There is talk so much about women’s rights and empowerment, but little attention is paid where it is actually needed. One of the less highlighted – although important – issues that women are facing is exploitation by the families of men who are situated abroad.
In Mandi Bahauddin, many men go abroad for work. They come back to the country, marry well-educated working women, and then go back, leaving their wives at the mercy of their families. The family thus gets an unpaid nurse, cook and caretaker. A number of these ‘husbands’ are involved in extra-marital affairs and rarely ever look back. Their ‘wives’ live miserable lives and are told to be ‘patient’. Such conditions are destroying family lives. The government and social welfare organisations should make it easier for these women to move with their husbands and laws should be strict for men who exploit women in this way.
Mufarrah Mehboob
Phalia