Daily Times

The global pandemic COVID 19 while accelerating in Pakistan is not only unmasking the minuses of our health systems and governance but it is also putrefying certain myths about many good- hearted individuals and institutions. Many ordinary Pakistanis are becoming aware of this barren bargain simply due to their privileged access to the internet and insulate any fake news from alternative facts. The plusses of contemporary technology do not need any validation from tech-design-illiterates but tech-savvy beneficiaries (like myself). The technologies are mercifully connecting us in times when spatial/healthy distancing (do not want to use the misnomer”social distancing”) is equated with saving lives. The binary choices of life and livelihoods are being debated, and rights based believers do not buy this. A number of official meetings(of, for and from the development sector) are happening these days. Knowing the voids, enigmas and minutiae of the convoluted pathways of development is the citizens’ right to information.

It is an obligation for the leaders from all disciplines and sectors to adopt a visible position for taking practical steps for those women and others who are bullied and harassed even in their own organizations, who experience recurring unfairness in the name of human resource policy and who suffer from exploitations of different forms

Many of us who happen to have sound academic background in medical sciences, spent some tangible decades in the industry called social development have been doing (non-choreographed) activism and have authentic incompetence to play to the gallery are now clearly confused. What are the leaders in the development industry actually doing these days? Special disappointment for the few women there. It is becoming imperative to palpate toxic feminism which can be more devastating than the hegemonic toxic masculinities. Strategic display of empathy and nonconformity does take many women to newer heights and qualify them to get a seat at a table. However, this neither makes them suffragettes nor justify their inactions for women who are still dealing with the sticky floor, glass wall, glass cliff and other biases-based barriers. How can a Pandemic be managed with greed, misinformation, delays, nepotism, insensitivity, and through meaningless clatter and clamor? What is the purpose of online conclaves by well-placed professionals when the target audience is mostly not clearly defined, and the outcome is not considered significant? Are they talking among themselves and showcasing a group of influencers to a mixed bag of recipients who can understand their language? Why are they discussing, sharing and communicating old(er) prescriptions with new(er) prefix and hash tag Pandemic Covid 19? Call for actions that are context-specific, inclusive and accessible is rarely heard or seen. Initiating a telephonic help line or sharing the information about an existing one as a dedicated resource in this peculiar scenario lowers the trust and credibility. The spirit of effective communication obliges the decision takers and (their spokespersons too) to clearly and correctly pronounce the limitations of their initiatives. Some highly sensitive and serious matters like Mental health and gender violence are verbosely merchandised. The volume of aid for dispensing actual services (beyond active yet hollow advocacy, rhetoric and photoshoots) remains a riddle if not a secret.

It is an obligation for the leaders from all disciplines and sectors to adopt a visible position for taking practical steps for those women and others who are bullied and harassed even in their own organizations, who experience recurring unfairness in the name of human resource policy and who suffer from exploitations of different forms. The deliberate distraction on the social media to nonissues and distancing from the issues of farmers, small traders, disabled and divorced mothers, women headed households, poor salary scales of health care providers of different cadres and the list goes on is loathsome. There is a dire need to dare to rethink and reflect on this ploy rather than waiting for the new edition of the paper gate like the one recently released by the World Bank. It seems that only any miracle from Allah can enable all those who are the face of different domains of power to empathize with the stigmatized, poor and marginalized of our beloved Pakistan, refrain from the deceit in the development and mockery of the people from the modest socioeconomic strata. At times one may wonder if there are any leaders or are there just a few highly placed and well- behaved employees? If there are any leaders and I talk specifically of women leader I believe that they need to rise above the biases of all origins and be ready to pay the price of empowerment instead of enjoying the convenience in remaining silent on tough issues and tied to the normative status of social in justice.

The reality checks yield a picture that stands in sharp contrasts with the proud and gratified faces of the “accomplished” leaders visible on traditional and new age media. Women in Pakistan who can make a difference have yet to set aside their own interests and get rid of insecurities in their careers. The courage that they keep on admiring for unnamed protestors in a women March or global celebrities has yet to be reflected in their own leadership styles. One may wonder where do the gender lens and COVID19 lens go when the top leadership especially among women unashamedly fail to advocate for the hardship allowances, health insurance for all team members. As of today, there is neither any impact oriented challenge to the elitist-patriarchal consensus by influencer women nor noticeable actions that are in conformity with the three core values of development i.e. ability to sustain, freedom to choose and maintenance of self-esteem. The digital defense, diagnosis, dialogue are nothing but a charade and casualty of the conviction that a common person in general and vulnerable communities of women put in the State and many powerful platforms.

The writer can be reached at dr.r.perveen@gmail.com