The Pakistan woman of today enjoys a better status more than Muslim and Middle Eastern woman. However, on an average the woman situation vis–vis men is one of systemic subordination, although there have been attempts by the government and enlightened groups to elevate the status of the women in Pakistan society. In Pakistan, the womans access to property, education employment etc remains considerably lower compared to mens. The social and cultural context of Pakistan society is predominately patriarchal. Women have a low percentage of participation in the society outside of the family.
Discourse about the position of women in Islam and the womens role in a modern Islamic state was sparked by the governments attempts to formalise a specific interpretation of Islamic law.
Although the issue of evidence became central concern for womens status, more mundane matter such as mandatory dress code for women and whether females could compete in international sports competition were also being argued.
According to Human Rights Activist, the right to life of women in Pakistan is conditional on their obeying social norms and traditions. Women in Pakistan face all kinds of violence and abuse at the hands of male perpetrators, family members and state agents. Multiple forms of violence include rape, domestic abuse as spousal murder, mutilation, burning and disfiguring faces by acid, beatings, ritual honor-killings and custodial abuse and torture.
The role of media in Pakistan has also been lethargic in terms of improving the status of women. Many channels have a crosscutting viewership, especially among women. However, plays mostly revolve around formula-based story lines, which cast women in either submissive roles or at the other extreme as westernised glamour girls.
According to the survey conducted by United Nations Development Programmed on Portrayal of Women in Media indicates that the viewers preferences are now tilting in favor of more gender-balanced portrayals of women.
The respondents of the survey feel that the negative stereotypical images of highly emotional and suppressed women should be reduced and downplayed. This is a sure sign of improvement in womens status, as it would leave a positive impact on the male members of our society regarding the productive role of women and who might then stop considering them as mere vegetables who have no say of their own.
SADIA ZAHEER
Lahore
