The founding father of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a man far ahead of his time. From the moment the idea of Pakistan was given, he encouraged both men and women to put in their best efforts to convert this vision into reality. One of his famous sayings related to women empowerment is: “No nation achieves anything unless the women go side by side with men -- even to the battlefield.” To him it was clear that if we have to move forward as a nation, men and women must work together in harmony, each contributing their unique talents for the betterment of the society. He encouraged his sister Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah to stand by his side in the political sphere, and even after the creation of Pakistan, she made numerous contributions to the progress of the nation. While addressing a gathering of women in 1947, Jinnah, in recognition of the efforts made by women for the freedom said, “Half of Pakistan is yours because you have put in no less effort to achieve it than the men”.
So while the Quaid-i-Azam encouraged women to step up and play an active role in society, is the society itself willing to see its women come forward? Since the creation of Pakistan, there have been numerous hindrances in the path towards equality between the genders. First of all, the Indian Sub-continent has been a majority Hindu nation for thousands of years. Muslim rule in later centuries did not do much to sway the archaic beliefs of the population with regards to their views on women, which are deeply rooted in Hindu beliefs and practices. The male gender is placed at a high pedestal, with a desire for more sons, while women have been viewed as a burden from the moment they are born till they are married off. Even after that, they are seen as the property of their husbands who can treat them as they wish, confining them to the four walls of the house. Although numerous powerful women have risen in the history of the Sub-continent, a deep-seated hatred towards them persists in the minds of the people even in this day and age. The Quaid very aptly said, “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.”
Furthermore, the concept of gender equality triggers the emotions of many. Without any real understanding of what it means or what it would imply for the advancement of the nation, some people bitterly oppose it. In simple terms, gender equality means equality between the sexes i.e. both men and women are equal, each of them will play their role in society. It implies that both genders must have equal access to education, employment and basic rights as citizens of a country.
Gender equality may seem to be a basic or obvious idea to any reasonable individual. Then why in Pakistan is there so much angst when women demand equal rights? The answer lies in not just the dominance of Hindu culture in the Sub-continent, but also the misogynistic tendencies that are rising in our society. Consequently, we as a nation have moved far from Islamic beliefs and morals, with our level of religiosity restricted to confining women within their homes. Hence, Pakistan which was created as a haven for the Muslims and religious minorities of the Sub-continent, is anything but safe for half of its population. Females in Pakistan are seen as inferior beings and are subjected to mental, physical and sexual violence. Even educated women from privileged backgrounds feel unsafe stepping out alone into the street for a simple walk.
Keeping in view the vision of the Quaid about women, the Government of Pakistan has passed numerous laws and legislation to protect the rights of women. But then again this meagre protection is not enough to ensure complete freedom to Pakistani women. The setbacks are many:
* Most women are not aware in the first place that they have been granted protection by law and believe they have nowhere to turn to when they face harassment or abuse.
* Laws are often twisted in favour of the powerful. Anyone with wealth or influence can twist the law in his favour.
* Failure of the Government to pass the Domestic Violence Bill. Countless Pakistani women and girls face abuse and violence at the hands of the male members of their families (husbands, fathers, brothers), but under the law, they can do nothing to report the abuse inflicted on them by those who are supposed to protect them.
* Cases of violence against women/girls are indeed gaining far greater attention due to the presence of social media. But then again the majority of women in Pakistan, particularly from rural areas do not have access to the internet or social media.
* Moreover, many victims of violence and abuse are children who are unable to speak up for their rights.
* Anyone who dares to speak up is seen as “shameless” and the purveyor of dishonour to the family. Hence victims of abuse rarely speak out and continue to live alongside the perpetrators of violence.
Because of global initiatives, one of the goals set forth by the United Nations as part of its Sustainable Development Goals is “to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. It aims at the social and economic uplift of women all over the world. Efforts are being made to enroll more and more girls into educational institutions, as well as providing women with the means to achieve financial independence through the establishment of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). An increasing number of women are seen in the corporate sector, as well as in educational and healthcare institutions. However, again this does not come without hindrances. There are no effective laws against harassment at workplaces, women are getting paid significantly lower than their male counterparts and not given adequate maternity leave or support. As a result, many women of childbearing age are forced to stay at home. Moreover, the work that women accomplish at home is not considered while calculating the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This severely undermines and fails to recognise the contributions of women who work tirelessly to ensure the smooth running of the country at the micro-level.
We as Pakistanis believe ourselves to be the torchbearers of Islam-our country being a mighty fortress protecting the honour of all Muslims, but we have utterly failed in following the noble footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The women of his time were teachers educating not only other women but men as well, they were warriors fighting alongside men on the battlefield, they were in charge of government institutions, and they ran successful businesses and carried out trade in distant lands. The women of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) era were free to accept or reject marriage proposals without the fear of any harm being inflicted on them. In every aspect of social, political and economic life they were considered equal to their male counterparts. Such was the real Riyasat-e-Madina.
Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah said: “Man must be made to understand and made to feel that woman is his equal and that woman is his friend and comrade and [that] they together can build up homes, families and the nation.” To bring Quaid’s vision into reality we must take active steps starting from our own households. The day we begin to treat our sons and daughters equally and hold them accountable to the same standards of honour will be the day we will truly accomplish not just gender equality, but the true spirit of freedom set forth by our great leader.
-Sana Abid Ansari is a feminist scholar and business and international relations teacher. She can be accessed at: sana.abid90@gmail.com
