Women Essay

Quotes

1. “In the nineteenth century, the central moral challenge was slavery.
In the twentieth century, it was the battle against totalitarianism.
We believe that in this century the paramount moral challenge will
be the struggle for gender equality around the world.”
― Nicholas D. Kristof, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into
Opportunity for Women Worldwide
2. “The emancipation of woman will only be possible when woman can
take part in production on a large, social scale, and domestic work
no longer claims anything but an insignificant amount of her time.”
― Friedrich Engels, The Origin of the Family, Private Property
and the State
3. "When God created man and woman, he was thinking, 'Who shall I
give the power to, to give birth to the next human being?' And God
chose woman. And this is the big evidence that women are
powerful." –Malala Yousafzai( youngest Nobel Prize laureate.)
4. "Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition
for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting
sustainable development and building good governance." –Kofi
Annan(7th secretary-General of UN)
5. Empowering and inspiring poem on women by Sasha Temerte;
A woman with a book
and a pen
has the power
to move nations.
A woman with a mind
and a voice
has the power
to change worlds.
6. “There is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of
the women is improved. It is not possible for a bird to fly only on one
wing.”-Swami Vivekanada(Hindu Monk of 19th century)
7. “We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”-(Malala Yousafzai)
 Women Essay
 Quaid-e-Azam said in speech in 1944:
“No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with
you; we are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women
are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners”. Throughout history,
the central role of women in society has ensured the stability, progress and
long-term development of nations. Women are the primary caretakers of
children and elders in every country of the world. The contribution of women
to a society’s transition from pre-literate to literate likewise is undeniable.
Today, the median female share of the global workforce is 45.4 percent.
Women’s formal and informal labor can transform a community from a
relatively autonomous society to a participant in the national economy.
 It is becoming increasingly difficult to discuss the challenges that
Pakistani women face. After all, Pakistani women have won Nobel
Prizes and Oscars; they have scaled Mount Everest and play cricket in
international tournaments; one is a war-ready fighter pilot, another is
an elite police commando. Women have served as this country’s prime
minister, federal ministers, and speakers and members of national and
provincial assemblies. Turn on the television, and between female
news anchors and feisty heroines in serialized dramas, one can think
gender inequality was yesterday’s news. But there are certain
challenges that still exist. Pakistani women are undereducated, physically
and mentally abused and lack access to information and financial services.
 Women Rights in Islam:

According to a booklet written by Maulana jafar Shah Phulwari, and

published by the Institute of Islamic Culture in 1955, Islam gave a woman
unlimited rights. She had the right to choose a husband for herself and to reject
the choice of her guardian; there was no question of any compulsion from
elders. The bridegroom had to pay mehr before or after the nikah. He would
be responsible for meeting all the needs of his wife, including food, clothing,
ornaments (singhar), medical treatment and other household expenses. No
woman could be forced to cook and wash (except where such chores are part
of a society's customs). The husband would bear all the expenses of the
children and a woman who did not want to breastfeed her babies would not be
forced to do so. If a wife demanded compensation for suckling the babies the
husband was obliged to pay. If a woman wished to separate from her husband
 Women Essay
on grounds of dislike, she could secure a divorce. A woman could have her
own legitimate sources of earning and her earnings would belong to her. She
was entitled to a share in the property left by her husband, parents, children,
brothers and sisters. Lastly, a woman could lay down any appropriate
conditions at the time of the wedding which had to be honoured by the
bridegroom. After defining the woman's rights, the sphere of family affairs,
the author concluded that in other respects also “woman and man are equal
and have identical rights. An ideal situation, obviously, but the author, in his
lifetime saw a violation of all these rights given to women by Islam. Women
were abused, sold, denied their inheritance, and denied maintenance - in short
treated like chattel. The situation is grim – and pretty much the same in all
four provinces of the country.

 False promises of politicians:

Political parties often decorate their manifestos with promises of

ushering in a new era for the disenfranchised half of Pakistan’s
population, yet rarely have dedicated teams within their ranks actually
working on a roadmap for implementation. And with no real watchdog
to keep a politically neutral check on elected governments’ election
promises, most women empowerment reforms never see the light of
day. It’s time to shrug off this immaculate imitation of a just country
for women and bring forth real change — forging a nation where
women are equal participants in the development process rather than
the subjects of social experiments. Federal and provincial governments
alike should harness their resources to further the groundbreaking
work already in progress instead of engaging in populist rhetoric that
only serves to strengthen misogyny.

 Tools to silence women come either in the guise of laws or in

the name of culture or traditions to grant impunity to
perpetrators. An exponential increase in sexual violence and the
collusion of the state and societies to maintain silence over this
violence had granted impunity to perpetrators which could come in the
form of laws and special powers to the armed forces.

 Books:
 Women Essay
A recently published biography, The Sensational Life and Death
of Qandeel Baloch by Sanam Maher, traces the life of Qandeel
Baloch, Pakistan’s most well-known social media star, who was
strangled to death by her own brother. The book portrays a Pakistan
whose sexual repression made Qandeel famous, then destroyed her for
overstepping the bounds of what that same society deemed
appropriate and good behaviour for a woman. Despite the women’s
protection laws passed by parliament, women continue to be assaulted
and murdered with depressing regularity, and the perpetrators let off
with chilling impunity, as evinced in the case of Khadija Siddiqui,
whose would-be murderer was acquitted even after stabbing her 23
times in front of witnesses.

 Gender equality Index :( Pakistan was ranked even lower than

countries such as Saudi Arabia and Syria). It was extremely
flabbergasting to see Pakistan as the second-worst country in the world
for gender inequality. The report was based on four main areas,
including education and health. Pakistan is the second worst country
to be a woman when it comes to gender equality, declares a recent
World Economic Forum report. Ranking 148 out of 149 countries in
the Global Gender Gap Index 2018 — which incorporated the latest
statistics from international organizations along with a survey of
executives to look into education, health, economic opportunity and
political empowerment — the number of women holding managerial
positions is one of the lowest. Other low-performing countries include
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It was also the lowest-ranked country
in South Asia, as it closed 55pc of its overall gender gap, compared to
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka that closed just over 72pc and nearly 68pc
of their overall gender gap. While the country made some progress in
wage equality and the education attainment sub-index, it ranked 146
in economic participation and opportunity, and 145 in health and
survival. In terms of political empowerment, the country was
positioned at 97. The Geneva-based organisation’s annual report
tracked disparities between the genders in 149 countries across four
areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political
empowerment. Across the 149 countries assessed by the report, there
were just 17 that currently had women as heads of state, while on
average just 18pc of ministers and 24pc of parliamentarians globally
were women. Similarly, women held just 34pc of managerial positions
across the countries where data was available, and less than 7pc in the
 Women Essay
in the four worst-performing countries — Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen,
and Pakistan.

 The 2017-18 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) offers us a

glimpse into key social indicators and can explain why Pakistan is consistently
falling behind the rest of the world. According to this survey, Pakistan’s
women are undereducated, physically and mentally abused and lack access
to information and financial services. According to the survey data, almost
49.2 per cent of ever-married women aged 15-49 had no education
whatsoever (the figure is 25.4pc for men). If you look at rural women by
themselves, the figure rises to nearly 61.6pc (33.3pc for men).
 Human Right Commission of Pakistan Report:
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has reported horrific
crimes against women including rape, gang rape, acid attacks,
beatings, torture and, of course, ‘honour’ killings. According to HRCP
figures, a number of women commit suicide in the country and
hundreds of others are killed in the name of honour. Laws passed in
recent times to curb violence against women have not been effective in
actually doing so.

 Financial autonomy to women and the World Bank Global Findex

Report:
The state of financial inclusion of women in Pakistan is shocking. In
2017, only seven per cent of women had a financial services account,
according to the World Bank Global Findex report. Compare this to
36pc in Bangladesh, 77pc in India and 58pc in Saudi Arabia. The only
country that performed worse than Pakistan was South Sudan.
Financial empowerment of women is key to bridging the gender gap.
Having an account in her name, sole access to her funds and the ability
to safely store her money can greatly increase a woman’s agency and
control over her finances, as well as reduce the risk of family members
appropriating her money. Giving women financial autonomy will
increase their status as active economic actors and also increase their
bargaining power within the household. The status quo, where women
are dependent on their male family members’ financial accounts or
deal solely in cash, leaves them financially dependent and insecure.
 Women Essay
Looking at the poor status of women in Pakistani society, it’s hard to imagine
that Pakistan has been a signatory to three major international agreements
on women’s empowerment: the International Conference on
Population and Development in Cairo, 1994; the UN Conference
on Women in Beijing, 1995; and the Convention on the
Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women in
1996. Pakistan has also signed on to the UN’s Millennium Development
Goals and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-5), which include gender
equality. Yet despite this enthusiasm, the country has been unable to meet
any of the targets set by these international agreements.

 Feminism and gender equality:

It is a fact that gender equality is essential for society’s progress and

that no society can achieve high levels of development unless every
individual, irrespective of gender, contributes their due share towards
its social-economic uplift. It is a fact that gender equality is essential
for society’s progress and that no society can achieve high levels of
development unless every individual, irrespective of gender,
contributes their due share towards its social-economic uplift. IT is a
fact that gender equality is essential for society’s progress and that no
society can achieve high levels of development unless every individual,
irrespective of gender, contributes their due share towards its social-
economic uplift.

a) What is feminism?

Feminism is the belief that everyone should have equal rights

and opportunities regardless of their gender.

b) Why should one care about feminism:

There are various ways in which gender inequality is affecting

every individual of every age, even you. For example, if you’re a
girl, were you told that you can’t participate in a sport because
it’s a “boys’ thing”? If you’re a boy, did people ever make fun of
you when you wanted to play with your sisters’ doll houses?
When you hurt your knee or scratched your elbow, were you ever
told that “Boys don’t cry”, when in fact the pain was so much that
 Women Essay
the effort to not cry actually made it worse? If you’re a boy, did
people ever make fun of you when you wanted to play with your
sisters’ doll houses? When you hurt your knee or scratched your
elbow, were you ever told that “Boys don’t cry”, when in fact the
pain was so much that the effort to not cry actually made it
worse?

c) Who is feminist?

It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl, a woman or a man — if

you believe in gender equality for everyone, you’re a feminist.
Some of the self-proclaimed feminists range from Barack Obama
and Malala Yousafzai to J.K. Rowling and Ban Ki-moon.

d) What is the cost of gender inequality?

Women and men, girls and boys — we’re all human beings first
and our gender is not what defines us, but our humanity does.
The sad fact is, even though we’re born with equal abilities, we’re
not treated in the same way or given the same opportunities.

 Gender stereotypes — in other words ‘fixed ideas about men’s and

women’s traits and capabilities and how people should behave, based
on their gender’ — come into effect the moment we’re born. Boys are
given toys such as trucks, action figures, Lego sets while girls have to
play with dolls, tea sets and doll houses. Gender-specific toys — toys
intended for either male or female — discourage girls from pursuing
careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
This is alarming because we need both males and females in these
fields to expand the economy, create new ideas and things, and
improve the quality of life. If we can break gender stereotypes and
allow people to be freer in their choices, we can make the world a better
place for each of us.
 Pay gap- In the workplace, women do the same amount of work but they’re
paid less than men doing the same work. Sometimes, they’re not even allowed
to seek employment (which only makes things worse for a family by placing
all the financial pressure on the men) because some people wrongly think that
a woman’s place is at home. A woman’s place, or a man’s place, or any
 Women Essay
individual’s place is wherever they want it to be. But as long as gender
inequality exists, we will not be able to make free choices for ourselves.
 Women are deprived from education-Likewise, millions of girls
are deprived of their right to education, even though education is a
fundamental human right of everyone and benefits not only the
individual, but also the society at large. However, due to gender
discrimination, we’re missing the contributions of millions of females
all over the world.
e) Ways to make gender equality a reality:
 Rectification of certain words:
We can change the world, but first we have to change
ourselves. So start the process of change by focusing on the
little details in your own life, e.g. instead of saying
“policeman” or “businessman”, use terms suitable for and
applicable to both males and females, such as “police
officer” and “businessperson” respectively. This is
important because language reflects our culture, and if we
want to create a better culture, language is a great place to
begin.
 Sharing of toys and playing all games:
Include all your siblings and friends when you’re playing —
girls as well as boys — and share your toys with them. Be
bold enough to widen your range of playthings to include
the ones that are not specific to your gender.
 Explores stories in which characters act out of norm:
If you’re a book lover, explore stories in which characters
act out of norm, such as A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine
L’Engle and Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah
Underwood. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena
Favilli and Francesca Cavallo is also a wonderful book.
While all the stories in it read like fairy tales, they’re based
on extraordinary women from real life.
 Challenge fixed gender roles by discussion:
Talk about it with other people: your friends, family,
teachers and peers. If you hear someone say something
that goes against the idea of equality (e.g. phrases that
reinforce gender stereotypes: “That’s not a lady-like thing
 Women Essay
to do” or “Boys are tough”) be willing to discuss the issue
with them in a polite and respectful way. Explain how their
behaviour is reinforcing unhelpful gender norms, and what
they can do to correct it.
 Suggest feminism as a topic for debate in school:
Suggest feminism as a topic for debate in school, or get a
group of friends to perform a play in which you swap the
characters’ gender (which is always thought-provoking
because usually we never even realize how gender norms
work until someone does something that isn’t typical of
their gender.
 Support to campaigns that promote feminism:
People can support numerous campaigns that promote
feminism. For instance, HeForShe is a movement created
by UN Women in order to encourage every member of
society to get involved in the issue and take action to create
a gender equal world.
 Conclusion:

When women lack opportunities and empowerment, because of lower

income and no education, there are limits to the country’s
advancement. Men who treat women badly rob the latter of their
humanity, reduce them to the status of an animal, a being who cannot
make decisions, who can be beaten and disciplined and whose capacity
never extends beyond carrying out orders. Only when gender
inclusivity becomes an integral part of the national socioeconomic
agenda will Pakistan register human development progress. A better
option would be to give ordinary women a greater voice. This demands
a two-pronged approach: on the one hand, check violence against
women so that they’re not afraid of speaking out; on the other, give
them more tools (literacy, mobile phones, media access etc.) to be
heard. Once women start to ask to have their needs met, it will be
harder to ignore them. Imagine a Pakistan in which all girls and women
make their own decisions on pregnancy, work and age to get married.
Imagine a Pakistan in which women regularly compete with or
outperform men for the best jobs as doctors, scientists, policymakers
and civil servants. Unrelenting gender inequality, nonetheless,
remains one of the most significant barriers to human development. A
volcano is bubbling under the surface and it will burst forth sooner or later. If
 Women Essay
Pakistan does not get its act together, this nuclear-armed country will find
itself in a crisis unlike any faced by a nation-state in the twenty-first century.

 Third gender issues:(hermaphrodites)

 A loud cry echoed throughout the silent room, followed by

the hustle and bustle of nurses. Sighs of relief were let out
along with cries of joy as smiles crept across everyone’s
faces. The long-awaited guest had finally arrived. The
father swirled in ecstasy as he leapt forward to take the
little bundle of joy into his arms. However, this feeling of
joy was quick to fade as the nurse brought forth the baby
with her head bowed down in dismay. She walked past the
joyous father and placed the small human wrapped cosily
in a blanket into the mother’s lap. She gulped in fear for
she knew not even the little one’s family will treat it with
affection. With a heavy heart, she broke the news that it
was not what they were all hoping for.
 For centuries, South Asia has had its own Khawaja
Sira or third gender culture. The community, identifying as
neither male nor female, are believed by many to be
"God’s chosen people," with special powers to bless
and curse anyone they choose. Those who identify as
members of the third gender aren’t completely accepted
by society. Despite winning a legal acceptance, social
stigmas still hamper complete societal assimilation. As
birds of a feather flock together, so too do transgender
individuals. Spurned by their families and shunned by
society, most transgenders prefer to live communally
under the protection of a guru, a mother superior of sorts.
In every state, transgender persons are undervalued.
They are not considered as ‘normal’ people but those
with biological defects. They still remain victims of
various problems like discrimination, ignorance etc.
They are considered less than other people in every
situation, and hardly ever get jobs because of which their
 Women Essay
community remains impoverished. The transgender
community is neglected as far as their basic rights are
concerned. It is shameful, for instance, that people are
not willing to rent out their apartments to even those
transgender persons that are willing to pay the full
amount. They become the victim of harassment and
other heinous crimes. People must treat them with
respect and dignity because in the eyes of God, everyone
is equal. They are no less humans than us. For those that
don’t believe in one, at least be respectful for the sake of
humanity. One of the most sensitive social issues faced
by Pakistan is the discrimination and violence against
the transgender community. Transgender persons enjoy
the least amount of respect and rights in Pakistan and
are treated as if they are not even humans. Most make a
living by singing and dancing at weddings or births,
while many have taken to begging and prostitution to
make ends meet. Like all transgender people across the
world, they face a very bad kind of discrimination in the
provision of health, housing, education, employment,
and law in Pakistan as well. They are even denied
medical care while they bleed to death. No human being
deserves to be treated this way. It is no secret that
transgender persons in Pakistan are largely
underprivileged, marginalized and often the victims of
violence. Little is done by the state to alleviate their
living conditions.
 Only five countries give LGBT people equal
constitutional rights:
Only five countries in the world have given lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people equal
constitutional rights, global research shows, with most
countries failing to protect the community from
widespread discrimination and abuses. Britain, Bolivia,
Ecuador, Fiji, Malta are the only countries that give
constitutional rights to people regardless of their sexual
orientation and gender identity, according to a report by
 Women Essay
global research group WORLD Policy Analysis Center
(WORLD) and the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA).
 Study on trans-people paints dark picture:
The first ever research titled titled, ‘Barriers to the
Provision of and Access to Quality Healthcare
for Transgender Population of Pakistan’ carried
out in Pakistan regarding healthcare needs of
transgender community highlights serious ignorance,
insensitivity and discrimination of healthcare providers
towards the trans-community while keeping them
deprived of their basic right. According to the study the
most common health issues which are being faced by
transgender community across the country include
hormonal disorders, complications resulting from
castration, and psychological issues due to their identity,
social and economic status. A number of respondents
shared among other mental health issues, cycles of
depression and anxiety are very common among them.
 Definition:
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2017
defines a transgender person as “a person who is (i)
neither wholly female nor wholly male; or (ii) a
combination of female or male; or (iii) neither female nor
male; and whose sense of gender does not match with the
gender assigned to that person at the time of birth, and
includes trans-men and trans-women, persons with
intersex variations and gender-queers”.
 Case law:
One such example is the landmark case of Aslam Khaki
Vs. SSP (Operations), Rawalpindi, where the Supreme
Court granted recognition to the ‘third gender’ directing
Nadra and other data collection agencies to make
appropriate provisions for transgender people on their
forms, and held that transgenders have full constitutional
protection, and could not be excluded from their
 Women Essay
inheritance, or denied basic amenities, by either private
individuals or state functionaries.
 Laws for their protection:
Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2013 and Transgender
Persons (Protection of right) Act in 2017 determine the
duties of government to facilitate them with equal rights. It
includes recognition of Transgender person, prohibition
against discrimination, prohibition against harassment,
provision of safer environment in jails, medical facilities,
formulating special vocational training institutes for their
livelihood, provision of loans and incentives to start their
own business, right to inherit, right of education, right of
employment, right to vote, right to hold public office, right
to health, right to assembly, right of access to public
places, right to property and guarantee of fundamental
rights. But when it comes to implementation, these all
points seem only documented and nothing to do in reality.
 Facts:
The 2017 Housing and Population Census counted 10,418
transgender people in Pakistan — a country with a
population of over 200 million. Members of the
transgender community estimate this to be at least half a
million people.
 Hopes for the community:
 Sindh government approves 0.5% quota of jobs in
all government departments for members of the
transgender community. (October 2019)
 The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has
decided to set up separate wards for transgender
persons in all public hospitals in a bid to avoid
discrimination and ease medical facilitation for the
marginalized community. (June,2019)
 A transgender candidate has been elected as
councilor for a rural Bangladeshi town, the first in
the Muslim-majority nation where laws still
discriminate against sexual minorities.
(october,2019)
 Women Essay
 For the first time in Pakistan, international and
national films on transgender rights, concerns and
issues were screened during a festival organised by
the non-government organisation (NGO) The
Gender Guardian at Alhamra Hall.(2019)
 Marvia Malik has made history in Pakistan by
becoming the first transgender newscaster in a
conservative Muslim country where members of her
community are taunted in public, ostracized by
family and targeted in violent attacks.
“Our society treats transgender people shamefully, degrading
them, denying them jobs, laughing at them and taunting them
... I want to change that.”-( Marvia Malik)
 Conclusion:
For the solution of third gender problem, it is essential to work
on the provision of fundamental human rights in the form of
presentation of bills on federal and national levels in Pakistan.
This is also recommended to start a campaign to change the
absurd attitude of people towards the third gender with the
help of media and on-going awareness sessions. In all the
private and public sectors there should be a reservation of
some of the seats for employment and education for them.
Furthermore, all the stakeholders, including religious and
community leaders can perform their part by correcting the
misconceptions people hold related to hermaphrodites.
Women Essay