Dilemmas of Women in Pakistan

Introduction

Pakistan inherits multiple problems on many fronts when Imran Khan assumes power. Of the many, he is cognizant and has devised emergency plans to counter them in earnest to drive out Pakistan from the tornado of enigmas. Like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Imran Khan has heralded a 100-day drive as the latter's first faction of change. In the 100 days agenda, he has promised to transform governance, strengthen the federation, promote relative economic growth, uplift agriculture, revolutionize social services, and ensure Pakistan's national security. To straighten out the police, Imran Khan has set up a committee, and to circumvent economic issues, he has opted for a team of the best economists. His speeches after assuming power convey messages to Ministers, Parliamentarians, and Bureaucrats to adopt austerity. However, another challenge in Pakistan that beckons Imran Khan and holds the same appeal to be addressed is the deprivation of women on social fronts, akin to issues like corruption, economic fiasco, and inflation. Depressed, demoralized, degraded, and deprived of several rights in many sections of the nation, the delicate gender seeks a Messiah who can mitigate their sufferings.

Dilemmas of Women in Pakistan

In male-dominated pastoral areas, a girl since birth concedes her fate into the hands of her heirs. Her parents or beneficiaries dictate her fate from the very moment she breathes her first. Norms are still alive in the rural areas, and in the cities as well, that the moment she is born, her relatives engage her for marriage. In her toddler phase, she comes to know that she is engaged to marry. A lass of a mere five years, instead of gaining awareness through education and playing with dolls, becomes cognizant of her future spouse. The tender age at which a girl is oblivious to the pros and cons of life receives lectures from her heirs about how she needs to behave with her in-laws and fiancé. Such trends impede the mental efficiency of a girl from the very start of her life since she rears the notion that her life is supposed to be dictated by others.

In patriarchal society, heirs of frail creatures not only decide her fate but also become her executioners if the girl dares to be dominant in the realm of education, modernism, or adopts any profession to earn her means. Her heirs deem her abilities, her quest for knowledge, her social interaction with other girls as challenges to their honor. If a girl in a patriarchal society desires to seek education, her heirs dissuade her from getting an education by claiming that a girl is not supposed to cross the threshold of the house. She is meant to marry at an early age, manage household affairs, prepare provisions, and nurture toddlers. If she doesn't abide by their rules, her heirs see her opposition as a challenge to their honor, resorting to violence, and sometimes she may even fall victim to death.

The Menace of Child Marriage

Child marriage is yet another menace that besieges many parts of the state, particularly rural regions. According to reports, 21% of girls in Pakistan have fallen victim to child marriage (UNICEF, 2019). The wedding of a young woman in her tender age brings about many issues to her spirit. Firstly, at the ages of 13-17, a girl is unable to sustain all home activities; secondly, in the square of the ups and piles of marital life, she finds herself tethered to how to cope with issues; thirdly, giving birth to children at such an immature age endangers the health of the young lady, and she can't adequately care for her infant. The Child Marriage Restraint Act (CMRA) terms child marriage as a crime, stating that the age of a girl's marriage must be at least 18 years. However, this act seems weak since its implementation is not forceful (Human Rights Watch, 2018).

Misinterpretation of Islamic Teachings

In many societies of Pakistan, being a woman is synonymous with crime since each act, habit, and even appearance is subject to objection. It is the norm in many areas of Pakistan that if a woman gives birth to a baby girl consistently, she is cursed or condemned as the culprit. Even though science has clearly explained that the birth of a male or female baby is due to the husband, the wife has nothing to do with it. Perhaps many have forgotten the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.), who fixed exalted rights for women. He (S.A.W.W.) emphasized the importance of women seeking education, and it was through His teachings that even after Him, people from distant areas would come to learn Hadiths from Hazrat Ayesha (R.A.). During His (S.A.W.W.) time, He ordered males to value women, whether she is a mother, wife, daughter, or sister. Islam has adorned women with the right to freedom. In Islam, it is obligatory for parents to seek the consent of a female child regarding marriage. The Second Caliph of Islam, Hazrat Umar (R.A.), once appointed a woman, Shaffa Bint Abdullah, as supervisor of the marketplace. In the early days of Islam, women were active participants in battlefields, nursing the wounded and carrying water for combatants. Nusaybah bint Ka’ab is the first warrior woman of Islam, and in the Battle of Uhud, she used to protect the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) (Abbasi, 2017).

Conclusion

In many areas of Pakistan, people confuse the teachings of Islam regarding women. Maybe they are oblivious or misunderstood that Islam has exalted women in their rights. Access to education, freedom of expression, exemption from child marriage, and being honored are the basic rights of every woman. These rights are sought as they are human beings with the same emotions, feelings, dreams, and desires as possessed by men. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, as mentioned in his maiden speech as the head of state, wants to shape Pakistan like the state of Madina. Therefore, he must tackle this grave issue as a lynchpin factor in his reform programs. For this purpose, awareness among people about women's rights is inevitable, and the establishment of NGOs is necessary to instill recognition of women's rights. Along with it, the organization of a legislative body is important, which could pass laws to protect women's rights. Along with the state, it is up to the educated class as well to raise awareness regarding the protection of women, at least in areas under their influence, where they can shield the daughters of Adam from the violation of their rights.

References

• Abbasi, T. (2017). Women Warriors of Early Islam. Retrieved from [source link]
• Human Rights Watch. (2018). Ending Child Marriage in Pakistan. Retrieved from [source link]
• UNICEF. (2019). Child Marriage in Pakistan. Retrieved from [source link]