ThinkFest conversations: Continuous dialogue needed for gender equality

LAHORE:To make men and women equal citizens, a continuous dialogue needs to take place between the state, society, tradition and religion, said noted lawyer Salman Akram Raja while speaking at a session of ThinkFest Conversations online on the topic “The Other Half: How can Men be Better Citizens.”

Salman Akram Raja then noted that the crux of the problem was that access of women to most things in Pakistan was through men. Women have only mediated access to the state and its apparatus — the law enforcement agencies, the courts, etc. Until this access becomes direct issues will perpetuate,’ he underscored. The state also needs to have a proactive role in improving access, just like it did with lady health workers,’ noted Raja. According to a press release while explaining the complication, Senator Musadik Malik pointed out that how can men who are the majority lawmakers make laws which positively affect women. ‘You are asking the perpetrators of violence to make laws to end it!’ he exclaimed. Dr Musadik Malik pointed out that over 50 per cent of women in Pakistan suffered physical violence, and so concerted efforts were needed to be made to stem this tide. Commenting on the issue, senior journalist Fahd Husain said that these issues were not old and have persisted for a long time. “Through media, especially social media, we are now more aware of these issues, but they have been embedded in upbringing and social circles — and even highly educated ones, for a long time,” he lamented. Pointing out issues in the media, Fahd Husain noted that while access of women to media had improved, yet there was still a lot of room for improvement. Speaking at the panel, policy analyst Mosharraf Zaidi said that the issue of equal citizenship was a very acute problem in the country.