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Women in Pakistan
From being denied having food with their husbands in restaurants in Larkana in Sindh province, to a modern girl who is up-to-date with the latest fad and fashion, the women in Pakistan are a picture in contrast.
Even between provinces, the differences are stark. For instance Khairpur, which is just two hours drive from Larkana, has a woman as head of the district government. According to Javed Shah of Larkana, restaurants all over the town have separate enclosures for men and women and they are segregated. “It is our tradition,” he points out.
In stark contrast, women in cities like Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi are modern in their outlook and as cosmopolitan, as women in New York or Sydney. Sabine Hafeez, doing her MBA in Islamabad points out that girls like her frequent restaurants and are in tune with the latest fashion trends. However, western dresses like skirts and maxis are not in fashion as they go against the social ethos, she underscores.
There are other viewpoints, too, among girls in modern cities. Yasmeen, a Pakistani-American girl in Islamabad strongly feels that wearing burqa makes her feel more secure and confident. “I feel comfortable in burqa keeping in view the increasing harassment of women,” she points out. She had been staying in America until recently and has come back to Pakistan. She writes for an American press agency.
Saba Hamid, a student in Karachi, said, “I love to see women wearing burqa.” However, she herself does not wear it. She said, “Many of the problems faced by women in Pakistan today are primarily due to lack of good and quality education.”
Ahtesham Haq of Kasur, a town, 55 km from Lahore, said the problem of dowry is responsible for the declining status of women. “If you don’t have enough dowry, girls simply can’t get married and are not able to stand up in society with dignity.” She adds, “Lack of proper dowry gives a pretext to the in-laws to ill-treat her.”
Ruby Tabassum, also from Kasur, says, “Hardly any girls go to schools in rural areas of Pakistan,” adding, “The societal and cultural norms are such that the girls are discriminated against.”
Shagufta Yasir of Larkana also shares her views, “Quite a large number of girls in our area are not allowed to complete their education. Most feel education for the girls is a waste.” According to Maria Ahmad, a journalist with FM 99, Islamabad, “In these changing times, it is crucial to strike a balance between modernism and vulgarity. Women can be an integral part of social life as those in the state of Khairpur in Sindh and their women have proved. Development does not mean westernization,” she avers.
Women are a victim of a vicious cycle of oppression — inflicted as much as self-imposed — and worthless conventions. “Our women are not incapable of walking along side men or standing up for themselves or even keeping at par with latest trends,” comments Maria, adding, “It is just that it takes guts and courage to break the vicious cycle of outmoded traditions, which hinder progress. For this, the biggest support or probably the only support the women need is a woman’s faith in her sisters (fellow women) because it is she who decides what cultural norms, fashion and traditions are and where the boundaries of a decent woman lies,” she adds.
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