THIS is apropos the article ‘Physicians and patriarchy’ (Nov 12) by Rafia Zakaria.

I personally know a number of parents who want to enrol their children in medical colleges so that their daughters could get married in well-settled families.

Even girls themselves feel happy serving well-off in-laws instead of ‘humanity’. There are a few girls who want to pursue their career as active doctor from day one.

On the other hand, a majority of boys become bread winners for their families. But let us agree that there should be open merit. Then what about 10pc quota for women in CSS and other key government posts? Is this fair? Why this hypocrisy?

If you want ‘open merit’, it should be applied to every field. We cannot pick and choose open merit the way it suits us. How can we justify open merit for one field and the quota system for another?

I think people like the writer should first decide what do they actually want and then stick to it. We cannot have selective gender equality. Essence of gender equality is that everyone should have equal opportunity. We should raise voice against privileges for women as well.

Ali Khalid

Lahore

Published in Dawn, November 29th , 2014