Imran Khan’s government has inherited a multitude of problems. He is cognizant of many and has devised emergency plans to counter them in earnest and to bring Pakistan out of the tornado of enigmas. Like, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Imran Khan has declared a 100 days drive to bring about noticeable change. In the 100 days agenda, he has promised to transform the government, strengthen the federation, relative economic growth, uplift agriculture, revolutionize social services, and to ensure Pakistan’s National security. His speeches after assuming the power, convey the messages to Ministers, Parliamentarians, and Bureaucrats to adopt austerity.
However, another challenge in Pakistan that beckons Imran Khan is the deprivation of women on social fronts. Depressed, demoralised, degraded and deprived of several rights in many parts of the nation, their plight needs to be addressed.
In the male dominant pastoral areas, a girl concedes her fate to the men around her. Her parents or beneficiaries dictate her every move from the moment she takes her first breath.
The patriarchal society dictates her future and assesses her abilities, her quest for knowledge, her social interaction. She is forced to manage household affairs and is groomed from an early age to run a household after she gets married. Women are seen as vessels for reproduction and nothing more.
Child marriage is yet another menace in many parts of the country, particularly in the rural regions. According to a report, 21 percent of girls in Pakistan are victims of child marriages. Marrying of such young women is problematic on a lot of fronts. Firstly, 13-17 girls are unable to manage all household affairs. Secondly, they are unable to cope with the challenges of married life. Thirdly, giving birth to children at such a young age is perilous to the health of the young girls. Child Marriage Restraint Act (CMRA) terms child marriage as a crime that states the marriageable age for girls is 18 years at least. However, this law is not strictly implemented, therefore this crime still persists.
In many societies of Pakistan to be a woman is synonymous with crime, since her each act, habit, even her appearance is objectionable. It is the norm in many areas of Pakistan that if a woman gives birth to a baby girl consistently, she will be cursed or condemned. Even though science has clearly explained that the birth of a male or female child is dependent on the father, not the mother.
Perhaps many of us have forgotten the teachings of our Prophet Muhammad (SAW). He (SAW) emphasized the right of women to seek education, and it was because of his encouragement that even after him, people from far-off areas would come to Hazrat Ayesha (RA) to learn hadiths. The Prophet (SAW) ordered men to value women, irrespective of their relation.
Islam has given women the right to freedom. In Islam, it is obligatory for parents to seek the consent of a female child, whether she is willing marry the person of their choosing. The Second Caliph of Islam Hazrat Umar (RA) once made a woman Shaffa Bint Abdullah as a supervisor of the marketplace. In the early days of Islam, women too were active participants in battlefields, they used to nurse the wounded, carry water for the combatants and perform other tasks as well
Islam has given women the right to freedom. In Islam, it is obligatory for parents to seek the consent of a female child, whether she is willing marry the person of their choosing. The Second Caliph of Islam Hazrat Umar (RA) once made a woman Shaffa Bint Abdullah as a supervisor of the marketplace. In the early days of Islam, women too were active participants in battlefields, they used to nurse the wounded, carry water for the combatants and perform other tasks as well. Nusaybah bint Ka’ab is among the first warrior women of Islam and in the battle of Uhud, she used to protect the Holy Prophet (SAW).
In many areas of Pakistan, people confused the teachings of Islam regarding women. Maybe they are oblivious or are mistaken about the rights of women bestowed by Islam.
Access to education, freedom of expression, exemption from child marriages, and to be honoured are the basic rights of every woman.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan mentioned in his speech that he wants to shape Pakistan like the state of Madina. So he must tackle this grave issue, and include it in his reforms plan. He needs to ensure that people are aware of the rights of women as equal citizens. Along with it, the organisation of a legislative body is important, which could pass laws that can protect the rights of women.
The writer is an electrical engineer who is also a CSS aspirant
Published in Daily Times, September 20th 2018.