Quite a way to go
Every year Women’s Day reminds us, if nothing else, of how far our Islamic Republic still has to go before it can claim empowering and protecting women in keeping with present day standards. The storm triggered by Punjab’s recent initiative — Protection of Women Against Violence Act 2015 – was instructive. Clearly a large regressive bloc – entrenched at the fringes of the far right and draped in religious extremism – will fight any reform tooth and nail. They have already muddied the women’s rights debate by dragging religion, liberalism, tribalism, etc, into it.
Also, it’s not just the religiously motivated lobby whose resistance to reform is cause for concern. The recent controversy surrounding Sharmeen Obaid’s Oscar winner showed where large, seemingly non-clerical, sections of society stand on issues like honour killings and women’s plight. Even a number of outwardly progressive groups were uncomfortable with showing the world how a big portion of our society mistreats, degrades and kills women, associating it with honour, and the state condemns but rarely acts. Some of the more prominent religious/political parties, JUI-F in particular, went to the extent of attacking Sharmeen’s character for shaming Pakistan, even though she received nothing but praise and admiration from the enlightened world.
Back home, of course, the anti-reform group is busy labelling these initiatives as a western conspiracy. The government, therefore, has its work cut out for it. That, of course, is if it is really serious about finally empowering women and has the will to fight this fight to the end. Since the mullah lobby’s habit of associating religion with all things that leave it behind has gone unchecked for so long, it has become particularly potent when it comes to disrupting proceedings. Our women must be liberated, psychologically and physically, so they can take active part in social and economic life and contribute to national output. And it is the government’s responsibility to create such an environment.