Daily Times

Despite its decline, that makes me cry

My love for my country, won’t ever die

While I’m alive, I yearn for a change

Which I’m sure will occur, by and by

Illiteracy, poverty, economic instability and suicide attacks are some of the major problems prevalent in Pakistan. The issue I will be discussing at hand also exists at large in our society, but is not as conspicuous as the problems mentioned above, for it has strengthened its roots so firmly in our personalities that it has become an ineluctable trait of our dispositions, and the reason it is not brought at the front is that it is considered too trifle a matter to be attended. The matter is related to the fair sex, but again, is not as popular a topic as domestic violence, or as hot a discourse as the problems females encounter as working women.

To begin with, the problem, or the anomaly I must say, is that we take females not as another sex, but as showpieces, by looking at which we can soothe our eyes, and which make our environment all the more worthy of relishing. Any place, be it of public amusement, or be it an educational institution, where the fair sex makes its presence is considered to be an idealistic place where one must go at any cost. It is a matter of common observation that we often do not attend ceremonies or parties in order to make the best of our time or to relax ourselves, but to ogle the females present over there, attired beautifully.

The saddest fact is that this trait is not only found in the illiterate class, but often well-bred, educated people have also been noticed claiming without hesitation while standing on daises, that the place where they stand happens to be propitious, for they can see before their eyes, a huge crowd of women.

In order to further elucidate my point, I will cite a few instances from my personal life. A friend of mine who happened to be a topper of matriculation as well as of intermediate was once informing me regarding an academy where during those days, he was attending art classes. Instead of telling me about the activities performed over there, or the pedagogies adopted by the teachers, the point he put before me was the environment of that place, which according to him, was excellent owing to the institution being a place for both boys and girls, and that girls too worked parallel to the boys. The nasty gestures my friend evinced did not depict his gladness at gender equality, but proved that he enjoyed the presence of girls in that institution.

A recent example happens to be related to my computer class, of which I became a representative and was handed over the duty to note down the names of students working in group assignments. What I found execrable was the way some boys were yearning for girls to be included in their groups, not out of casualty, but to show off before their pals that they work with girls.

There would have been a chance of removal of this problem, had education been a cure for it, but unfortunately, our educated people play an equal part in the act, which has rendered even education as a failure to overcome this problem. Parents can play a vital role in eliminating this issue by grooming their children in such a way so as to make them revere the women and not to consider them showpieces which are to be seen and praised. Religion too, can be an effective remedy if we make the ‘mistake’ of following its teaching of not to stare at females, but to keep our eyes down.