Women’s subjugation has a history. In the past, woman was considered a witch and a sorcerer with a power to trap men and distract them from work.
Was it the only reason to hate women in the past or was there another dimension which we are seeing in the 21st century? In fact the real reason behind defaming women’s image was the fear of misogynists that they wuld lose their control on women. The footprints of history have marked brilliant reasons to understand why women are still oppressed.
Women oppression must be stopped to save the nation. Following the footsteps of First-World countries Pakistan can win the glory of success. In this way Pakistan can earn a positive international image as well. Women in Pakistan are competing now, but still much work has to be done in rural areas
One of them is Patriarchy. Patriarchal culture has deeply rooted since long ago and expanded with the passage of time. The Western mantra of considering women a witch was owing to the ultimate strength of women. To some extent men were in a denial that women, despite their weak fuselage, are powerful. Women, therefore, have been still suffering from the blame game of superstitious labels on them.
Currently, Women are being suppressed in various ways. Psychologically, emotionally, religiously, culturally and financially, women are being targeted everywhere around the globe. In Pakistan the Women Protection Act of 2016 was enacted, but is yet not functional. In feudal areas like Baluchistan, southern Punjab and especially Sindh, females have been going through genital mutilation in the name of culture. Female Genital Mutilation is a procedure to remove female genitalia completely or partially. Around 100,000 females go through circumcision in Bohra Muslims per annum. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a non-medical procedure with serious consequences for females.
Our society lacks knowledge about the worst results of FGM and follows this procedure religiously. Females are abused domestically and pressurized to reproduce a boy. Consequently, many unwanted girls are born in a cruel world despite women’s health issues. A staggering figure of 21 million unwanted girls in an Economic Survey 2018 has proved the brutality against women in Pakistan.
Due to giving birth to unwanted girls and lack of knowledge of oral contraceptives, women lose physical strength. They are not treated well in rural areas, especially, where there is feudalism and a culture of Vani.
Women oppression has a history. At present suppression is still there, but if it exists in future then it will produce more chaos and destruction.
Unawareness of women about their fundamental rights is the reason behind the injustice women have been suffering for a long time. Women do not even know that they can be a victim of marital rape, because following the brutal rules of their spouses is the sole objective of marriage for them. Consent is a key to run a relationship peacefully, but when there is no consent, it is a forced relationship. As a result, women unwillingly have to surrender in front of their spouses and their relationship becomes just a legal contract which has no emotions, but a license to live together.
Legal rights are present, but theoretically more and practically less. Sometimes legal rights are not fulfilled because of the negligence of victims about their rights and most of the time, illogical cultural constraints assembled to hide pain. For instance, most of the time rape cases are not reported in our Pakistani society, because of thye need for saving pride. No matter at what cost women have to bear the brunt of their silence, they have to remain silent otherwise they can be murdered as well. Around 11 rape cases are reported every day and over the past six years around 22,000 cases have been reported, as shown in a report by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
Pakistan is a developing nation and needs equal participation of women in the labour force. The economic crises of Pakistan cannot be solved in the blink of an eye, in fact it requires brilliant ideas and effective administrative policies for long-term solutions. Women’s education is a catalyst in this regard because women’s nature is to understand the grim reality of injustice. It might be because women have suffered enough in this regard.
Pakistan needs to oust traditional ways of dealing with women and accommodate a rational approach. By saving from their plight, several other social issues can also be eradicated. For instance, women’s education will equalize genders and root out gender inequality. Women oppression seems to come to an end if they are financially independent. The main factor for women’s oppression is financial dependence which is why the patriarchy dominates and wins. Women must raise a voice to equalize wages in the workforce. Women are paid 25 percent less than men with the reason that they are less efficient. Although this is a myth that women are contributing less than men and are less competitive.
Nations where women are paid equally have been developed and are touching the seventh heaven of progress. While, places where there is still a battle over who is stronger, men or women, are suffering from serious economic turmoil.
As social disorganization theory describes the reasons of misfortune towards women, Patriarchy is on top of the list as a hindrance in women’s progress. Women are fragile, emotionally weak, less competitive: all are false songs sung by patriarchal society. A dire need is to break the monotonous chains of patriarchy and feudalism as we are still judging women on the parameters of outdated notions.
Women oppression must be stopped to save the nation. Following the footsteps of First-World countries Pakistan can win the glory of success. In this way Pakistan can earn a positive international image as well. Women in Pakistan are competing now, but still much work has to be done in rural areas.
Women in urban areas have become more vigilant regarding their rights. Women in the countryside are still ignorant about the basic rights and privileges given by the state. Hence, women education is mandatory. The implementation of Article 25 is the fundamental to all the steps in the journey of women empowerment.
