Women Empowerment in Balochistan
It is very tricky and misleading to pass judgment on any process that is in its initial stage, at least in this part of the world.
True, that in the developed countries the process of Women Empowerment, stretched over two centuries of struggle, has gone way ahead and cannot be termed as a process in its initial stages. Equally true is the fact that even in the developed countries it is still an ongoing process.
The issue of Equal Rights for Women came to the limelight in early nineteenth century in places like USA and Europe and, after gradual successes, gained a totally new, forceful and dynamic character in 1960s/70s in the form of Women's Liberation Movement.
Beginning with the very basic demand that women, like men, were created as equal beings and, like men, they too had certain natural rights, they progressed towards more substantial demands like the right to have education, then the right to have higher education, access to jobs, then access o profitable jobs, the right to own property, then the right to acquire and retain assets, the right to equal wages for women, and then came the attainment of the most valuable right – the right to vote – that was given to the American women in 1920.
In the Modernistic decades of 60s and 70s of the last centuries, the Movement for the Rights of the Women (or call it Women Empowerment) turned in a new direction known as the Women's Liberation Movement. With this came a whole new set of ideas that were considered too immoral even by the Western standards. The reproductive right and the right associated with sexual liberalism like sex marriages are two examples of where all this has led to.
Is the Woman in the West free from all forms of exploitations that she has fought against over the last two centuries?
Answer is a big NO.
Two important questions come up at this point:
Is the Western woman more empowered today?
Is the Woman in the West free from all forms of exploitations that she has fought against over the last two centuries?
Answer to the first question is in the affirmative while answer to the second question is a big NO.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT – OUR VERSION
Women Empowerment, as we understand it today, is essentially a Western concept and carries connotations that cannot be adopted by us in its totality. With Women's Liberation, unisexualism, and equality of sexes as its core values, this doctrine is bound to come into collision with our social, moral and religious values. However, there is still a lot in it that is both suitable and worth achieving for us.
Focusing on the national scenario and then zooming in on the provincial scene, we find that women in Pakistan already enjoy a good number of rights for which the Western women had to fight tooth and nail. This includes the right to vote, the right to inheritance, the right to contest elections for the highest positions in the government, the right to seek divorce and many more rights.
What actually denies them the benefits of all these rights is the socio-cultural setup in Pakistan in general, and in Balochistan in particular. Even if they are well aware of all of these rights, they neither have the resources nor the capacity to avail these rights for their well-being.
Before writing anything about the subject, and prior to pointing out the social ills stunting the empowerment of women in Balochistan, it would be pertinent to mention here that the issue of women empowerment is basically the same throughout the country. Only, in areas where tribal customs and traditions play a decisive factor, the literacy rate is too low, and the feudal system is still strong, the issues of women empowerment not only hamper their well-being, but are also more difficult to resolve.
STUMBLING BLOCKS
1. Poverty: It is indeed ironic that Balochistan, despite being the largest, the least populated, and the richest province of the country happens also to be the poorest one. Average household income is very low and poverty rates at 47% in this province. Despite its huge reservoirs of natural gas, its enviable deposits of gold and silver, and its abundance in precious metals and minerals, this province has the lowest GDP and the lowest per capita income. Abject poverty is visible even within the provincial metropolis. Job market is very inadequate because industrial activity is almost non-existent. Most of the existing jobs are either in agriculture or in mining. Scarcity of water and frequent droughts has further increased the poverty level in the rural Balochistan.
The budgetary allocations for Balochistan, although doubled this time, have always remained very low. This has been causing bad blood between the province and the federal government. Moreover, the huge sums of unpaid money, that the federal government owes to this province, have made matters worse.
2. LOW LITERACY RATE:
It is indeed highly unfortunate that Education and Health have never found their rightful place in the priority list of policy makers, both at the federal and provincial levels. Pakistan claims to have achieved a literacy rate of 51% - a claim skeptically viewed by experts.
Balochistan, being the most backward province, has a pathetic 30.1% literacy rate. Female literacy rate presents a more dismal picture. Reportedly, this province has the lowest budgetary allocation for female education in the Third World. Dropouts at primary school level stand at a highly disturbing rate of 50. %
To make matters worse, majority of educational facilities are based in cities and towns – denying rural female population from this basic right.
3. HEALTH ISSUES:
The health sector in Balochistan is even more depressing. There are 96 hospitals, 545 dispensaries and 93 mother & child health centres – and the quality of services provided are not satisfactory. There are only 1564 registered doctors in the province, which means that for every 4861 provincial citizens there is only one doctor.
RECOMMENDATIONS
These recommendations have been provided by ladies active in the local political and social circles. The author has also incorporated his personal views where necessary. The ladies whom I am grateful for sharing their views on the subject include:
It is a fact that many injustices and cruelties suffered by women in the Third World are a direct or indirect consequence of their economic dependence on their male family members.
Ms Zarina Zehri
Mrs Surriya Allahdin
Ms Haseen Bano Rukhshani
Ms Shami
These recommendations cover a wide range of actions to be taken – a detailed version of which is given below:
Free and compulsory female education up to the Matriculation Level:
Education on Human Rights/Women Rights
Increase in the number of female educational institutions:
Both the government and the civil society must come forward and launch forceful campaigning initiatives to shatter the mindset against female education. It is their mindsets that need to be changed first.
Women have recently been able to enter the provincial assemblies.
The following recommendations were given by the local female political/social activists for the possible remedial measures:
Economic Empowerment or economic self-reliance
It is a fact that many injustices and cruelties suffered by women in the Third World are a direct or indirect consequence of their economic dependence on their male family members.
Fixed quotas for women in governmental jobs
Establishment of small scale cottage industries:
Establishment of Women Skills Centres at a larger scale.
Education on entrepreneurial and marketing skills for women.
Formation of gender-sensitive economic policies.
Poverty Alleviation through different programmes
It should be ensured that women get equal wages as men labourers.
Considering the high level of maternity deaths, infant mortality rate, absence of adequate post – natal care and alarming malnutrition conditions, rapid remedial measures have to be taken to achieve a satisfactory health situation for women.
Women, especially rural women, should be trained in safe motherhood practices and child survival practices to reduce maternal mortality and child mortality.
CONCLUSION
Although restructuring the society is a daunting task and there is still a lot to be done, yet we can say that the progress made so far has been satisfactory. Women Empowerment is no longer a myth; it is now a reality that promises a better future for women of this country.
Women in Balochistan, however, will have to go a few extra miles to be able to change the local perspectives vis-à-vis Women Rights and Women
Empowerment. The ongoing progress in terms of general awareness, better education and participation of women in the developmental process in Balochistan is very promising and we can hope for a better life for the women of this province in the coming years.
Rukhsana Rukhsar