Sole objective of celebrating women's day every year on March 8 is to build support for women's rights across the world. The day is a call for every woman to eliminate social obstructions in the way of their empowerment. This year's theme for International Women's Day, is "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women".
Social and cultural confinements has made it difficult for women from poor and lower middle-class families to achieve empowerment. Despite making up half the population, she has been facing various discriminatory practices inside and outside home, like, lower literacy levels, higher mortality rates, malnutrition, and domestic violence. These women issues are sadly deep rooted in countries like Pakistan. Majority of women in the country declined opportunities to achieve self-recognition and self-determination.
Unfortunately, women account for 70 percent of the worlds poor. The reason of this poverty is limited or total lack of access to education, no property rights and economic dependence. A recent World Bank statement notes that between 50 to 70 percent of microfinance loans to women in Pakistan may actually be used by their male relatives.
Women are victims of domestic violence: According to the UN declaration of Addis Ababa 2013, "ending violence against women and girls is a priority for development, peace and security, human rights and economic and social cohesion".
However, in reality, one out of three women world-wide has been the victim of sexual harassment and gender-based violence; many of these crimes go unreported. In Pakistan, the number of incidents of violence against women has increased at least seven percent. She has been living under the fear of violence and discrimination. According to a survey conducted on 1000 women in Punjab, 35% of the women admitted in the hospitals reportedly beaten by their husbands. The survey reported that on an average, at least two women burned every day in domestic violence incidents and approximately 70 to 90% of women experience spousal abuse. About 120,000 pregnant women were left without adequate nourishment and sanitary conditions after the devastating floods in 2010. About 8.2 million women reportedly employed as unregistered domestic help, without the cover of even the flimsiest of labour laws. There were 943 women (93 minors) reportedly killed over family honour.
There were 38 documented cases of acid attacks on women, 47 were set on fire and nine suffered disfiguring amputation as punishment. Taj Bibi, a resident of Pandak village, told a tragic story of violence. Her 28-year-old daughter Romana married to a shopkeeper and would often complain about her in-laws' hostile attitude. One day she quarreled with her in-laws. Consequently, Romana's in-laws doused her with kerosene oil and set her on fire. According to the complainant, her daughter not even taken to the hospital and was left to succumb to burn injuries. She said her daughter completely burnt and she found her charred body in the kitchen when she reached the house after Romana's husband informed her.
Women education matters need attention: Two third of world's adult illiterates are women. The current literacy rate for women in Pakistan is 45 percent. While in urban areas, literacy rate for women is 74 percent as compared to 48 percent in rural areas. Uneducated rural women of Pakistan are twice as likely to live in poverty then those women living in urban areas. A study reveals that an infant born to an educated woman is much more likely to survive until adulthood. Provision of education to girls improves livelihoods, leads to better child and maternal health.
For every year, a girl spends in primary school, her earning potential increases by 15 percent, and she becomes more likely to send her own children to school. An educated woman is 50 percent more likely to have her children immunised against childhood diseases. In Pakistan, the gross enrolment rate for girls in secondary education is 19 percent, while in Bangladesh, equal numbers of girls and boys now enter secondary school.
Lack of resources, unsafe environment, political instability, lack of skilled female teachers and early marriage are main causes of illiteracy among women in rural areas. Girls are also more likely to drop out of school because of their domestic responsibilities.
Early marriages are destroying girl's future: Girls from the lower socio-economic groups have limited control over their future. According to a report, More than 60 million girls married under the age of 18 last year, out of which 24% were from rural Pakistan and 18% from urban areas. In remote and tribal areas of Pakistan, girls not allowed to say anything about their marriages. Most of the girls become victims of social injustice. The women considered and treated as the property of their husband and cannot disobey him.
From health point of view, early age marriage harmfully affects the physical and mental status of women. In every half-an-hour, a mother dies and one of the major causes of these deaths is early marriage. Girls aged 10 to 14 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women aged 20 to 24.
Some conservative families encourage child marriages to hold control over her fate and fortune. She gets household responsibilities and real life challenges at very early age. She detached from the protection and love of their birth family, and instead faced scorn and forced labor at the hands of their new in-laws. She pulled out of school early to assume the position of wife and mother, and rarely return to finish her education.
The main reasons of early marriages are poor economic condition, pressure from community, and greed to enhance the family's economic and social conditions. Women who marry younger are more likely to be beaten and treated as slaves. A young married girl has little or no decision making power. Within her in-laws family she gets lower socio-economic status. Once she has children, her workload doubled. The traditional role of a wife is to take care of the kids and continue to contribute to the family income through back breaking labour in the fields.
Gender inequality destroying her talents: Gender discrimination is a significant social problem in Pakistan. In poverty-stricken families, birth of a baby girl is a curse for parents. Provision of basic amenities (education, health etc) for girls considered as a strain on a family's resources. She is another expanse for family's economy she brought up with inferiority complexes and always considers herself worthless for the family.
On the other hand, boy or male family member gets priority in matters of life including education, property or moral support. Young girls receive less food, healthcare, and fewer vaccinations as compared to boys.
In many areas of central and south Punjab, the daily wage of a woman farm worker, eg, a cotton picker is exactly half that of a man who picks the same amount of cotton. In addition, private as well as government employers have been quite stasher in giving women their legal benefits under the law for maternity leave, sick leave and promotions. A researcher writes "She is not empowered in the real sense therefore she is still facing many social and economic issues. The fault lies in the society, which is not literate enough to give equal opportunity to the women. Women are given jobs in private sectors but some are lucky enough to get responsible seats. People have partially accepted the fact that women should be given chance of education still they are reluctant to allow co-education and doing job in the field."
Drug addiction among women: Last year Director General Planning and Monitoring Unit, Ministry of Narcotics Control admitted, "Women drug addiction in our country has increased alarmingly. During the past couple of years. However, we are trying our best to control it." About 47% of women drug addicts have acquired either college or university education and 21% of them have either primary or metric education. 43% drugs addicts get drugs from friends and 15.6% from neighbours. Teenage girls are likely to abuse substances in order to lose weight, relieve stress or boredom, improve their mood, reduce sexual inhibitions, self-medicate depression and increase confidence.
Women empowerment is indispensible for the prosperity of a country. Sarita Saini, a professor, says, "The core strength of empowerment lies in the ability of a woman to control her own destiny. She must have equal opportunities, equal capabilities and equal access to resources".