Women’s issues in Pakistan

The current population of Pakistan stands at 225.5 million. Out of this number, men
approximately comprise around 51% of the population while women form 48.76%, and
transgenders are 0.24% of the population. Statistically speaking, there difference
between the ratio of men to women is not significant; but when we deal with the
subjectivities of considering what it means to be a woman in Pakistan, the disparities
between the two genders are vast. Ranking Pakistan at number six for being the most
dangerous country in the world for women, the Thomas Reuters foundation survey
reveals how sexual violence, domestic abuse, acid attacks and honour killings have
characterised Pakistani society. Harrowing incidences of girls as young as 14 being
forced into marriages and falling victim to domestic and sexual violence are disturbingly
frequent. On an average, approximately 5000 women are killed annually due to
domestic violence, while thousands of others suffer from life threatening injuries,
disfigurement, and disabilities induced by oppression.

This article seeks to explore why discrimination and violence disproportionately affects
women and how future governments need to renew their interests in promoting
educational opportunities for women, and work towards upholding commitments
towards gender equality. Moreover, it will discuss how institutionalised patriarchy in
Pakistan has compromised its justice system permitting room for rife corruption which
allows its men to walk free after committing heinous crimes.

Activists have grappled with the explanations behind the sheer levels of gender
inequality for decades. There are many components that explain why Pakistan has a
violent and male dominated society. At a systemic level there are two common and
plausible explanations. The first lies in the lack of educational opportunities for women.
Although education for women was recognised in Pakistan as an indorsed right since
1976, the gender gap in education still remains massive. At the 2015 Oslo summit,
Pakistan was described as one of the ‘worst performing countries in the world for
education’. Imran Khan’s manifesto in 2018 further revealed that 32% of girls of
primary school age were not in education which compared to the 21% boys not attending
school, is considerably higher.

The foundations of gender inequality are rooted in Pakistan’s patriarchal society. This is
an undisputed and discernible statement. Political instability, poverty, ethnic tensions,
violence, and corruption all form part of the reason why successive governments in
Pakistan have been unable to adequately educate their women. Diverting resources to
other sectors (especially defence, due to the skewed civil military relations) has locked
generations of girls out of education and into the arms of poverty and a male dominated
society. In a country where men are more educated and have better access to
opportunities and income, a woman’s role is reduced to domestic work.

Thus, governments should be scrutinised and held more accountable shift this narrative
by implementing widespread education. Having enforceable rights to education will not
only give women access to external income and opportunities but it will subsequently
allow them to seek more independence and understand their rights and value.
To know more: https://peaceforasia.org/womens-issues-in-pakistan/