"No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you; we are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our women have to live."(Mohammad Ali Jinnah, 1944)
“All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.There shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex alone".
"No citizen otherwise qualified for appointment in the service of Pakistan shall be discriminated against in respect of any such appointment on the ground only of…sex…"
"The state shall protect the marriage, the family, the mother…"The state shall… [Ensure] that…women are not employed in vocations unsuited to their sex alone…"Constitution of Pakistan Articles 25, 27, 35, 37.
"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person. Men and women of full age without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry or to have a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage and its dissolution. Marriage shall be entered in to only with the free and full consent of the attending spouses. The family is the natural and fundamental group, unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and state." All these beautifully constructed sentences take a180 degrees turn while considering the status of specifically 'women' in Pakistan. Our women still seem to be living in the dark ages. It is a matter of deep sorrow that being Muslims we have completely forgotten the status of women given by Islam. Annie Bessant in her book, 'The Life and Teachings of Mohammad (P.B.U.H)' says, "I often think that women are more free in Islam than in Christianity. Women are more respected by Islam then by the faith which preaches monogamy."
Islam was the first religion to recognize the equality of sexes and granted women rights unheard of 1400 years ago. Their other tragedy lies in the fact that what was highly progressive in those early days of Islam and which ought to have been kept in step with the changing of the realities of life through Ijtehad, was frozen in that position through retrogressive interpretation of religious edicts. In addition to that, male chauvinism and cultural taboos, some of them derived from the Hindu society have combined to keep our women down.
In Pakistan the story of a woman's deprivations start even before her birth, because the girl-child is not a particularly 'wanted' child. Her life is a journey of subordination. When she is young her father decides for her on matters ranging from whether she will get any education, to the all important matters of whom she would marry. After marriage, her husband and her in-laws get hold of her reins and decide matters on her behalf; like shall she or shall she not have a child every year, or whether she would produce only boys, or whether she can seek independent employment and so on. Finally when she becomes old and her husband gets weak or may have gone already, it is her son or sons who decide her fate in the declining years of her life. As if this is not enough, the whole society acts as an oppressor, browbeating her in to obedience. Thus, the word 'woman' in Pakistan is synonymous with 'endurance'. She is simply forced to accept certain bare facts of life once she grows up to be a woman. Be it on streets, or for that matter in restaurants, a woman is first and foremost required to be alert. It is best to try and not notice, women are told.
In addition to that, women in Pakistan face all kinds of gross violence and abuse at the hands of the male perpetuators, family members and state agents. Multiple forms of violence include rape; domestic abuse as spousal murder, mutilation, burning and disfiguring faces by acid, beatings; ritual honour-killings and custodial abuse and torture. Even in 21st century some families don’t allow the girls to study in co education system rather boys are allowed to go for education. If the girl permitted and got a degree then they are not allowed for jobs. It is a common surveillance parents don’t like to spend lot money on daughter’s education because they think it’s wasteful, after marriage her work is just to look after and cooked a good food for the husband, children, and in-laws. I am giving an example some parents are so broad minded but still they are not giving permission to go abroad for further studies except in one option and the option is marriage. After marriage go with husband even all the expenses will be given by us. Is this a right or wrong option? I don’t know……..Why parents don’t allow? Shiite and Sunni both are Muslims but difference religious caste but in Shiite families don’t their girls to marry out of her religious cast boy, but boys are allowed to marry. This is a time for us to change these thinking and give women to their rights, freedom and not consider them as a slave.
“All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.There shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex alone".
"No citizen otherwise qualified for appointment in the service of Pakistan shall be discriminated against in respect of any such appointment on the ground only of…sex…"
"The state shall protect the marriage, the family, the mother…"The state shall… [Ensure] that…women are not employed in vocations unsuited to their sex alone…"Constitution of Pakistan Articles 25, 27, 35, 37.
"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person. Men and women of full age without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry or to have a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage and its dissolution. Marriage shall be entered in to only with the free and full consent of the attending spouses. The family is the natural and fundamental group, unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and state." All these beautifully constructed sentences take a180 degrees turn while considering the status of specifically 'women' in Pakistan. Our women still seem to be living in the dark ages. It is a matter of deep sorrow that being Muslims we have completely forgotten the status of women given by Islam. Annie Bessant in her book, 'The Life and Teachings of Mohammad (P.B.U.H)' says, "I often think that women are more free in Islam than in Christianity. Women are more respected by Islam then by the faith which preaches monogamy."
Islam was the first religion to recognize the equality of sexes and granted women rights unheard of 1400 years ago. Their other tragedy lies in the fact that what was highly progressive in those early days of Islam and which ought to have been kept in step with the changing of the realities of life through Ijtehad, was frozen in that position through retrogressive interpretation of religious edicts. In addition to that, male chauvinism and cultural taboos, some of them derived from the Hindu society have combined to keep our women down.
In Pakistan the story of a woman's deprivations start even before her birth, because the girl-child is not a particularly 'wanted' child. Her life is a journey of subordination. When she is young her father decides for her on matters ranging from whether she will get any education, to the all important matters of whom she would marry. After marriage, her husband and her in-laws get hold of her reins and decide matters on her behalf; like shall she or shall she not have a child every year, or whether she would produce only boys, or whether she can seek independent employment and so on. Finally when she becomes old and her husband gets weak or may have gone already, it is her son or sons who decide her fate in the declining years of her life. As if this is not enough, the whole society acts as an oppressor, browbeating her in to obedience. Thus, the word 'woman' in Pakistan is synonymous with 'endurance'. She is simply forced to accept certain bare facts of life once she grows up to be a woman. Be it on streets, or for that matter in restaurants, a woman is first and foremost required to be alert. It is best to try and not notice, women are told.
In addition to that, women in Pakistan face all kinds of gross violence and abuse at the hands of the male perpetuators, family members and state agents. Multiple forms of violence include rape; domestic abuse as spousal murder, mutilation, burning and disfiguring faces by acid, beatings; ritual honour-killings and custodial abuse and torture. Even in 21st century some families don’t allow the girls to study in co education system rather boys are allowed to go for education. If the girl permitted and got a degree then they are not allowed for jobs. It is a common surveillance parents don’t like to spend lot money on daughter’s education because they think it’s wasteful, after marriage her work is just to look after and cooked a good food for the husband, children, and in-laws. I am giving an example some parents are so broad minded but still they are not giving permission to go abroad for further studies except in one option and the option is marriage. After marriage go with husband even all the expenses will be given by us. Is this a right or wrong option? I don’t know……..Why parents don’t allow? Shiite and Sunni both are Muslims but difference religious caste but in Shiite families don’t their girls to marry out of her religious cast boy, but boys are allowed to marry. This is a time for us to change these thinking and give women to their rights, freedom and not consider them as a slave.
