Disclaimer: The Eqbal Ahmad Centre for Public Education (EACPE) encourages critical and independent thinking and believes in a free expression of one’s opinion. However, the views expressed in contributed articles are solely those of their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the EACPE.
Life for Pakistani women has always been in somewhat a dismal state of affairs for which they genuinely display not even a single ounce of enthusiasm. The unprecedented pandemic has resulted in no significant change for Pakistani women, rather it has aggravated the already monotonous tiring constant drill and has even endangered the survival of some already on the brink of ruination.
The majority of the Pakistani women from when they are toddlers are constantly brainwashed and persuaded into believing that they can only find fulfillment and contentment through home- making and child-rearing. Indoctrinated into believing that if they follow the commands of the “cultured and sensible elders of the family”, they would be able to lead a contended and well satisfied life.
Mostly a nominal portion of women who try to oppose the deities of the time and speak up, and demand their just rights are marginalized and harassed emotionally and financially, and are ostracized to the extent that they ultimately succumb to the monstrous patriarchal system.
Typically, a Pakistani woman works round the clock without complaining as she considers it her sole purpose of life like something she was born to do. Her duties include preparing food, tending to the needs of her children and the man-child (her husband), surviving the constant nagging and taunts thrown at her way by her in-laws and to endure the emotional punches and bruises for committing the heinous sin of showing even an ounce of dissatisfaction.
Societal norms in Pakistan have resulted in a systematic exclusion of women.
Reason for such depressing predicament of Pakistani women falls within the ambit of apathetic society. Women are forced to live in mental prisons because situations are created within the society to impede, more significantly cut the mobility of women in the society altogether. If they go out, they are exposed to lecherous gaze, looked down upon as though being insignificant beings and are made to feel isolated. So, women prefer to live within the four walls. This is especially the situation women living in small town have to deal with.
Even the professions deemed suitable for women are limited depending upon the likelihood of getting a good marriage proposal. For example, medicine is chosen as a profession not for the purpose of alleviating the pain and bringing comfort to the ailing humanity but to get a man from a well-off respectable family as they all want a ‘’Doctor’’ as a life partner, the yardstick of being a perfect life partner though the myth is highly confusing. As a result, most of women don’t even work after graduating from medical school which is a different social ailment altogether.
Women are mainly stuck in home. Their desire of going out is often denied by the notion that there is no use of indulging in frivolous activities even by the men dubbed as ‘good husbands’. This is the situation of women belonging to middle class. The situation for those living in rural areas is more depressing.
It is pitiable and so saddening on the part of parents especially mothers who rob their girls of their childhood and marry them off at an early age out of the fear that they wouldn’t be able to secure financially sound partners later and don’t focus on their education and not even care to invest in their talent.
Girls who are ignorant happily succumb to their parents’ gruesome actions as they think through marriage, they would be able to escape the misery of tough education and would be able to acquire a social position without much effort. Little do they know they are opting for life asking for a life-time of drill, constant manipulation and exploitation. Such a pity!!!
The government needs to take this issue seriously and set up a regulation program to certify that girls aren’t married off without getting proper education. It needs to pay serious attention and lay proper focus on girls education so that they become fully cognizant of their rights which would enable them to raise their voice against oppression. Programs should be set up to ensure that girls and abused women are protected from their vicious relatives and spouses and should be provided basic facilities, and training programs for employment should also be established to enable them to support themselves.
The government should also make and enforce policies in order to monitor the activities of people to ensure that serious punishments are given to parents who force their daughters to get married without giving them proper education and also to those who marry off minor girls who are incapable of giving informed consent in order to eradicate this menace from our society.
A contributed article by Sunbal Nawaz Lashari
