ISLAMABAD, 19 April 2006 — Though Pakistani women have come a long way in terms of gaining their political rights, they continue to suffer deprivation in the areas of justice, education and health care. Those few women with both means and opportunity can make it to the top but for the poor, illiterate and oppressed women, life is a daily struggle. This is no doubt true for women in many countries, whether developed or undeveloped. What makes the situation in one country different from that in another is what is being done to empower women and provide them with the means for changing their lives.
Talking to Pakistani women who are in a position to make a difference, the point they constantly emphasize is that women need to be included at the policy-making level in order to be able to make the necessary changes. “Biases are there in every culture but unfortunately, Muslim countries are condemned for this without looking at our cultural background, our moral values and from where we have come. In Pakistan, we have made a good deal of progress. Today, 33 percent of seats in local government are reserved for women who can also contest the general seats,” Nilofar Bakhtiar, adviser to the prime minister and in charge of the Ministry of Women’s Development told Arab News. She admits that if the seats were not reserved, women would have problems getting elected. She hopes in a few years, reserved seats will not be necessary since there are already women mayors and deputy mayors. At the provincial and national levels, in the assemblies of both lower and upper houses, 17 percent of the seats are reserved for women nominated by the party and five percent are chosen by direct vote so that women have 22 percent of the seats.
There are now seven women federal ministers in the Cabinet. Under the Gender Reform Action Plan (GRAP), there is a gender mainstreaming committee that looks at every evaluation and preparation report made by each ministry to see how the suggested policies and procedures will affect women. Also under GRAP, which is a whole reform policy for government organization, a job quota of 10 percent is reserved for women at government institutions. Regarding electoral reforms, any area in which women are not allowed to vote, elections are declared null and void.
Recently, the first woman governor of the state bank was appointed; women pilots were commissioned on March 30 and there are two women major generals in the army. Major incentives are given to female students to go to school — the illiteracy rate among women is 47 percent. There is a Ministry of Health program which gives schoolgirls food and in some areas, girls are given free uniforms, books and parents are given stipends of 200 rupees if they send their daughters to school. “People must realize that if women are educated, the quality of life will improve,” said Zobaida Jalal, federal minister for social affairs and special education.
Violence against women is a challenge in Pakistan, but with new stricter laws and media awareness campaigns, society is moving away from such acts as honor killing. Legislation has been introduced regarding honor killing in which a minimum punishment of 14 years would be enforced, even if a deal had been made for blood money in accordance with Islamic law.
Other legislation, regarding Hudood laws introduced by former President Zia-ul-haq, is in the process. This law does not differentiate between rape and adultery while punishing a woman.
“A national commission had been tasked with preparing a report about the Hudood Ordinance. The commission is an independent body that works with the ministry, it’s like a watchdog. The commission has recommended the repeal of the Hudood laws and now its report is with the Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs,” said Nilofar. A law was enacted to end the practice of giving women away to settle a dispute and a bill has been introduced in the National Assembly to enact laws against domestic violence.
“There were three centers for abused women. Now, we have 20 such centers where there are shelter homes, 24-hour helpline, medical aid, legal aid, financial aid and protection,” Nilofar said. Her plan is to open 10 such centers every year.
Another type of support offered to women is in the form of micro-credit to help them establish their own businesses and become financially independent.
Nevertheless, as Kashmala Tariq, member of the National Assembly and the executive director of Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights, said there is still more needed to be done to give women rights and opportunities equal to men. “There should be laws against discrimination in jobs and against harassment. In some sectors, women do not get equal opportunity even if they are better qualified,” she said. What women need is education and awareness of their rights and the power to react. “We need to discuss these issues at the grass-root level to bring awareness and eradicate abuses and oppression,” she added.
