Daily Times

The hardest marginalization and social exclusion is lived by Nesha Rao, a transgender woman, who earned her law degree by begging for ten years on the streets of metropolitan of Karachi. Now she is working as an activist of transgender rights. As a practicing lawyer, she has dealt with more than fifty cases of her community in courts. The phenomenon of marginalization existed and dated back from ancient civilizations. People in different continents have been treated with an inferior behavior on the basis of caste, gender, religion and regional divides. Marginalization has over-ridden the differences of race, class, gender and geography. Societies fostered cast system in ancient Egypt and India, African American discrimination, genocide of Jews and immigrant marginalization over different periods. Social injustice, exclusion and inequality remained prevalent over the times and regions. Those who are targeted are often treated like they are of lesser value. Many social and political reformist movements have emerged for the social and political inclusion of the marginalized sections and spearheaded by great reformists like Martin Luther Jr., Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Teressa and Edhi for these marginalized sections. Fredrick Angels described it as “All history’s been a history of class struggles between dominated classes at various stages of social development.”

Marginalization is the process of making a group or class of people less important or relegated to a secondary position. When one class of people is grouped together as second-class citizens on any pretext and feel ignored in the society, are included as marginalized groups. Many people are pushed to the edges of deprivation, the opportunity lost results into social, economic, political and individual exclusion. Social strata deprivation is the single most visible and hardly entrenched marginalization. Social exclusion is the direct product of deprivation and works as the crucial factor for social disadvantage. Individuals who are pushed aside – marginalized or socially excluded – are in a position with limited protection and are at the highest risk of poor health, limited access to education and livelihood opportunities. Hence, marginalization may result in poor self?esteem, lack of self?efficacy, stigmatization, and homelessness.

Poverty and economic dislocation are primary factors for the social strata marginalization. Social movements over the years have emanated in the dominant group or by certain interest groups. These groups actually called as “blaming the victim’ or ‘culture of victim.” There are strong links between crime and marginalization in urban culture. The excluded population often indulge in illegal means of fulfilling their goals and motives in life and they are left with no other option but to resort to malpractices.

Women marginalization and gender inequality underpins many problems which disproportionately affect women and girls in forms of domestic and sexual violence, lower pay, lack of access to education and health facilities. Violence against women including rape, honor killing, acid attacks and forced marriages remain a serious issue over the years. Women in Pakistan face discrimination not only as a result of the patriarchal social fabric but also due to political and economic exclusion. The Global Gender Gap Index report 2020 ranked Pakistan 151 out of 153 countries. A survey carried out by Thomson Reuters ranked Pakistan as sixth most dangerous country for women. According to late Asma Jahangir Co-founder of “Women’s Action Forum” up to seventy-two percent of women are physically or sexually abused when in custody.

Pakistan has checkered history of legislation for women’s rights. These legislations include the most controversial and debated Hudood Ordinance. Later on, Women Protection Bill 2006, Anti Rape Bill 2016 and Zainab Alert Bill 2019 were also promulgated. Government of Punjab introduced Punjab Women Protection Authority Act, 2017; wherein many special courts are established for protection of women rights across Punjab. But gains of legal reform enacted are still fragile. Despite numerous efforts on the legislative and criminal side, women’s marginalization is still on the rise. Successive legislative initiatives from Hudood Ordinance 1979 to Zainab Alert Bill 2019 have very incremental benefits for the victims. Politically sanctioned gang rape of Muktaran Bibi in Multan and an incident of gang rape of a stranded women on Lahore Sialkot Motorway shows a numeric and grave tale of insecurity for the women in Pakistan. This hardcore marginalization for the women folk is entrenched in the social fabric of the subcontinent.

Pakistan’s transgender mocked by most and abhorred by many. Strict binaries of male and female genders exist evidently in society. Transgender also face social stigmatization, exclusion and banishments. The discriminatory behavior in society leads towards distancing environment.

On a more widespread spectrum, the prevalent issue of racism continues to hinder daily activities that people of color conduct in places that have a euro-centric, white-supremist mindset. And the criminals that are usually prejudiced against these people are the lawmakers and law enforcement agencies themselves. Whether it is a George Floyd who was suffocated to death by a police officer, over a twenty-dollar bill, an innocent medical worker, Breonna Taylor who was shot in her sleep by the police, or a Tamir Rice, a twelve-year-old who was fatally shot after cops were called on him, for playing with a toy gun, it is apparent that racist people continue to marginalize and oppress people of color just because of the way they look.

The concept of state is evolved towards an idea of a welfare state and social justice. Social justice and social rights have become a crosscutting theme for nations. No sustainable prosperity or security can be attained at the expense of deprivation. There are some inalienable rights which can be invoked and implemented by struggle and protest. Confronting the marginalization through protest, struggle or fight and upcoming over the situation is becoming foremost important for social justice. It is crucial for social equilibrium, that inequality discrimination and distinction behavior of culture to be replaced through concerted efforts of inclusion and mainstreaming of marginalized groups. Social inclusion should have a voice in social, economic and political fabric of the community and this voice to be heard all around. If exclusion is the cause of marginalization, then its cure is cohesive inclusion by improving the ability of people, opportunity access and dignity culture for the disadvantaged segments. In words of Martin Luther King a social activist and civil rights leader, “Darkness can’t drive out darkness only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

The writer is a public policy practitioner with keen interest in global sociopolitical arena