Daily Times

In the early period of human civilisation, there wasn’t any contradiction in the status between men and women. Women in that period used to give birth to very few children only as they had to cover long, challenging journeys throughout their nomadic existence. Archaeologists have the opinion that those were the women who introduced phenomenal trends of human history, like cultivation for earning a livelihood, crafting kitchenware for eating, making clothes from cotton to cover the naked bodies and even the concept of building houses.

In the same period, when humans were still collecting wisdom and the power to battle natural disasters, they used to worship goddesses and those goddesses were of womanly looks. In 1500 BC, the Aryans arrived in Sindh and brought in gods (idols of men). It was the first time that the worship of men gods started in Sindh because earlier, people in Sindh used to worship goddesses only.

When the foundation of states was laid down and rules and regulations were set that supported a male dominant social system, the authority and rights of women were also restricted/neglected. Hence, the same women who were once free, authoritative and decision-makers became bounded slave, unauthoritative and a victim of the world’s every cruelty. It was the time when women were being used for sexual entertainment by men and the deplorable practice is still going on since that time.

The history of Pakistan is also blemished like many other countries when it comes to studying rapes of women. In the 1971 war, when East Pakistan was going to be Bangladesh, millions of women were raped during that episode of chaos. Shockingly, rapists were holy soldiers. The famous movie “Children of War” and Rasool Bux Palijo’s Sindhi book “Jeki Bangal San Thiyo” (That happened to Bangal) are good enough to comprehend the above-mentioned shameful incident of Pakistan’s history.

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie also revealed that around the world, most cases of women rape happen in military and politics. Meanwhile, the BBC also reported that the women among Rohingya refugees in Myanmar and Bangladesh have also been sexually molested by the local soldiers. Now when the two most sacred institutions like military and politics are unsafe stations for women, who can be blamed?

Pakistan has not made any serious progress in securing women’s rights. In the WEF’s publicised report, namely “Global Gender Gap Index Report – 2020,” Pakistan is ranked 151st among 153 countries of the world in gender equality matters. How disgraceful is this report for Pakistan as it’s only ahead of Iraq and Yemen?

In Pakistan, Sindh stands far behind the notion of gender equality. According to a research study of Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, “In the primary and secondary curriculum of Sindh, the character of women is intentionally kept restricted within boundaries of homes. The curriculum is filled with lessons like a woman is responsible for cleaning her house, taking care of her children and serving her husband and his family, etc. while men are free to carry out all other works.” Is this not an unfair way of dealing with women?

In Sindh, the premature marriages of girls, sale and purchase of women for marriage and exchange of brides between two families are the foulest common social practices, in which only women suffer. The last one is a very cruel custom as the fate of both women is linked with one another and mostly, such incidents take place without the consent of both women. In this male-dominant social system, women are considered men’s personal property just like they own cow, goat, and sheep. That’s why men think that they have a right on the body as well as each breath of their women.

Even George Floyd holds more value than the women of Sindh as his murder has stimulated a sleeping society. But here when a poor woman, Wazeeran Chachar, was stoned to death in Sann, Jamshoro, nobody raised any voice. Why? Because we don’t have any direct/blood relationship with her? Or are we afraid of those local Wadheras who issued/made verdict regarding her murder?

Now, when it is mentioned in the post-mortem report of Wazeeran that her death took place due to the striking of heavy stones and wooden sticks and she was eight weeks pregnant, how can those who call it a suicide case would prove it? Making her murder look like suicide, they threw her dead body on Indus Highway and started spreading rumours that she was mentally ill.

I don’t know whether your inner soul is mourning on the death of Wazeeran but ever since I have heard about her death, it comes to mind that when the murderers had awakened her in the midnight, she might be dreaming about her coming child. She could be dreaming that her child had started sitting; calling her “Amaan,” and she had picked him in her arms. Suddenly, in the very next moment, she was pulled by her paranda by someone and killed.

I don’t know whether Wazeeran’s murderer will be punished, but the case would throw the stones of questions on the rusty society of Sindh in which honour killings, exchange marriages and domestic violence/abuse against women are no taboos. The fact is that if we don’t change our attitudes toward women after Wazeeran’s murder, it will be called the great tragedy of this time.

The writer is a freelance contributor