IPRI Review on Women Empowerment in Pakistan October 7, 2013 Presentation and Report by Ms.

Saira Rehman, Assistant Editor

Definition of Women Empowerment The different definitions of empowerment range between defining it as a largely individual process of taking control of and responsibility for ones life and situation, and defining it as a political process of granting human rights and social justice to disadvantaged groups of people. According to the United Nations Women's empowerment has five components: 1. 2. 3. 4. Women's sense of self-worth. Their right to have and to determine choices. Their right to have access to opportunities and resources. Their right to have the power to control their own lives, both within and outside the home. 5. Their ability to influence the direction of social change to create a more just social and economic order, nationally and internationally.

Narrative South Asia in general and Pakistan in particular has made great strides over the last two decades in narrowing gender gaps in education, health, employment and political participation. The female population was last reported at 49.19% in 2011, according to a World Bank Report
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published in 2012. Today, there are more girls in schools, fewer women dying in childbirth, more women are in wage employment outside agriculture and more women are serving in national Parliament of Pakistan. But, it is quite evident that the progress and achievements are not spread out widely and evenly across the entire region. In case of Pakistan, urban-rural and region to region difference plays important role when it comes to access the women empowerment. Urban woman is living an entirely different life with different realities as compared to the rural woman. Women of north and central Punjab enjoy liberties which women of interior Sindh, South Punjab or tribal belt of Balochistan may not have an inkling of. This striking difference is the main factor which has put Pakistan in the list of countries having enormous gender disparity. Gender equality is not only a basic human right, but its achievement has enormous socio-economic ramifications. World data shows that empowering women fuels thriving economies, spurring productivity and growth. It is the feudal, political, economic and social system of government that can be counted as a major element to affect the enhancement of womens status in the society. The practices of Vani, Swara, honour killing, marriage of daughters with the Holy Quran, commitment of gang rape under orders of jirga etc. are some of the indicators showing the sheer negligence of governments regarding the women issues in Pakistan. Human right activists link women empowerment to basic Human Rights and Social Justice. Similarly, it is believed that patriarchal values embedded in local traditions and culture predetermine the social value of gender and rank women at lower social status than men.

Issues of Women in Pakistan In all major aspects of human life, women of Pakistan particularly rural and illiterate women are suffering in the spheres of health, education, economy, legal affairs, social affairs and political affairs. Social Issues Concept of honour linked with womens sexuality Restrictions on womens mobility Internalization of patriarchy by women themselves Domestic violence
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Acid Throwing Treated as tradable commodity Feudalism and tribal mindset

Education Disparity in educational attainment (particularly in rural and tribal areas) Lack of schools for girls Lack of female teachers in rural and underdeveloped areas Distance of educational institutions from home Lack of institutional capacity of educational machinery at the national and provincial levels Restrictions on female mobility Early marriages of girls Ideology of gender roles Cultural attitudes towards female education Reproduction of gender biases in educational curricula Poor governance Weak civil society

Health Issues Lack of health services and non-availability of medicine Distant and inappropriate locale of health services ( rural areas) Low health and nutritional status of women Inconsistent health policies Restricted budget for the health sector High infant mortality rate among female children Higher incidence of diseases among women Illegal and unsafe abortions Shortage of competent doctors and nurses especially in rural areas Son preference
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Patriarchal control over womens sexuality Cultural barriers to discussing sexual issues within marriage It is estimated that two thirds of the psychiatric patients at any hospital or clinic are women. ( Source ADB Report)

Economic Issues The economic value of womens activities in the reproductive sphere and unpaid work as a family labourer in the productive sphere has not been recognized as productive and is not accounted for in the national statistics. Women do not enter the labour market on equal terms vis--vis men. Limited occupational choices due to social and cultural constraints. Inherent gender bias in the labour market. Lack of supportive facilities such as child care, transport, and accommodation in the formal sector of the labour market. Women lack ownership of productive resources. Lack of credit provision for self-employment.

Legal Issues Lack of awareness of legal rights Lack of access to legal aid Delay in getting justice

Social Empowerment Feudalism and tribal systems are the major problems in many areas of Pakistan. Exploitative role of feudal lords has caused the prevalence and protection of evil customs and attitudes like karo kari, sawara, wani, marriage with Quran, and denial of the right of inheritance to women. They also resist education, and provision of other basic facilities to the people, and hinder all efforts for progress and social reforms. Many forums, NGOs, civil society members, and media are playing important role in highlighting the social problems of women.

Legal Empowerment The passage of Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2012 and establishment of Women Rights Commission with financial and administrative powers aimed at promoting social, economic, political and legal rights of women in Pakistan is laudable. The Prevention of Anti-women Practices (Criminal Law Amendment) Act 2011 is a milestone to empower and enlighten women. The Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010 is also an important legislation done to protect women against harassment at workplaces. The Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act 2006 was enacted to provide relief and protection against misuse and abuse of law and to prevent their exploitation. This Act provided Thirty Important Amendments in Offence of Zina and Qazaf (Enforcement of Hudood Ordinance 1979). This bill allowed rape to be prosecutable under civil law. Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Bill 2009, which Parliament adopted on January 21, 2010, is another bill in favour of women. Political Empowerment The role and representation of women has been enhanced remarkably during recent years: Search For Common Ground Pakistan (SFCG)s endeavour of national level Strengthening Women Parliamentarians in Pakistan for Effective Government is a prominent effort to raise the political status of Pakistani women.
Politically, the representation of Pakistani women in Politics is higher than India, Sri Lanka and Iran. Pakistan is listed as 45th in the Inter-Parliamentary Unions list of women in national parliaments Increased number of seats in Union, District, Provincial and Federal assemblies are also encouraging and motivating signs for political participation of women of Pakistan.

Salient Points of Discussion during Meeting: Women are the victims of gender discrimination and various forms of violence in Pakistan. However, it is the women who have to take lead in order to secure their basic rights and equal status in society. Also, women have to go a long way to become fully empowered. The main problem lies in the fact that the women in our society do not get due respect at societal level, although at home-level, women are respected in the Pakistani society. Issue of women empowerment should be seen in the context of social affairs but not in religious perspective. Lack of awareness and education of the rural women is the major obstacle in the way of development of Pakistani women. Parliamentarian females are not playing in solving the real issues being faced by the women. Similarly, difference in saying one thing and doing something else is also visible among the female parliamentarians. Different cadres of society have different views regarding the freedom of women. Middle course needs to be identified to maintain balance in the society. Recommendations General indicators are needed as well as context specific and issue specific indicators would help the government to formulate guiding framework and public policies. Members of civil society like teachers, lawyers, and religious scholars need to play their role in disseminating awareness, as well as promoting healthy practices, in the society. Without active support and involvement of informed members of society, no progress can be made in this respect. Promoting the idea of uniform education system can also prove to be fruitful in this regard. Media can play a critical role in educating society about the rights of women. Conservative attitudes need to be reformed. Unless the society has a liberal orientation, women rights will continue to suffer.

Bottom-up approach towards marginalized women would be more effective to make women realize their role and rights at all levels.

Conclusion Guiding framework is required for enhancing the increased and productive role of women at all levels. Increased and targeted interventions are needed in girls education and skills development. Without public policies and investments to tackle the multiple facets of gender inequality, the talents and full potential of half the population of the country will remain unrealized. Governments, development agencies and civil society should strengthen efforts of developing indicators of womens empowerment on individual, group and societal level.