contributions of males and females to the economic development of a society. The ability of women to contribute to the economic development of a society is often downgraded. It is generally stereotyped that women should remain confined within the four walls of their houses. They have a dual role to play namely productive and reproductive role. However, these roles are neither paid nor given recognition in the society. Even if they are paid, there exists a momentous wage gap between males and females. According to the UN Report, gender gaps cost the economy some 15% of GDP. In addition to this, a McKinsey Global Institute report finds that $12 trillion could be added to global GDP by 2025 by advancing women’s equality. Ensuring women’s participation in economic development is essential to eliminate poverty and improve the economic growth of a society.
Although the right to quality education has been incorporated as one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals presented by UN yet a mammoth proportion of women all over the world are denied right to basic education. Educating a woman is synonymous with educating a whole generation. Napoleon Bonaparte has rightly underscored the significance of women education by saying ‘Give me an educated mother, I shall promise you the birth of a civilized, educated nation.’ Even if women are given liberty to educate themselves, they are restricted from pursuing jobs of their own choice. At present, more than 70 thousand female doctors in Pakistan are barred from practicing. Their practice can resolve the health problems of a large segment of our society.
The UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, brings into limelight another area in which women are marginalized. It calls for the active and unwavering role of women in the prevention of conflict and in peacebuilding, negotiating settlements and mediation as well as in handling post-conflict issues. The research data of the past two decades in this sphere portray a bleak picture. It denotes that only 2% of women participated as mediators, 8% as negotiators and 5% as witnesses in all major peace processes between 1990 and 2017. This implies that the opinions of women are not taken into account during the process of mediation or peacebuilding between the conflicting parties. Women suffer the most during wars due to physical and mental torture including rape and abductions. Women have been blessed with the ability to understand the opinion of others and they can create a conducive atmosphere for resolving conflicts if they are given a chance. Their empathetic nature makes them facilitators of reconciliation between the warring parties.
Over the years, gender disparity has only been conceived as a social issue. Nevertheless, it has undeniably emerged as an issue that has ramifications far beyond the social sphere only. Women Empowerment in this regard will not only solve social issues but also political, economic, educational, health and peacemaking issues. A society in which all these issues are properly addressed and solved will undoubtedly be a revolutionized and progressive society that we dream about.