Feature 
 

Feminism

Redefining Silence

A growing number of Pakistani women now dare to break the conspiracy of silence about oppression and unequal relationships between men and women. They want to bring change by acquiring more rights.

By Syeda Nabiha Wadood | June 2021

The word feminist in Pakistan is often tossed around as an insult to shut up an intellectual conversation about women’s rights. The moment you are labelled as one, you are discredited before you even present your stance in a shameless attempt to poison the well and cast doubt on your cognitive abilities. After all, no ‘sane’ person can believe in equality of the sexes in this part of the world, apparently.

Born and raised in Pakistan, I have encountered a plethora of people who not only criticize the movement but openly advocate for anti-feminism without having the slightest clue of what the word means. Mind you, Pakistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in Asia, with the male literacy rate at around 71% and female literacy rate stalling at a whopping 22% behind that. To make matters worse, Pakistan has one of the highest school dropout rates in the world with 41% primary school dropouts. But I am not going to discuss the expected ignorance of those not privileged enough to attain basic education. I am going to shift the conversation towards the ‘educated elite’ who hold many degrees, and yet, are allergic to lifelong learning.

When queried, they point fingers at the oblivious ‘fake feminists’ demanding unwarranted favours ‘because’ they’re women and claim they are representing true feminism. Whatever arguments you offer to explain that’s not what feminism embodies, will fall on deaf ears. It makes you wonder why they prefer cherry-picking positive discrimination eternalising, self-proclaimed feminists as the face of the movement to fuel their biased agenda over objective study. There already are too many people with God complex wearing blinders like some badge of honour who would actively resist changes in their points of view than deal with logical vulnerability and actually be sensitive to the possibility of their own fallibility and partiality.

These people, in my opinion, though, need to be educated, not ridiculed. And so, every time I stumble upon a literate person raising virtual slogans against feminism, I urge them to practice responsibility and read the smallest book on feminism that they can acquire. They need to decipher the significance of all three waves before forming an opinion. They must do so instead of blindly augmenting the overabundant hate fostering bandwagons already burgeoning in full swing in our post-colonial, poverty-stricken society. If only we learnt to suspend judgment until there was enough evidence in lieu of disregarding without adequate knowledge.

If you’re a fellow Pakistani and feminism fuels apprehension in your life, let me assure youthat we are not conspiring to replace toxic masculinity with toxic feminity. We don’t want matriarchy to substitute patriarchy. Our aim here is equality or more appropriately, equity. Unjustified discrimination against men is as despicable as groundless discrimination against women. And yes, no one is denying the essential differences between men and women but those differences in our opinion should not translate to different levels of access to basic educational, economic, legal, social and personal rights. Now, we’re counting on you to introspect, find your cognitive pivot and join us in our battle against systemic oppression against women in a country that ranks 153 out of 156 on the Global Gender Gap index.

According to a Human Rights Watch report, 70 to 90% Pakistani women are subjected to domestic violence. Nearly 35% are admitted to hospitals after being beaten by husbands. The UN claims that 50% of married Pakistani women have experienced sexual violence. There are at least 11 rape incidences reported in Pakistan every day, and only 0.3% of the accused are convicted. A Geo News investigation further noted that a mere 41% of rape cases are reported due to societal pressures and legal loopholes. And if that might convince you to further restrict female mobility in a meagre attempt to ‘protect’ them, allow me to enlighten you to the harrowing revelation that 82% of rape perpetrators in Pakistan are family members (quoted by War on Rape).

Cases of stove-burnings, honour killings, forced conversions, child sexual crimes, female trafficking and more, make Pakistan the 6th most dangerous country for women, according to Thomas Reuters Foundation. In a universe where we have lost sensitivity to such appalling crimes every day and normalized violence and bigotry, I request you to have the nerve to ask the women in your life about the harassment and assault they have faced and the lingering PTSD they inherited as a present from this dreaded patriarchy. Structural economic violence against women is rampant; only 22% women are formally recognized as part of the workforce and the rest know the cost of finding their tongue is destitution and social boycott if they’re fortunate and murder and vitriol if they are not. This does not mean these are sparse occurences and women are at par with men on every platform otherwise.

As for those who are capable of fathoming the depth of this concept and refuse to deem women fellow human beings worthy of the same rights and freedoms as them, solely because they profit from oppressing them and blatantly challenge their right to body autonomy and integrity; the subsequent social stagnation may not yield satisfaction for long. A report published by the IMF states that empowering women and closing the gender gap in Pakistan can boost its GDP by 30%.

There is a recorded correlation between gender equality and GDP per capita. While correlation does not always imply causation, we have substantial evidence to prove that giving women the same rights as men and educating and incorporating them as part of the economic workforce will eventually not only snowball to an efficient use of human resources and enhanced productivity and development but may also provide us with a fortunate stroke of serendipity of escaping from the second phase of the demographic cycle in which our country has been unceasingly entrapped with no sign of respite.

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