Written by Iffat Farooq
The metropolitans of Pakistan have played a crucial part in blurring the correct definition and understanding of women’s rights. This phenomenon is not new to these lands; the Ganges and Indus Plains have a history of women subjugation, misogynistic traditions and an embedded patriarchal culture stemming from eternity.
Tribal, feudal and cast norms have taken precedent over the other social norms and remains as the only dominant societal custom. Heinous traditions of Satti, KaroKari, Wanna and Sawara have worked as the most revered tools for approval in this patriarchal system.
Its price is still being paid by the half widows of Kashmiris, the women Indian Dillat and Pakistani tribal women.
Even Elizabethan women are considered as breakable, weak and alludes to inherent frailties of character. “Frailty thy name is women”, as a phrase, has dominated English literature for centuries. The patriarchal society of the East and West depicts the same negative context for women who suffered ages as the underprivileged class and were deprived voices against the cruelty and injustice of society.
Arundhati Roy and Asma Jahangir emerged as two of the most powerful voices of the sub continent standing strong as “a giant” against the patriarchal ruthlessness. Their outspoken stance and unrelenting pursuit for women rights will definitely stay for some time in the streets of Lahore and Delhi. They combated injustice, aggression and fearlessly raised their voice against the despotic rulers. Asma pioneered the struggle against the ‘Hadood Ordinance” in Pakistan which vehemently confronted the patriarchal religion and social fabric. Asia Andrabi and Pareveena Ahanger, co-founders of “Parents of Disappeared People”, are leading peaceful protests in the heart of Srinagar valley. The ideology of women being at a disadvantage is not only deep-rooted in Indian soil. This ideology is not of the victim but of a survivor; it is festering on the wounds of a 27 year veterinary doctor being ablaze on the road of Indian Hyderabad and the horrific chronicles from the saintly land of Kasur in Pakistan.
Submission, subjection or servitude has its own significance for the women of these lands; the greater the degree of these three traits exit, the greater they would be applauded in this soil. The women entitlements in this very reigon are the tale of liberated bondage. The agrarian and industrial economies guarded the narrative of patriarchal domination.
Economic backwardness worked as the main determinant in the creation of sub-continent social edifice with wide spread disease, poverty and illiteracy for the women of the society. However, with some minor presence of legal emancipation efforts in the region the society has largely enwoven the culture of loyalty of women into an order and obey relationship. The status of women has not undergone a big social change. Renaissance liberty for women could not live long, being replaced by the Reformation movement centered on the idea of keener fidelity and greater segregation.
Are capitalism and patriarchy two distinct systems brought around by some transformation? Patriarchy is complex; social order which is based on domination and exploitation of relationships and capitalist accumulation perpetuates gender discrimination. Capitalism and female emancipation worked in segregation and has not strengthened each other. A man makes decisions and a woman makes dinner is the sole “Equality Equation” in existence in the Subcontinent, Middle East and Sub-Saharan countries.
The real genius of the system in the sub-continent is radicalized as oppression has been recast as the virtue and this culture by design is so clever that enlists a habit of distrust and trains women to deem in dismiss and discount other women. Pakistan is ranked the 6th most unsafe country for women in the world. Pakistan is also ranked as the 2nd worst country when it comes to gender inequality. Dr. Shireen Mazari recently informed the power house of the parliament about a thousand cases of violence and sexual harassment. India has been ranked as the most dangerous in the world as per women’s rights. How can women get justice when the whole system is the perpetrator? Deepa Naryan, Indian Social Scientist and author of “Chup”, breaks the silence about Indian women being of the view that power of culture has been underestimated in our families and to reclaim humanity, it needs national dialogue and deliberate decisions.
Robert Frost explains: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference”. Women empowerment is intertwined with respect for human rights. Women’s freedom is directly proportional to the accumulated consciousness of the society. The Subcontinent has to decide a distinct path. Even if it is the path less travelled by.
The writer has keen interest in Public Policy and Sociocultural arena.
