Women In Pakistan
...despite declarations of secularity in government, is heavily dependent on religious code. Islam supposedly declares the equality of men and women, and asserts the right of women to certain freedoms. However, there is a significantly low level of autonomy for women in Pakistan, as they are the bearers of family honor and thus expected to protect that honor by remaining in a separate sphere from men, both publicly and privately. Women in Pakistan remain at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, and endure both physical and mental hardships at the hands of men due to social and cultural norms, which have defined women as subservient to men, and consistently cast blame on them for any acts or situations, which have been defined as dishonorable. This wide gender equality gap can be seen in several aspects of Pakistani life including education, employment, marriage, health and overall social norms.
While Islam was the first religion to recognize the equality of the sexes and the Pakistani constitution explicitly states that “all citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law. There shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex alone,” there remains a wide gap between the rights and freedoms of women and those of men (Najam 1). Islam is the basis for the underlying fabric of the socio-cultural norms that determine gender roles in Pakistan, and most interpret religious edicts as supporting the subordination of women (Najam 2). Thus, women have been systematically disadvantaged in Pakistan due to a cultural reliance on religious values, interpreted by those dominant in society: men. It is also widely accepted that a “man’s honor resides in the actions of the women of his family,” creating the notion that women are responsible for maintaining and upholding the family honor (Lewis 1). Consequently, women have heavy restrictions placed on them...
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