VIOLENCE against women in Pakistan is nothing new to hear, although there are
several laws for protection of women, yet unfortunately the formidable
challenges are still faced by women in their struggle to achieve
gender-equality. The laws if not enforced by the state are useless, as evident
from the recent incident of the unjustified brutal murder of four women social
workers in Mirali, North Waziristan in a terrorist attack. The attack is a slap
in the face of the state, the state which has absolved itself of the
responsibility to enforce laws of women protection. Worst than that, the
disownment of the deceased from a local organization as their workers is perhaps
a big question mark on credibility of local organizations and their security
policies.
Salute to shores of Pakistan, sacrificing their lives for women empowerment in a
terrorist attack in North Waziristan.
Different kinds of violence exercised on women through Hostile sexism (overtly
negative evaluation as women being inferior to men) or benevolent sexism
(protect & preserve women through excessive care) are deep-rooted in Pakistani
society. Through stereotyping of women, patriarchy is promoted and consequently
a certain mindset is developed where women are not accepted as humans let alone
equal to men. Therefore, increase in incidents of violence on women as; honor
killing; anti-feminist customs like Swara/vani; females rape cases; female
infanticide; ogling at girls/women in public places; workplace harassment and
lustfully touching fully or partially covered bodies of women by passersby, are
not suspiring in Pakistani society. There is clearly an extensive rhetoric about
women empowerment through their financial independence, involvement in
decision-making processes and their representations at leading roles in
non-governmental organizations and at government level, yet in day light in the
village of Ippi, near Mirali, North Waziristan the vehicle of 4 women is
attacked and 4 precious lives are untimely and mercilessly taken away from us.
It would not be wrong to say that the murder of those innocent aid workers is a
threat to all women workers countrywide. The feelings of fear and agony are
prevailing in the womenfolk across the country over the cruel killing of women
bread-earners in North Waziristan. Their dreams of brighter future would
possibly bury with them, but their indomitable and invincible devotion towards
women empowerment to work in a tough area would further ignite the passion to
struggle for gender equity in the Merged Districts particularly.
It is obvious that by killing the terrorists as, commander Hassan Alias Sajna of
TTP who is declared by the Security Forces to be involved in killing of those
four innocent women, could possibly help in promptly lessening the feelings of
anger and anguish among the public, however, the sad incident is a call towards
working on the beliefs and attitudes of masses towards gender insensitivity.
Such beliefs are embedded in the anti-feminists customs and rituals practiced
without any conscious efforts to understand its grave repercussions on the
society as a whole. Moreover, protecting women clearly needs more efforts than
paperwork as executing women protection laws and policies, or chanting for women
rights, slogans of freedom for women in Aurat March and alike, but more
importantly continuous and conscious efforts to break gender stereotyping by
challenging the patriarchal system through updated curricula in schools,
promoting literature based on gender equality and inclusion for children,
sensitization sessions for youth on gender issues and by banning the songs or
movies/dramas which showcase women as objects, but unfortunately the state
authorities and NGOs become either apathetic or complicit in such important
matters .
This is not to say that gender equality is insignificant in Pakistan. It is
crucial in such a context where cultural norms relegate women to subservient
roles and render them highly vulnerable. It is commendable particularly in view
of the fact that both the governmental and non-governmental organizations are
working towards women empowerment which is evident from increased participation
of women at different levels, the enactment of progressive laws to protect and
punish violence against women, including laws against domestic violence and
sexual harassment in the workplace yet it is never enough to work consistently
and wisely for such needed cause.
The linking of equal rights for women as an ‘anti-Islam’ agenda continues to
haunt and impede the movement of women empowerment. Discussion on women’s
rights, at some point, is taken as a threat to cultural and religious norms due
to lack of proper knowledge of religion and lack of awareness among public. As a
matter of fact, in the existing patriarchal society the brutal killing of 4
women would be blamed on the poor victims for working in North Waziristan by lay
women/men rather than understanding the widespread misogyny in the society.
Consequently, women would be stopped or discouraged to work with NGOs by many
families, and thus once again limiting the scope of work, career choices, and
opportunities for women in Pakistan.
In a nutshell, rights are never given without fight for them and thus the
various styles of expression of outrage of women for their exploitation and
victimization through sacrifice of their lives for other women as in the case of
these four sheroes of Pakistan, through literature, art, or Aurat March are to
be well appreciated, valued and well-understood.
Eiman Jamil