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Women
For Prosperity
by M. R.
Rajna
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Pakistan’s
shortcomings can be blamed on a combination of feudalism,
corruption, runaway extensions of Two Nations Theory
based ideology, misinterpreting Islam, misplaced priorities
and status of women in the society. The order and contributions
of each of the above mentioned factors vary
with each individual’s mindset. Consequently the
solutions proposed also depend on the order and proportion
of each factor to the aggregate.
Therefore the suggestions invariably fall within the
framework of land
reforms, improved accountability process, democracy
without break,
ijtehad, ijma, true Islam, reformed Islam, Ataturkism,
secularism
and benevolent authoritarianism.
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All these proposals lack serious feasibility
and cost effectiveness studies. Although it sounds futile and
hopeless but, in fact, at least one feasible and cost effective
way to tackle such issues is just around the corner. The smart
and efficient approach demand utilizing what is available in
abundance. An example often cited is manpower. Quite the opposite,
the abundant reservoir of potentially pure gold – the women
power – must be exploited.
A great deal of injustices have been done to women throughout
history in which religions, traditions, chauvinism, machismo
and masochistic male behavior have all contributed. Rationally
speaking, the emancipation and empowering women should have
been directly proportional to progress, liberty and freedom.
However, even in the West, emancipation came about much slowly
than anticipated. An accelerated emancipation of women through
empowerment will undoubtedly accelerate progress and creation
of just society.
In Pakistan, at present, there are only 9000 women out of 190,000
federal government employees and that too mostly in education.
Women stand at less than 20 percent of the salaried labor force.
Around 1100 cases of honor killing took place during year 2000
– a marked increase over the last year. The number of women
victims of honor killing is more than the total killed in sectarian
related violence. In various prisons in the country nearly a
thousand innocent women from lower strata of society, falsely
implicated in cases under the Hudood Ordinance, are incarcerated.
This data clearly reveal continuous indifference behavior of
establishment towards gender specific discriminations and imply
tremendous resistance within society towards emancipation and
empowering women. In spite of the terrible situation prevailing
in the much-trumpeted Islamic Pakistan, exaggeration of the
women exploitation in highly advanced and civilized countries
is often used as a mean to prove that Islam gives Muslim women
a place of honor and a far better deal in day-to-day life.
The Pakistani men, most of them Muslim, should be ashamed of
themselves. Their mindset is frozen in time and obsessed with
borderline issues. Their minds manufacture polarized situations
leading to conflicts more often than harmony.
The media and establishment of Pakistani men blame India for
most acts of violence on its soil and their counterparts in
India do the same. There might be some elements of truth in
the never-ending blame game but it also reveals the incompetence,
irresponsible behavior and laziness of desi men. While getting
to the facts requires systematic approaches such as opening
up files, inquiries, collection of evidences, recording eye-witness
accounts and then leading to most probable suspects, blaming
India or Pakistan can be done without moving their feet from
the tabletop while reading newspaper and having a cup of tea. |
A paradigm highly
dependent on polarization, conflict, emotionalism, war,
hate and disharmony in general as challenges is the most
probable outcome of lazy, irresponsible, incompetent,
machoism and egotistical elite men of sub-continent.
Several recent studies and examples speak of remarkable
women strength and contributions towards peace and just
societies. Their natural instincts related to producing
and nurturing desire peace, which leads to better opportunities
for communications, reason and resolution during crisis
situations. Better livelihood through progress and production
is more important to them for continuity of species than
use of force particularly when it leads to loss of production
and slowing down progress. Involving women is practical
because a woman's vision of peace is more sustainable
as it is based on egalitarian principals and is flexible
enough to accommodate political differences. Women, by
discussing their trauma, can understand and form a bond
with members of opposing groups and the commonalities
of their experiences can cut through ethnic, religious,
tribal and social identities. In times of conflict, paradigms
of conflict resolution from women’s perspective have
played significant roles in modern times. In Bosnia, Bosnian
and Serb Women's Forum formed contact groups and brought
women together from opposing sections to discuss their
experiences, which helped tremendously in developing tolerance.
Daughters and Mothers of Lanka and Mother's Front in Sri
Lanka are working for peace in the war torn region of
northern Sri Lanka. |
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The inclusion of women in negotiations is important
because men and women experience war differently and a woman's
contextual experience can lead to an alternative formulation
of conflict resolution. Nagaland is a northeastern Indian state
fighting for autonomy since 1945, have included women’s
groups during peace talks with the Indian government. Naga Mother's
Association participated in the negotiations and worked out
an achievable solution plan. In 1999, women leaders were accorded
permanent observer status at the peace negotiations in Burundi.
The women of Burundi are still working towards being granted
full rights as participants in the peace process. Several women
groups are actively engaged in Palestine/ Israel to instill
sanity to otherwise mostly insane path to crisis resolution.
It is common observation in Diaspora that women are exhibiting
remarkable leadership and communication capabilities while men
are doing better in technology related areas. It is perhaps
passing down the acquired ability of desi women to manage households,
set priorities within often-limited means to nurture and sustain
as efficiently as possible. Their presence in the budget appropriation
at national level and all levels of legislation is absolutely
essential.
Most cost effective and efficient approach to accelerate emancipation
of women and making up for the historical injustices is to adopt
gender based separate electorates. Being almost equal in numbers,
equal number of seats in the National Assembly, Senate and the
four Provincial Assemblies should be assigned to women. |
Women must elect their own
representatives, same way as men elect theirs. The current
process of electing women to the assemblies must be abolished.
Since women voter lists and polling stations have always
been separated, only cost associated with this change
may be few additional ladies rooms in the Parliament houses.
Because of historical injustices leading to lower literacy
rate among women, the restriction of bachelor degree must
not be applied until there is parity in literacy levels.
Is it asking too much for about half the population?
In the first few years, it may not make much difference
because established political parties might grab the same
proportion of ladies seats but 50 percent women caucus
will be sufficient to wake up women, bringing them out
and be counted. They will be demanding more say within
the parties as well as in national affairs and it might
even lead to predominantly women’s parties in the
future.
The effects will be so far reaching that one can not fully
comprehend them in advance. The first casualty will be
wildly swinging identity. Pakistani women have little
to cheer about history of sub-continent because history
has not been fair to the – responsible for the current
status of women in the society. Out of seven hundredyears
of Islamic |
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empires, only Razia Sultana, Noor Jahan and
few other influential women are worth mentioning. History is
not as important to women as it is for men. They care about
present and future much more due to natural instincts of producing,
nurturing, sustaining and survival of the next generation. Their
communication skills, crisis resolution skills, leadership and
compromising attitude will have far reaching influence in creating
a just society, rule of law and peace in the sub-continent.
Many of the exclusively men issues like reforming Islam, Sahriat,
fiqah, ijtehad and ijma will automatically lose importance,
because the forces of change in the society will push these
useless issues and other discriminatory laws such as Hudood
ordinance by the wayside. In fact, controlling runaway population
growth, literacy among women, economic revival, foreign investment,
harmony at home and peace in the neighborhood are all directly
linked to emancipation and empowerment of women. It will make
sure to have a minimum of 50 percent members of parliament not
inflicted or influenced by madrassah based mindset. Imagine
the impossibility of women sitting on various appropriation
committees and military asking and getting 30+ percent of it
without a single question ever asked? A small step right now
that is extremely cost effective will go a long way towards
making up for the historical injustices, creating a just society,
a progressive Pakistan and a respectful place in the community
of nations.
After trying a failed strategic depth abroad for 20 years, it
is imperative to give strategic depth at home at least 20 years,
with practically no costs but effects only. Any challenge to
this paradigm based on the examples of Indira Gandhi and Benazir
Bhutto is useless because these examples do not represent grassroots
changes.
Ironically, the authoritarian regime in Pakistan has the power
to make the difference at this critical juncture of history
with just one stroke of the pen. Such golden opportunities do
not come by often. It is their chance to leave a legacy behind
that overrides all the wrongdoing they have committed. We have
always listened and accepted ideas from outside. Pakistan must
give something to the world that our generations will be proud
of. Pervez Musharraf has always been behind the curve. Here
is his chance to be ahead of the curve. Will Pervez Musharraf
act? |
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