Like a gem, Pakistani women shine from a million facets. They are resilient in the face of adversity, abuse and oppression. Their ambition is indestructible; they rise from the ashes, becoming stronger and persisting.
In order to prevail, the women of Pakistan have to fight against significant extents of violence, including domestic violence, forced marriages, rapes, acid attacks, honour killings, to state a few! According to a report by Thomson Reuters, Pakistan was ranked as the sixth most dangerous country for women. It is the fourth worst nation regarding the risks women face from cultural, religious and traditional practice. It ranked fifth when it came to non-sexual violence including domestic abuse, and joint seventh regarding sexual violence and harassment. World Bank data shows that almost one in three married Pakistani women have reported facing physical violence by their husbands.
Their triumph is not that they had to fight against so much violence in their success; they shouldn’t have to fight against any injustice. Women should not have to face any form of abuse in the first place. They have a right to not be unlawfully killed, beaten and violated. Rather they are mighty because they stand their ground; they don’t give up, even after every injustice. They continue to prevail and succeed, breaking all shackles, not only for them but for generations of women to come. They empower more and more women with their resilience and their bravery.
Rubena inspired many women. Her husband left her and their children, putting the responsibility of maintenance of the children on her shoulders. She had been managing to provide for her children by selling aloo ka paratha (potato parathas) for three years. In the holy month of Ramadan, she had to cease her business since the sales dropped. She was facing financial difficulties. She was unable to pay the rent of her house and the school fees of her children. Nevertheless, she showed resilience in the face of her difficulties. She loaned money, bought a handcart and started providing for her family as a fruit vendor. In Pakistan, it is unheard of women to work as fruit vendors. Her story was acknowledged by Urdu News. In paving the way for more women, she remarked that many women followed her example, adding that women can do it!
In order to prevail, the women of Pakistan have to fight against significant extents of violence, including domestic violence, forced marriages, rapes, acid attacks, honour killings
Sameena had to rebuild her life. She ended her abusive relationship with her husband, who was a violent drug addicted man. She suffered years of violence and humiliation by him. Her husband expected her to provide for him and his bad habits. He would take away her income. After her divorce, she had five children to look after. She established a stitching centre in a small village where she was residing, receiving support and training from a programme called ‘Women Entrepreneurship and Gender-Responsive Procurement’ . The programme was initiated by UN Women. She now produces boxing gloves, martial-art belts and sports bandages. She can provide her children with food and education. Those that used to criticise her now ask her for her guidance and support. She remarks that she helps them in every way possible. ‘Self-assurance and hard work are the keys that can unlock opportunities for anyone. I aspire to live independently with my children, provide them with a good-quality education, and do not want them to share the same fate which I went through in my early years of married life,’ she remarked. Her story was published by UN Women Asia and the Pacific on their website.
Ruqsana did not let criticism stop her. She drives a dump truck in Thar, Pakistan. It is unheard of women to drive trucks as It is considered a man’s job . It is looked down upon by society but that didn’t stop her. She remarks that through training to drive, she gained not only strength but courage to face the world. Initially, she got a lot of criticism from her own community but she knew in her heart that she was made for this and she didn’t let the chance slip. With her earnings, she will get her two sons an education, she can dream of sending them to college and university so that they could become what she couldn’t – a doctor, she adds.
Similarly, Sita, another driver states, “I am doing this for myself and my generations to come. They will remember a Sita, who … drove trucks and made history with her resilience and courage.” Ruqsana and Sita benefit from “Women’s Empowerment Principles” – an agenda that is produced by UN Women and the UN Global Compact to make sure that women participate fully in economic life in all sectors. Their stories were published by UN Women Asia and the Pacific on their website.
These are the mighty women who persisted in their pursuit of success. There are several more women who defy all odds and inspire more and more women to do the same. Maybe, one day we will live in a perfect world, where women will succeed without having to face abuse, violence and criticism. The world would change and we will thank the mighty women, for they changed the world with their strength.
Barrister of the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn and teach United States constitutional law and civil law to Pakistani LLB students