Daily Times

There is no doubt that women in Pakistan continue to be a marginalised part of society having been denied basic rights and opportunities to develop and contribute productively. Ranked 135 out of a total of 177 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI), Pakistan faces an uphill task to ameliorate its social indicators. The patriarchal setup in society projects itself as a major hurdle towards the empowerment of women. Societal notions of the role of women being limited to the home makes women lose out on acquiring education, which severely confines their mobility and decision-making capacity.
We also know that discrimination against women is one of the leading social problems all over the world. It manifests even at the time a baby is born. With regards to gender discrimination, some exceptions aside, men have imposed a subordinate status on women in societies both eastern and western. The condition of Pakistani women is almost the same as of her counterparts around the world. In rural Sindh, women are discriminated against in almost all walks of life.
Sindh, located in the western corner of South Asia, borders the Iranian plateau in the west. It has the Thar Desert to the East, the Kirthar Mountains to the west and Arabian Sea in the south. In the centre is a fertile plain around the Indus River. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, Sindh’s population was 30.4 million out of which the urban population was 49.50 percent and rural population was 50.50 percent. The communities located in rural Sindh are: Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Zoroastrians.
Recently, I had a chance to visit Sindh for a week and it was seriously a heartbreaking week in terms of many things. The most important thing I noticed was that most of the men pressurise and oppress their women: they do not give rights to their girls to go to school or to get any education. From birth to death, a girl is not allowed to make any decision for herself. Domestic violence in Sindh is increasing. The main reasons behind this are lack of knowledge, education and awareness about women’s rights. Child labour and child abuse can also be seen in these rural families.
Domestic violence is a result of the socio-economic, political and cultural trends and their influence on the daily life of rural women. Domestic violence keeps rising due to a woman’s subordinate position, illiteracy, low wages at work, low skills level and level of participation. Domestic violence can be seen in the form of honour killings, suicides, jirga decisions, abduction and kidnapping, injuries, gang rape, rape, sexual assault, torture and other crimes.
While talking with Sughra Solangi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Marvi Rural Development Organisation and a renowned women’s rights activist based in rural Sindh, I found out that the fastest way to change a society is to mobilise the women of the world. Though there is no difference between males and females and all rights are equal, but lack of awareness and proper education are reasons behind the increasing violence against women. She said that the solution lies in empowering women with artesian work. In this way, we can reduce poverty and improve the intelligence of individuals; IQ levels have been known to increase when a person indulges in the creative process — making intricate floral and geometric designs. If we empower rural women we also bring socio-economic change, which helps improvement in income and building on community development. We need to boost their skills and provide micro-credit to establish industry in the rural areas of Sindh.
Furthermore, she said that we have to improve the status of rural women by improving education, social status and workload at home and at the farm, size of the family and freedom of expression on economic and socio-cultural issues. By making her strong socially, politically and economically, we bring positive change to the rural environment. She said she was also enabling young girls to go to school and become educated and empowered by addressing the economic barriers faced most starkly by their mothers towards their education.
I have a firm belief that the current atmosphere is extremely hostile for women in Pakistan, especially in rural Sindh. Much needed will is required to root out the problems of women so that they can play a progressive role in their own development. There is no denying the reality that female empowerment is a key phenomenon in bringing about the sustainable socio-economic progress of every nation. This forward-looking approach helps such societies benefit from the active participation of women from every walk of life.
It is not as if nothing is being done in Pakistan with regards to women’s empowerment but whatever is being done is clearly not enough. Most women in the country, especially in the rural areas, are being deprived of basic human rights. I would suggest the Sindh government provide education facilities in tribal districts of the province to enable a change of mindset towards gender equality. I also demand that the government ensure laws against domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment and other gender-based violence. The government must give adequate protection to all women, respect their integrity and dignity, and appropriate protective support services to the victims of domestic abuse.

The writer is a social and political activist based in Lahore. He can be reached at salmanali088@gmail.com