Daily Times

Relatively new political leadership has organised two significant long marches and dharnas (sit-ins) in Pakistan’s recent history in 2013 and 2014. Some political commentators argue that these street agitations were organised with the backing of influential forces in Pakistan. Dharna in 2014 went into a long deadlock. Old political parties ie PML-N and PPP, which both faced these street agitations supported each other and practiced their politics that worked to prolong the democratic rule rather than its disruption. Both these political parties were bitter political rivals during the decade of 1990s. Since the signing of Charter of Democracy in 2006, both the main political parties have shown more respect for each other’s mandates and displayed greater political wisdom. There is a pattern of continuity and change there. PML-N did join the street agitation against the PPP during the lawyers’ movement. Yet, while the old political parties have shown greater maturity, the new political forces are re-enacting the politics of 1990s.

Greater control by non-political forces and unequal gender relations are the two main faultinesses in the public and personal arenas of Pakistan. Since the initial years of Pakistan’s history, non-political forces have time and again wrestled control of the public sphere in Pakistan to run the country either directly or indirectly. Unequal gender relations have consistently marked the private arena as well as the intersection between the public and private arena.

However, both the hegemony of non-political forces and unequal gender relations operate in a dynamic environment that keeps on evolving according to the social, political and economic structures. Political forces have shown resilience to deal with the greater control of non-political forces and their unequal power distribution. Similarly, women have shown strength to deal with the unequal gender relations. Therefore, both the public and private arenas are undergoing transformation.

Cultural taboos are changing with the ability of women and girls to enter the public sphere in greater numbers than before. There is anecdotal evidence that more men in the middle class families share at least some household chores and child-care responsibilities, particularly where both the spouses work. Yet, women carry a higher burden of the reproductive and productive work.

Greater control of non-political forces in Pakistan, particularly in their control of defence and foreign relations marks it as the central tenet of statehood. The political forces are the public face of the government, yet non-political forces make key national security decisions that have spillover impact on other determinants of public life. Curtailment of freedom of speech and curbs on social media are its latest manifestations. It needs to be seen how Pakistani society responds to limitations put on freedom of speech and manifests its creativity.

Cultural taboos are changing with the ability of women and girls to enter the public sphere in greater numbers than before

Technological innovations around the world and evolving norms of global governance also have the bearing on developing societies like Pakistan. Even if non-political forces do not prefer a democratic system of governance, they have to allow it to keep up with the evolving norms of global governance. Similarly, old political forces have shown greater political unity amongst its ranks. The evolving consensus of sticking together of old political forces has at least enabled semblance of democratic rule to last in Pakistan since 2008. Maturity and further consolidation of democracy needs to be keenly observed in the years to come.

The key change needed is in the mindset of people to decrease gender disparities. It is the struggle to change the hearts and minds that is critical. Patterns of continuity and change mark gender relations as all other determinants in the state and society relationships. The patriarchal mindset is hegemonic, yet change is also taking place in the evolution of gender norms keeping in sync with the regional, ethnic, class and urban-rural divide. Overall, resilience shown by the political forces and women in the face of unequal powers relations are transforming the public and private arenas in Pakistan.

The writer works in the development sector in Islamabad. She has worked on peace and women rights issues as an activist in the past