I have written an essay on topic take from 2010 essay paper . I just want to ask about my expression and openion, if its right or not. Rest its not at all a prepared attempt. So forgive me for the mistakes. And please suggest new dimensions to the thoughts.
Can women be equal to men in Pakistan?
-Male domination
-Conservative society
-Social mindsets
-Everything is possible
-Current state of women in Pakistan
-Mullah feudal alliance
-Social factors
-How to improve
Pakistan is an ideological nation-state, very unique in its very own history and complex in nature. All the factors of being under developed are still in highlight. Basically a male dominated society. Hit by severe wave of terrorism, illiteracy, bad governance, energy crisis, unemployment and now floods, women empowerment seems a far cry.
The mind set of our society is male dominated. Women don’t know their rights and don’t want their rights. Their role is determined within the confined walls of home. Bringing and raising kids and looking after the home is the basic job of women in mostly underdeveloped countries including Pakistan.
Conservative mindsets and narrow mindedness is the main characteristic mostly in rural areas in both men and women. Illiteracy halts what hope of change could be brought through education.
So “No”, women in Pakistan cannot come equal to men. Not at least in this bleak present scenario. Even if government encourages, illiterate society won’t let it happen, won’t accept. The mind set way too settled.
With the exception of few elites, woman in Pakistan is mostly a hard worker, weak in health, uneducated and unaware of her rights and mainly dominated by the men of family, may it be her father, brother, son, husband or elders of the family.
Bearing children and doing routine house chores like cooking, cleaning and washing are the main duties of eastern women. In rural areas they not only maintain all these but go out and work in fields, mainly in Sindh and Punjab. Mostly teaching and nursing are the professions of those who somehow manage to get education and join careers. Bonded labor is still in Sindh rural areas.
But the main point is that most of them are happy and satisfied with in their roles. They don’t wish to go out and join careers. Unawareness is common. They develop this mindset. Their life is restricted to their family and house. They lack any enthusiasm to be something, to do something for their country or humanity. They don’t very much bother who’s in politics and who’s not. Their main concerns revolve around food shelter and clothing. Livestock is their rare possession.
In a way, it sounds good for family life. Seems to make a balance in a house, husband working, wife bearing children. But it don’t look so picturesque for a country whose sixty percent population is youth and fifty two percent of total population is female. If our women don’t participate in the process of development, don’t get educated and can’t provide us a more civilized society then it makes a horrible picture of our future.
Lack of education is not the only problem behind backwardness of our women. Main problem is mindset of both men and women. Lack of awareness, rights, manners, civilization, humbleness, open mindedness, balance, tolerance and finances together makes the problem grave.
Recent mushroom growth of media might able to solve the problem of awareness in women, but changing mindsets of dominating males seems a far cry. We need more than just media to change the mindsets.
Example of Bangladesh is very good to follow. It kills many birds with one stone. Interest free small loans for women by a business man changed a big portion of their society. Women were encouraged to be empowered. First it helped the economic process flow better. Second, it checked the population growth which was very fast. And most important, it empowered women. Empowering women comes with more fruits including awareness, education, rights and more civilized mothers. It cuts unemployment as well which is another big cause of over population.
So, we can say that women in Pakistan cannot be equal to men unless we change the mindsets, improve education in women, empower them, defuse awareness among them, and improve health facilities for them. For this, we need a change in the overall structure of the society by fighting mullah and feudal system which is in the roots of our rural areas. Development is not possible in rural areas without consent of Mullah-feudal alliance. And they never want to set free their bonded labor with the help of education and so awareness of any right.
Our middle class is also in the shackles of conservatism. Even when they get education to a certain level, they can’t go beyond a certain level. They can’t fight for their rights even when they are aware of them. Their men can’t stop being dominating even when they know it’s not very civilized. They are not open for changes. They are still not very well participating in the development process of the country. They too mostly can’t think besides their own life, family, kids and finances. Even if they learn to debate about women rights, start participating in human rights issues. They add no good to their homes and families. They bring no change to their own mindsets. They are no more useful for the society then a common rural folks. They won’t participate in movements against bad. All they can do is talk. Our newly educated class can so far talk only. They haven’t moved to the next more important step of implementation yet.
Even in such bleak scenario, a ray of hope is increasing. A gradual evolution is right there taking place within the hearts and minds of people of Pakistan and a big change could be anticipated mainly due to back to back bad governance. Once the feudal system is cut through, and awareness is there, no evil alliance could keep the women of Pakistan from being where its due place is.