Women rights violations in Pakistan

Women rights issue has always been a controversial one in Pakistan. For the elite class, and the foreign funded organizations, it is often exploited to target the Islamic tenets, while for a majority poor and rural population, it stands much behind in the priority list.
Not only the men, but Pakistani women too stand divided on the definition of women rights.
The differences within the ranks of women rights organizations once again surfaced on the issue of a recently introduced domestic violence bill under which those found guilty of beating women or children will be jailed and fined.
The bill, approved by the national assembly on August 4, 2009 will come into effect after being voted by the Senate and signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardari.
The law classifies domestic violence as acts of physical, sexual or mental assault, force, criminal intimidation, harassment, hurt, confinement and deprivation of economic or financial resources.
A magistrate will hear a case of domestic violence after its registration and a decision will be announced within 30 days.
NGOs claim that violence against women, particularly inside homes, goes unreported in Pakistan.
According to a recently conducted survey by Aurat Foundation, a NGO working for women rights, 160 out of 234 participants complained about domestic violence and verbal abuses by their husbands.
Shazia Aurungzeb Khan, a women rights activist and member of the country’s conservative northwestern frontier province (NWFP) terms the bill a great development. She believes If this bill is implemented, the rate of domestic violence will certainly drop. Ismat Mehdi, a lawyer by profession, supports efforts against domestic violence but is not a fan of the bill.
"This is nothing more than a publicity stunt by the government," she said.
"Theoretically, we can say it is a good step, but practically it will not work. Similar laws are already there to protect women and children, but practically they have contributed nothing."
The differences between Pakistani women rights organizations on domestic violence bill depicts the very condition of women rights issue and the efforts aimed at dealing with that in Pakistan.
The constitution of Pakistan provides full protection to women rights and accords a highly venerated social position. It acknowledges the rights and privileges of the women in society, and does not impose any restrictions that may hamper the social growth and development of the women
Pakistan is the first country in the Muslim world that has elected a woman as its prime minister twice.
However, this is true, that there is a full protection to women rights in the constitution, but when it comes to implementation of that rights, the situation is not commendable.
Before discussing whether women have rights in Pakistani society or not, first understand Pakistani society.
Pakistan is an Islamic state, where people, not only take pride in strictly adhering to the Islamic values but are ready to sacrifice their loved belongings for the glory and sanctity of Islam. Islam has accorded a highly venerated social position to women. Islam acknowledges the rights and privileges of the women in society. Likewise, Islam does not impose any restrictions that may hamper the social growth and development of the woman. A woman is equally important member of society. The woman plays a vital role in building the society on healthier and stronger foundations.
But, their development in society is hindered due to many factors. Particularly in the country’s rural areas where around 70 per cent of the total population reside, women have been suffering from poor health facilities, and a low role in participation.
Most of women in rural areas have to bear double burden of domestic and outside work. They are the first to rise and last to bed. They lit the fire to prepare breakfast, wash the utensils and cleans the house before setting out on their outside work. When every member has ridden the bed after completing day's work, they are engaged in working.
It is alas that most of women rights organizations, funded by foreign donors, do not highlight the health, and educational problems faced by Pakistani women. Their focus is on Hudood Ordinance, eloping of women and girls, and honour killings.
Undoubtedly, Karo-kari (honor killing) is a gruesome phenomenon, which must be checked by the government and the society, however, breaking of family system, and eloping of women must not be supported under the guise of efforts against Karo-Kari phenomenon.
These women rights organizations, mostly belonging to elite class, unfortunately do not figure out that this is a Muslim society. This is not France or UK, where definitions of women rights is totally different. Under no circumstances, whatsoever, a majority of Pakistanis cannot support the calculated campaign for promoting western culture here in the name of women rights.
These NGOs are more interested in holding and supporting mixed marathon races instead of pressing the women parliamentarians to work for better health and educational facilities for Pakistani women.
Is marathon race the real issue of Pakistan or health and education are more important? These women rights organizations must pause over that, if they are really serious and sincere in their efforts. Otherwise, if they simply need publicity and money, that they would get in any case.
OLD TABOOS: No doubt, the old taboos about women’s role and competence are vanishing with every passing day. And a testimony to the fact is the growing number of women in parliament, politics, economic, and other sectors.
However, a lot need to be done, especially vis-à-vis better health facilities and their role in decision making.
In rural areas many taboos regarding women continue to persist. In most of the rural areas, women are still being denied access to male doctors, no matter how badly she is unwell. In case of pregnancy, she is treated by untrained and unskilled midwives rather than a trained and qualified gynecologists.
According to health ministry statistics, which could be contested though, every one pregnant woman out of 10 dies due to absence of proper health facilities in rural areas of Pakistan. The situation is more deplorable in southeastern Balochistan province, and north western frontier province, which borders war-torn Afghanistan, where women enjoy the least health facilities.
The local tribal customs, which have nothing to do with Islam, rule the local society. They have devised their own rule for women. They cannot be treated by male doctors, they cannot go to the hospital to deliver the baby, no matter how serious their conditions are. They could die at home, but won’t be taken to the hospital.
Life in tribal society is governed and regulated by so-called beliefs and behavioral patterns. A woman has no say in many aspect of her life, including her marriage. However, in southern Sindh and western Punjab provinces, which are relatively rich, a woman may keep her connections with her family after marriage. She expects support from her brothers and father in case of separation and divorce from her husband. In Punjab and Sindh, women are seen working in the fields with their men-folk collecting fuels and in some cases working on the construction sites shifting material from one place to another.
Although the conditions of women in urban areas are better than those of the rural women. However it could not be dubbed as ideal.
Numerically the women in Pakistan are almost equal to men. They are equal in potential as the men. The Pakistani women live in the most diversified location of the tribal, feudal or urban environments. She can be a highly qualified and self-confident professional or a diffident peasant toiling along with her men-folk.
Despite all the above-mentioned social and financial hurdles, Pakistan is the first Muslim state, where a woman has been elected as Prime Minister twice.
Another kind of women rights violations which is often ignored in the west, is thriving the women into prostitution business due to poverty.
Though, there is a strict ban on prostitution in Pakistan, and there are punitive punishments in the law for prostitution, however organized mafias, backed by police, politicians, and so-called film industry bigwigs are constantly engaged in attracting and forcing the poor and needy women towards this heinous business.
Unfortunately, no attention has so far been paid towards this worst kind of women rights violations in Pakistan by any women rights organization at all. In fact, most of the women rights organizations are engaged in getting this gory business regularized in the name of “sex workers”.
Instead of helping the women to get rid of this vicious circle, these so-called women rights organizations are trying to get them status of sex worker leaving them and their coming generations in prostitution business forever.

SOURCE:www.weeklypulse.org