The Hindu Business Line : Women power play

The dynamic political scenario in Pakistan is attracting women. Will this change the situation for almost half the population that has hitherto played a secondary role?

Women from all classes need to be motivated to work and learn skills. In poor families, girls are not sent to schools but hard labour is extracted from them... if we manage to motivate women, we will progress — socially and economically.

Khushbakht Shujaat

Lubna Jerar Naqvi

Women constitute almost half the population of Pakistan but, as in most developing countries, they play a secondary role in the development of the economy and society — deprived of most of their fundamental rights. Despite this dismal condition, there are many women who stand up to tackle the issues facing them — providing a beacon of hope in a society that does not offer them much.

The recent election in Pakistan has turned the spotlight on several motivated women who have turned to politics and now address various social concerns.

For the first time ever Pakistan has got a female Speaker in the National Assembly – Dr Fehmida Mirza. This year the number of women parliamentarians to sit in the new National Assembly has risen to 76 from 72 in 2006. In the 342-member Assembly, 60 seats are reserved for women and appointments to these seats are based on the proportional number of seats won by each political party. In the February 18 elections, 64 women candidates also ran for the remaining 272 general seats out of the 342 (10 seats are also reserved for non-Muslim candidates) and 15 of them won. In the provincial elections, 72 women contested in Punjab and seven of them were elected. In Sindh, two women were elected out of 24 who contested; and in the more conservative North West Frontier Province (NWFP) all 11 female candidates who participated were unsuccessful in securing a seat.

The increased participation of women in the political process is being attributed to untiring work done by women’s rights activists. For sure, an inspiring story is that of Musarrat Shaheen, in her 50s, a former Pushtu (an Iranian language spoken by Pashtuns living in western Pakistan) film actress who ruled the silver screen for several decades. Musarrat would have been lost to oblivion post-celluloid retirement. Yet, the actress used her star status to form the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Musawaat, a political outfit that works in the remote areas of NWFP, or Sarhad, for the rights of the people, especially women.

Convincing the society to accept a woman, let alone a former actress, in the male-dominated arena of politics was nothing short of a feat. Musarrat managed to survive in a province where many women were not “allowed” to exercise their right to vote by their male relatives or the tribal tribunal, largely because women are considered nothing more than personal property. Of course, it has not been easy for her. Musarrat was attacked by individuals, who “didn’t like her involvement in politics”. Yet, her hard work and dedication helped her win the respect of both male politicians and the men of her constituency in the NWFP.

There are others who have not been cowed down either. The most prominent being Pakistan’s first woman prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated last December. Also of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — that has emerged with a strong majority in the recent elections — is Fauzia Wahab from Sindh constituency. Hailing from a middle-class family, Fauzia can relate to the problems faced by women from different backgrounds in the country. While she does not focus only on women’s issues, they do remain a priority concern for her. She has spoken about tribal customs of karo kari, or honour killings.

“We have submitted bills, still pending in the Assembly. The government has not taken serious note of it. You cannot do away with a centuries-old custom at a stroke. Don’t expect women to wave a magic wand and make it disappear just because they have reached the Assembly in large numbers,” says Fauzia, whose party focuses on education. Another candidate, who actually hails from a media background, is Khushbakht Shujaat of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) party. Khushbakht, from Karachi constituency, started out with radio in 1968 and is known to be outspoken on various social issues.

Voicing her concern about the standard of education in Pakistan, she said, “Children are the most neglected section of the population. I am not talking about those from the affluent class. It is the duty of the State to provide underprivileged children education, clothing and shelter. In all civilised countries children in the school-going age are supported by the State. MQM wants to provide street children with education.”

Taking a stand on gender issues, Khushbakht believes, “Women from all classes need to be motivated to work and learn skills. In poor families, girls are not sent to schools but hard labour is extracted from them... if we manage to motivate women, we will progress — socially and economically.”

Ghinwa Bhutto is a familiar name. The sister-in-law of the late Benazir Bhutto, she is chairperson of her late husband’s political party — the Pakistan People’s Party (Shaheed Bhutto Group). Close to her heart are issues facing poor women in remote areas of Sindh province. “Women have many issues in my constituency (Larkana-I): they don’t have drinking water, electricity and security for their children. These issues can be solved but the process will take time.” And she believes that the problem of honour killings can only be “resolved if people take part in the judicial system. The affected people should choose committees to solve their problems. There should be a judge to advise them and we should be a part of such a committee.” Interestingly, Ghinwa is extremely passionate about environmental issues, a novelty in the politics of the country. “I don’t like the way we are attacking the environment, reclaiming the sea, exterminating mangroves and issuing licences to kill animals.”

Although there are many Pakistani women who struggle to make a difference, there are others who take a step further to improve women’s lot. However, Benazir as prime minister did not do much to improve the status of women in Pakistan, indicating that no matter how powerful they may be, women in Pakistan have a long way to go.

Women’s Feature Service