The Aurat March manifesto revolves around Khud Mukhtari or independence of women. It envisages a right recognised centuries ago in the early phase of the industrial revolution: that every individual has the right to mould the quality of his life as he deems fit but no one has the prerogative to usurp the rights of others.

Implicit in this concept is that rights and responsibilities go together. For example, in a representative democracy, the right to govern is linked with the duty to honour the electoral mandate. Though still hamstrung by a stubborn status quo, the space for individual rights is widening with growing pluralism within national societies. The fast-emerging multi-polar world is creating room for a more effective exercise of national sovereignty.

The footprints of individual self-determination (autonomy or Khud Mukhtari) are becoming more pronounced in semi-industrialised Pakistan, though not yet comparable to the extent observed in developed economies. The country’s women are choosing life partners, rejecting arranged marriages, even at the threat of losing their lives. Professionals are building their life-long careers through job-hopping instead of sticking to one institution or one country, helped also by management’s flexible labour policy.

The footprints of Khud Mukhtari are becoming more pronounced in semi-industrialised Pakistan, though not yet comparable to the extent observed in developed economies

Corporate enterprises are no longer able to offer life-long careers to many of their employees owing to frequently recurring crises. To become lean, thin and agile, business outfits, helped by the latest technologies, quite often prefer to outsource jobs for other than their core activities. To suit the personal convenience of the staff, the rigid office timings are blended with flexible working hours. The wage labour system is being eroded by contract labour. Enabled by IT, individuals run businesses or work for foreign firms from their home with access to particularly developed markets. The labour market is undergoing a transformational change.

The movement for autonomy has gained much ground against over-centralisation over the past few decades. Institutional autonomy is generally recognised as a superior mode of governance. The State Bank of Pakistan wants more autonomy to manage its monetary policies. Many government activities are conducted through semi-autonomous organisations or corporate entities which operate within the policy framework and regulations set by the authorities. Similarly, all businesses enterprises enjoy operational freedom.

In the realm of political economy, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto says the separatist movements ran out of steam when the provinces were granted financial, legislative and administrative autonomy under the 18th Amendment. In fact, autonomy and majority are two inseparable aspects of democracy. Autonomy has provided huge space for sub-nationalities to make their own decisions at the sub-federation level. Institutions are also in place for functional coordination of economic activities between the federation and the federating units and among the provinces.

However, the provinces, managed largely by the sub-nationalities, are denying the local governments the financial and administrative autonomy provided under the 1973 Constitution. Even though it is well recognised that grassroots development can be best be carried out through participatory democracy.

In the conduct of external affairs, the issue of economic sovereignty (Khud Mukhtari) crops up from time to time, particularly when popular discontentment against externally influenced domestic economic policies hit its peak. One may recall here the title chosen by Ayub Khan for his autobiography, written after a decade of rich experience in governance, was Friends and Not Masters.

With domestic pressure mounting for moderating the pace of ongoing reforms, State Bank Governor Dr Baqir Raza says the building of foreign reserves with hot money will help the country exercise sovereignty and, coupled with the undergoing reforms, obviate the need to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) again. On the other hand, the women’s manifesto has demanded an immediate end to the IMF policies, inflation of food prices and called for an increase in workers’ minimum wages to Rs40,000.

The inequality among and within nations widened by globalisation has been followed by a return of nationalism and protectionism. The world is entering a new phase of globalisation whose course is being set by growing self-assertion of nations while, with rare exceptions, not losing sight of the spirit and benefit of collectivism. It is cooperation between independent entities, not conflict, that stimulates economic and social development.

In his book, The Price of Inequality, Joseph Stiglitz, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, wrote that though microeconomic policies affect the wellbeing of most citizens, standard macroeconomic models don’t even recognise that distribution of incomes matters. In the US, productivity is growing six times faster than wages. The eminent economist is of the view that inequality cannot be eliminated but it can be reduced by better policy options.

Addressing the first women conference on ‘ Economic Empowerment of Women’ held in Karachi on March 7, the former caretaker finance minister and ex-central bank governor Shamshad Akhtar informed the audience that cumulatively only 7 per cent of the women in Pakistan have access to financial inclusion services out of the total female population of 49pc. A mere 2pc of females are part of corporate boards. She emphasised that the empowerment of women requires massive investment in female education, literacy and healthcare.

Speaking at an event organised jointly by the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the International Labour Organisation, development economists called for implementation of the Women Property Rights Act 2019. They considered access to land and property crucial for empowering rural women who have been left behind.

Economic progress is hamstrung by a lag in social progress. The women’s manifesto calls for an end to economic exploitation and social oppression. Quoting an IMF report, a businesswoman says if gender discrimination in workplaces is removed, Pakistan’s GDP would go up by 30pc The women’s demand for their rights is an inseparable part of an international movement to build an equitable, egalitarian, right-based and prosperous society.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, March 16th, 2020