Women in Pakistan are facing endless problems. Certainly, women’s empowerment and gender equality are the popular slogans of this century. However, third world countries including Pakistan do not pay much heed to this phenomenon. Every time they try to stop Aurat-March. Protesting is a basic right of women in a democratic society. A month before the march, the religious minister expressed his opinion to stop women from highlighting injustices that are being done to them in Pakistan.
It is a tragic fact that women in Pakistan are at risk both domestically and at work zones. They are at large deprived of their basic constitutional and religious rights like the right of inheritance. They have to accept early marriages and gender discrimination is a usual practice in Pakistan. Undoubtedly, there are many laws made to protect women in Pakistan including, the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Bill 2015, Amal Umar Bill and Zainab Alert to imbue security for women.
We have observed recently two developments regarding women in which one is welcoming; Noor Muqaddam’s killer is sentenced to death while the acquittal of the “honour killing” culprit is again ringing a bell of patriarchal dominance. Women are half the population; they cannot be limited to domestic chores only nor they should be subjected to brutality, economic dependence and harassment. To make Pakistan a prosperous country we should root out gender discrimination.
SYEDA HADIA BAKHTAWAR
NANKANA SAHIB
