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Protesting Women

Pakistani women have failed so far in fighting for and winning their rights as equal citizens.

By Dr. Qasim Sodhar | April 2020

Pakistan is a deeply patriarchal society and gender segregation in the form of women’s exclusion from social and political spheres is an established norm. Nonetheless, a section of women has been successful in creating a niche for themselves and are continuing to demand social justice.

The ‘Democratic Women’s Association (DWA)’ was the first progressive woman organization, that was established on principles of the Marxist philosophy in 1948. Women's movements in Pakistan, in their true form, received momentum, when, in 1981, the ‘Women’s Action Forum (WAF)’ was formed in Karachi. WAF emerged as a feminist forum and spread to other cities. It was a major organization that resisted Zia’s anti-women laws, such as the Hudood Ordinance, the Zina (Adultery) Ordinance (1979) and the Law of Evidence (1983). Throughout the years since its inception, WAF has been active in major cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar.

The first event in the history of women’s movements in Pakistan that gave strength to women’s resistance took place in Lahore, when the Pakistan Women Lawyers organized a march to the Lahore High Court to file a petition against the then proposed Law of Evidence on 12th February 1983. This was the first time when a large number of women, including WAF members, joined a demonstration and were baton-charged and tear-gassed on the Mall in Lahore. Later, February 12 was declared a National Women’s Day. This was the first time in the history of the country that women were targeted and nearly 50 arrested.

Like the active role played by WAF, Sindhiyani Tehrik (Movement of Sindhi Women) was another strong pressure group, based in Sindh, which resisted Zia’s martial law. Unlike some other women organizations, Sindhiyani Tehrik (ST) was and is completely a political organization since it is the sister wing of the leftist party, Awami Tehrik, which was founded by late Rasool Bux Palijo and his companion Fazil Rahu.

Although, on the one hand, Zia’s martial law had tried to suppress every progressive voice, surprisingly this suppression united the progressive forces in the country. It was a result of General Zia’s suppression against political voices that a wider alliance of different political parties, called the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD), was formed. Likewise, it is quite possible that had Zia not introduced his so-called Islamization project, women organizations, like WAF and ST, may not have been formed.

Progressive movements in the world, including Pakistan, became weak and almost non-existent after the debacle of the Soviet Union. The women’s organizations that survived after the downfall of the Soviet Union were inclined towards the neo-liberal policies of the US. As a result, an NGO-ization of women emancipation movements in Pakistan took place, which converted these political movements into mere civil society organizations. Unfortunately, due to the NGO-ization, women's emancipation movement simply remained restricted to women of the elite class.

This was very dangerous for the cause of women's emancipation that the women hailing from the upper classes used to forward their causes only. Subsequently, a conscious effort was made to align women from the lower and middle-classes in these causes as well. The ‘Aurat March’ was held in Karachi in 2018 under the theme of ‘equality’. Although approximately 5,000 women and men participated in the March it was only restricted to Karachi. The next year, in 2019, the Aurat Azadi March under the theme of ‘Sisterhood and Solidarity’ was held in major cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Quetta, Mardan and Faisalabad.

The 2019 Aurat March created a strong controversy as a result of the slogans chanted and placards carried by the women marchers. Some controversial slogans were, ‘Mera jisam, meri marzi’, ‘Apna khana khud garam karo’, etc.

It was repeatedly stressed that these marches were inclusive, regardless of any class, caste or religious difference. It was supposed that women from all walks of life would participate in the marches, but there is a possibility that the slogans only represented demands of upper-class women. Women from the lower classes are still facing domestic violence and many are being killed in the name of so-called ‘honour’ every year. Women from the lower classes, especially from rural areas, are still not being considered as being human beings. A term such as ‘Women Equal to Men’ is still strange to them.

While, on the one hand, women are considered respectful in Pakistani and a Muslim society but the same society is not bereft of misogyny. The worse form of misogyny in society is to prefer the birth of a boy against a girl. In many places in Pakistan, even in this age, the birth of a girl is not celebrated as that of a boy. This attitude shows dominance of patriarchy which is a term against all of humanity as women are not even considered human beings in a patriarchal society.

The dilemma for men, who vocally support the idea of women emancipation, is that most of them demand freedom for their daughters but not their wives. Those who speak for women’s liberation for all women are mostly above 50 (close to retirement in the sense of manliness).

Those young men, who show solidarity with the cause of women’s emancipation, are mostly unmarried. Their real commitment to the cause of women emancipation cannot be proven until they start from their homes and begin treating all women equally. The forthcoming Aurat Azadi March 2020 should address issues of women belonging to the lower classes such as misogyny, honour killing, domestic violence, acid attacks. etc.

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One thought on “Protesting Women”

  • Ayesha Abdul malik
    April 1, 2020 at 5:40 pm
    Permalink

    There are various factors which are impeding the rights which are granted by Allah Kareem to everyone. If every woman decides she will not let any men engulf her rights and every man or at least 50 percent men do good to their women at home, the things can go in favour of woman and of course it is a good effort by Dr Qasim. As a writer he may create some awareness among masses.

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