Position of Pakistani Women in 21st Century: A Long Way to Go

Abstract:Since the independence of Pakistan, womenfolk have been feeing exploitative treatment. Socio-cultural, religious, political, and economic factors have kept them at receiving end. By and large, they have been deprived of the rights granted by the Constitution of Pakistan. Till the culmination of 20th Century, they were treated like second rate citizens and remained disadvantaged educationally, socially, economically, and politically. With the dawn of 21st Century, the revival of democracy, emergence of vibrant civil society, and proactive media and judiciary brought a ray of hope for women in Pakistan. Therefore, some old laws were replaced with new ones during Musharraf and Zardari's rules. Significant move in this regard was enhanced representation of women in different political forums to give them voice, and to make them part of decision making. Notwithstanding improved laws for the protection of women, violence and crimes against women are on rise. It is still a big task to revise the role of women from a subservient to an equal partner in family and to ensure equal status to that of men in the society.Keywords: Human rights, women rights, Pakistan, development, crimes against women, gender-based legistaions, sexual violence, abuse, harassment, honor killing, acid crimes.IntroductionThe status of women in any society is determined by a delicate combination of socio-cultural, political, religious, and economic factors. It depends on the structural and functional arrangements of a society to delineate the conditions of women in working arenas. Throughout history, Pakistani women have been facing various challenges ranging from role-orientation to the baffled position of women in family, socio-economic, and political spheres of life. Besides this, women's status in legal sphere is also questionable. It goes without saying that Pakistan is predominantly a male chauvinist society. In this regard, Bari stipulates, however, women's situation vis-a-vis men are one of systemic subordination, determined by the forces of patriarchy across classes, regions, and the rural/urban divide 1The concept of women rights is not new to the realm of politics. Women rights are the rights, claimed by and for women, of equal privileges and opportunities with men. Such rights may be categorized as birth rights, fundamental rights, social rights, political rights, legal rights, and economic rights, etc. Sometimes these rights appear institutionalized in law, entrenched in local traditions and customary practices, whereas in some places these rights are ignored. In Pakistan, mostly women have been deprived of their rights given by religion and constitution. So, it has aroused general dissent in both sexes on the grounds of their entitlements. The combination of social environment and political aims devise strategy for freedom and rights. Bearing the inequality and discrimination, women have concerns with regard to gender equality and balanced development of society.Gender politics is not a new phenomenon in the countries like Pakistan, where strings of power are held by males. In this framework, 'gender' refers to learnt aspect of a person's sexual identity. People are biologically female or male, but their behavior is either feminine or masculine as defined by the social expectation of their society. In this way, behavioral differences between men and women are culturally created.2 Because men and women are biologically different; their innate differences are incorporated in the value system of particular community in a manner to favor the interest of that community. Gender politics is used as a tactic to run the affairs of the community, whereby men enjoy the fruits of power and prestige at the cost of women. It is partly systematic in patriarchal arrangement and partly due to customary traditions. Therefore, in order to incorporate gender politics in the patriarchal system, role division is put into practice. …