Pakistan can be categorised among the most rapidly developing economies in 20 years’ time. We have what is needed to realise this goal; however, we have a few obstacles that we must overcome if we want to create a socially equitable, financially viable and environmentally sustainable Pakistan for all. Climate change and the underrepresentation of women are the two biggest hindrances that could hamper our economic growth and social progress. To commence rapid and sustainable social and economic development, we must work to minimise the consequences of climate change. Similarly, we must work to offer women equal opportunities in Pakistan. It is indeed possible for us to create a resilient society where our women would not feel harassed and discriminated against both inside our houses and out on the streets. UN Women Pakistan points out that 49% of our population is women. We cannot ignore half of our population and expect it to commence rapid socio-economic development. It would be extremely unrealistic and naïve to assume that we can commence sustainable economic growth while isolating and ignoring women in our society.
Do you know that climate change poses one of the biggest challenges and threats to Pakistan? As per the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), women pay the highest price when climate change hits Pakistan. It points out that women are responsible for managing food, water and household tasks in Pakistan. Thus, when climate change reduces water supply in Pakistan, women need to spend more time and physical energy on domestic tasks. It might make them feel frustrated, and that might lead to increased argumentation in households in Pakistan. UN Women highlights that arguing with a husband is one of the main reasons for domestic violence in Pakistan. Other causes of domestic violence are going out without telling the husband, neglecting children, refusing to have an intimate relationship with the husband and burning food. There is a dire need for us to understand that women are human beings as well, and they have the same rights as we do. We are neither superior to women nor are they inferior to us. It is really that simple to understand.
In areas without a tap water supply, girls and women must walk long distances to fetch drinking water, quite often putting their personal safety and health at risk. If tap water is readily available, women could avoid putting their safety and health at risk and could use this time to educate themselves. According to a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) report, thousands of rape cases occurred in Pakistan in 2023. We cannot let this happen to our society, and we must do all it takes to offer women their due place and respect in every walk of life in our society. Be it the F9 park’s gang rape incident in Islamabad, the beheading of a daughter in F7 Islamabad and another 17-year-old girl’s murder in her home in Islamabad or any other women facing either mental or sexual harassment anywhere in Pakistan, it is our moral and ethical responsibility to make our society safer and more inclusive for women in Pakistan. Another report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations points out that women working in agriculture and allied sectors in Pakistan are often vulnerable to harassment or abuse by male farmers, supervisors, contractors, transporters, shopkeepers (who buy their stuff), landlords and local panchayats (i.e. informal local justice system). It must be appreciated that the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act, 2021, was enacted to fix existing gaps that occurred during the investigation and prosecution of rape and sexual violence cases in Pakistan. Together, we can make Pakistan’s society more socially safe and financially inclusive for women in Pakistan. We cannot take this for granted. How can we expect us to commence rapid and sustainable socio-economic development when almost half of our population does not feel safe both inside the home and out on the streets?
UN Women Pakistan points out that 49% of our population is women. We cannot ignore half of our population and expect it to commence rapid socio-economic development.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan highlights that roughly a staggering 45% of people in Pakistan live below the poverty line. Unfortunately, a lion’s share of those suffering from poverty, over 75%, are women and girls in the country. UNDP Pakistan further points out that early marriage, restricted mobility, unpaid care burden and limited inheritance rights are a few systemic barriers denying women the ability to earn income and to live with dignity in Pakistan. It is important to point out here that, unfortunately, a person’s dignity is severely bruised if he/she is poor. Adding insult to injury, the consequences of climate change make things even worse for women stuck deep in poverty in Pakistan. A research article published in Climate Risk Management Journal (volume 46) signifies that pregnant women and those taking care of young children suffer more from health impacts of climate change, including malnutrition, water-borne diseases and heat-related illness. Similarly, women belonging specifically to rural areas in Pakistan face increased vulnerability to climate-induced disasters due to limited access to resources, restricted mobility, and a lack of decision-making power. Do you know that repeated droughts in Tharparker have increased women’s workload by causing them to travel long distances to fetch water and making them more vulnerable to health risks and violence? Unfortunately, the story is not any different in Balochistan, where involuntary migration due to severe droughts has further reduced women’s access to essential services and consequently enhanced their vulnerability to exploitation. Similarly, another research paper points out that climate-induced disasters negatively affect protection mechanisms, tear down social support systems, and thus leave women more vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation. It also highlights systematic failures in protecting the vulnerable population during disasters in Pakistan. Do you know that climate-induced disasters in Pakistan forced families to marry girls at an early age to avoid financial hardships or perceived risks? UN Women Pakistan identifies that Pakistan has the sixth highest number of women who, unfortunately, got married before they turned 18 years old. Sadly, Pakistan is home to the 6th highest number of child brides in the world and child marriage in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces has cost Pakistan PKR 966 million from July 2019 to July 2020.
To conclude, we must do all it takes to minimise the negative effects of climate change and to make our society more socially safe and financially inclusive for women in Pakistan. We must place women at the heart of government, judiciary, law-enforcing agencies, decision-making and public policy-making in Pakistan. Prior to any legislative decision-making in the country, it is crucial for us to analyse how the decisions we will make and implement would impact women and girls in Pakistan. Will our decisions make Pakistan’s society more socially safe and financially inclusive for women and girls? We must strongly condemn gender-based violence against women and girls (VAWG) in Pakistan and do all it takes to prevent it from happening. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) highlights that roughly 34% of ever-married women in Pakistan have suffered from physical, sexual or emotional violence from their spouse. We need to put an end to this shameful act in Pakistan. Be it regular circumstances, climate-induced disasters, or post-disaster situations, it is our mutual responsibility to offer respect and safety to women and girls in Pakistan. We must remember that we are neither superior to women nor are they inferior to men. Simultaneously, we must train women and girls adequately so that they can do their self-defence when needed. Compulsory military training for women from age 16 to 18 would be a much-needed step in the right direction. Together, we can prevent physical violence, mental abuse and sexual harassment from happening in our society. We can create a socially resilient and financially inclusive society for women and girls in Pakistan. This will strengthen the social fabric of our society and will help us to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Pakistan. Choice is ours and will always be.
The writer is a Stockholm-based policy analyst and the Founder / Operations Manager of Project Green Earth (www.projectge.org). He can be reached at aubhameedi @yahoo.com.