EDITORIAL: March 8, the International Women’s Day is observed all over the world to celebrate women’s struggle for equality, raise awareness about their rights and demand action for gender parity. Here, it was time to honour indefatigable women led by Mahrang Baloch who journeyed all the way from Balochistan to Islamabad to seek answers from the State about scores of enforced disappearances of their near and dear ones.
It was time also to show solidarity with the Aurat Marches taken out all across the county, highlighting issues and challenges confronting the female kind, undeterred by threats of violence from certain sections of society insistent on keeping women down. Over the years, women in this country have fought long and hard against discriminatory cultural traditions, and regressive laws, especially those introduced by Gen Ziaul Haq’s regime, proclaiming that the women’s place is in what he described as ‘chador aur chardiwari’ (veil and the four walls of home). Since those dark days, there has been some change for the better, but at a very slow pace.
This year’s UN theme for the occasion has been “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”, which is most relevant to our situation. Pakistan has the distinction of electing the first prime minister in a Muslim country; many others from privileged backgrounds occupy positions of power in both public and private sectors. Just recently, two of our women made it to the Forbes list of “100 Most Powerful Businesswomen”.
But a vast majority, particularly from marginalised sections of society, lags far behind. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, 2023, ranked Pakistan at 142nd place out of 146 countries with a 57.5 gender parity, the highest since 2006. Notably, report had assessed gender parity on four dimensions: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. That says a lot about the dismal conditions prevailing in this country, the product of a patriarchal culture in which women are seen as possessions by families’ male members. They make all life-changing decisions on behalf of girls and women, including whether or not to acquire education, do professional work, and whom to marry and when. Education being a great equalizer it is the key to women’s emancipation, giving them self-confidence and opening doors to all sorts of opportunities in various fields of national endeavour. It must get priority in the rights agenda.
While raising voices against gender bias and stereotyping, organisers of Aurat Marches should put at the front and centre of their demands creation of an equitable and inclusive environment. Collective efforts by women as well as fair-minded men can make a positive difference for all, leading to the country’s socio-economic progress.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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