Take back the day

On March 8 the rights of women come to the forefront at multiple forums across the country and around the world. In Pakistan, the social context consists essentially of a deep-rooted patriarchy, with men traditionally holding all the strings of power within households, in the social realm and for the most part in the national political arena. The Pakistani woman faces a host of discriminatory laws, traditions and social pressures – whether on access to education and healthcare or anti-women social customs and practices such as ‘honour killings’ and vani or swara. There have been attempts to bring in change, but many of these measures are merely cosmetic. For example, the law recently passed by the Punjab Assembly has little meaning unless it is embedded in our social context.

Any meaningful change in the conditions of the lives of Pakistani women, in particular, can only come through an equal society, access to education and greater financial independence. It is these factors that break the chains of patriarchy and enable the law to protect women effectively. Altering the manner in which money comes into households could change a great deal for women. This is something we need to strive towards on this International Women’s Day. As this year’s UN theme for the day tries to bring the issue of ensuring gender parity around the world, we are reminded of the leftist origins of the day. The way it stands today, International Women’s Day has largely been reduced to depoliticised words such as ‘recognition’ and ‘celebration’, without pointing out what constitutes the parity and equality women stand deprived of. We are reminded also of the criminal silence surrounding real struggles waged every day by women around the globe – against imperialism, poverty, war and violence. And while many will continue to pay lip service today to the cause of the Pakistani woman, we need to remind them that no real meaningful change will or can come about without a political struggle for men and women to break free from war, poverty and imperialist interventions, and strive towards social justice.