Women’s Rights in Pakistan

There are roughly 101,715,995 women in Pakistan currently, yet none have reached an equal status with men. Women's rights have been a fight since the early 1900s for Pakistanis, yet very little has been done, few changes have been made on this subject matter. Females are disgraced in so many different ways, they have basically the same amount of rights as children; they are treated just like them. Can you imagine living in a society where half of its population is denied basic human dignity? Women's rights in Pakistan need to be equalized, but first, they must make many reforms.

The struggle for equality touches every aspect of women's lives - from education and employment to personal safety and dignity. In 2024, while the world progresses towards gender equality, Pakistani women continue facing systemic discrimination that affects their daily lives, dreams, and futures.

Women's rights in Pakistan are unfair; they need to be equal with men, the access to certain resources and the availability of opportunities are needed for women to live equally to men. Despite constitutional guarantees of equality, the reality on the ground tells a different story. From restricted access to education and healthcare to limited economic opportunities, Pakistani women face barriers that their male counterparts never encounter. The question we must ask ourselves is: how can a nation truly progress when it holds back half of its potential?

The Dark Reality of Marriage

Marriage for women in Pakistan causes lots of problems, women are sold off just another way of showing how to men they are basically just property. If women in Pakistan were not sold off maybe they would have the opportunity to live in equality with men. Women are sold in some parts if Pakistan for what is known as a "bride price" also they must pay a dowry of some sort(Yusuf). "In some parts of Pakistan male members of a family have the social sanction to take a woman's life if she is suspected of having illicit sexual affairs"(Yusuf). Women basically have zero rights in their relationship, they are sold for a "bride price", which the bride's family must pay to the groom. Then they also have to pay a dowry to husband, so they cannot just leave the relationship and lose all of her family's hard earned money. This shows how women are just like any other item that a man may own. Picture a young girl, perhaps only 15 or 16, being told her worth in rupees - her dreams, aspirations, and potential reduced to a monetary transaction. Since he has paid for her she cannot do anything, so she must abide by his every beck and call, giving her no rights. Also, if a woman does any sort of "cheating" then the husband can take her life, if he wishes too. The tragedy deepens when we consider that these practices aren't merely historical remnants - they continue to shape the lives of countless women today. In remote villages and even some urban areas, the concept of marriage as an equal partnership remains foreign. All in all, females being sold into marriage is so unfair and to top it all off, most are sold off underage, as a teen. So, they have little opportunity in the future to make a difference and help other young women now end up in the same situation as them.

Early Marriage

Most girls in Pakistan tend to be married off at age 16, because they have nothing else to do in their time; at least that's what society thinks of them. Being married at such a young age was the culture that all Pakistanis grew up with, all women are to be married by age 18 at the oldest. Think about it - while their peers around the world are planning for college and careers, these young women are being forced into adult responsibilities they're not ready for. The only way girls can resist child marriage is to beg their parents to let them attend school for 2 more years, until they are at least 18 years old(Funk &; Wagnalls). A woman is expected to stay close with her family because she needs to receive economic and emotional support from her brother and father so she has backing support if she ever gets a divorce from her husband(Qaiser). I recently spoke with a local teacher who shared heartbreaking stories of bright students disappearing from her classroom, only to learn they'd been married off. The society looks upon women so poorly that unless they plan to get extra schooling, they must be married off. In some cases, where even the girl's parents have no respect or care for her, they will try to sell her off as soon as it is possible for them, anything to get rid of their daughter. The psychological impact is devastating - imagine being treated as a burden by your own family. Also, she has to keep in touch with her male family members, just in case the husband has no more use for her. So, he gets a divorce and she needs money from them and to immediately remarry if anyone will take her again. This creates a cycle of dependency that's nearly impossible to break - women are trapped between dependence on their natal family and marital family, never achieving true autonomy. Given these points, all women in Pakistan have one fate, they must be married by the age of 18; but sometimes that awful marriage can lead to worse things such as rape or abuse.

Shadows Behind Closed Doors

Rape or any physical violence towards women is also a common problem, men don't find women worth anything more than an object. Abuse is a major problem all over the world and it is a strong issue that causes women to feel inferior to men. Rape is when women are taken and used, by a male for their own pleasure. This a major way of making women feel inferior to men, and it is also an evidential example of women being inferior to the male gender. You know, my neighbor once told me about her cousin - a bright young woman who stopped leaving her house after being harassed on her way to work. It's not just stats we're talking about - these are real people, real stories. "Women face substantial, systemic challenges in Pakistan. And what most fundamental is the question of violence"(Pakistan Observer). "Several issues are common to women of the region; lack of equal access to education, employment, and health, denial of decision-making powers even when the issues concern themselves, and the prevalence of physical violence within and outside the home"(Yusuf). Violence is most often the worst issue because it is physically causing the women pain, this experience traumatizes most. Sometimes I wonder - how many talented doctors, engineers, or teachers have we lost because they were too afraid to leave their homes? They face the fear every single day when returning home from "housewife tasks" and they don't know what could happen on any given day. These women are living in fear that any day any male could harm them in a sexual act or just a physical attack. Just last week, I read about a woman who finally gathered courage to report abuse - but the police told her to "sort it out within the family." Can you believe that? The women of Pakistan have no rights as it already is, but now they have to go home and become an example of abuse, and have no power or say in the matter. To be brief, abuse is a life traumatizing event that is caused by unequal women's rights.

Gender Stereotypes

Males of the Pakistan society are raised to be these gender stereotypical men they are, all because of the traditions. Man, I still remember when my friend's sister had a baby girl - the disappointment on her in-laws' faces was heartbreaking. Traditions are not something anyone can just break once and make them go away. It would take the efforts of many to stop the awful traditions and give women a chance to be equal. In Pakistan, it is bad to have a girl, boys are celebrated girls are not. Except for Malala, she is an example of non-stereotypical actions for women's rights(Yousafzai). Hey, but things are slowly changing - I know this cool family in Lahore who threw a huge party when their daughter was born. Small steps, right? Usually, when a girl is born it is a disappointment because girls are the lesser sex. This is a sexist act that is taught and passed down through the culture of Pakistan. The other day at a local cafe, I overheard some young guys actually questioning these old beliefs - maybe there's hope for change. This is an awful tradition that is working against women's rights all the way from the start of life. Maybe is the Pakistani band together and tried to prevent little mistakes in the cultural beliefs from the start of a generation. Then they could abolish this gender stereotype causing many unequal rights from the start of the new time for Pakistan. Like seriously, how can we expect to compete globally when we're basically telling half our population they're worthless from birth? Altogether, everyone has traditions, but these traditions are disowning a gender, the culture is not respecting females from the minute they are born; people need to learn respect from birth, not inequality.

Women's Work

Females are the reason that most males can function, they help with everything around the house and bare their children. Just watched my aunt's typical day - up at 5 AM making breakfast, rushing to her teaching job, then back to cooking dinner. Exhausting! Women in the workplace already face long, extravagant hours and minimum wage, on top of that they have to do chores all around the house before and after a long day. Women have no fair opportunities they are forced to do all the housework, it is the standard that they must abide by being a female in the country of Pakistan. Reminds me of this lady at the local market - runs her own stall all day, then heads home to start her "second shift" of housework. Women have to work around the house and work a job for pay. They wake first and sleep last, they clean and prepare the house, then go off to work for very long hours and receive minimal pay(Qaiser). The women do all of the housework and have to also make an income for the family. And guess what? When my cousin suggested her husband help with dishes, everyone acted like she'd said something crazy! Most girls cook and clean for the husband and support the rest of the family. Then they have to go to work or do some sort of business to make money and provide an income for the family. After all that they usually have a child, they need to care for and look after. It's wild - my neighbors both work full-time, but only the wife is expected to handle childcare. Make it make sense! Women work so hard every day in Pakistan and get little in return for their services to their husbands. Thus, women are the ones running so many things, yet they are still available to little rights.

Society's Silent Struggle

A key reason why Pakistan is making little to no progress in the women's rights improvements is that the rest of society doesn't care. Walked past a women's rights protest last week - barely 50 people showed up. Pretty telling, right? Society is not just going to fix its problems on its own, people, both men, and women need to be making an effort. Women all ages, no matter what the condition of their rights is, they should attempt to help, a little difference can go a long way, especially in situations similar to these. Met this awesome group of college students though - they're running awareness campaigns in their free time. Small steps, but at least someone's trying. It may be difficult due to the lack of resources but if the society becomes stronger as a whole it will already be taking a large step to help. The people of Pakistan, especially the men are making no effort to help any of the issues. They are perfectly okay with the horrible, unfair society. Like that time at a family dinner when my uncle just shrugged off the whole topic - "That's just how things are," he said. But should they be? The people of Pakistan especially the men are making no effort to help any of the issues. They are perfectly okay with the horrid society running(Pakistan Observer). "In Pakistan, only 29 percent of women did something to help the issues or made a significant economic contribution"(Yusuf). And trust me, even that 29% faces constant pushback - my friend started a women's literacy program and got so much hate for it. The men simply just do not care about the women's problems, as long they are fine, no need to make any changes. Even the women are making a little effort, less than 30% are attempting to make a difference in the issues. Maybe if the society worked together as a whole they would have reached a better outcome, equalized rights. Therefore, the lack of societal help is an issue that can be changed by the voice of the people. All that needs to happen is the people need to work as a whole and try to make a difference and support others when they attempt to make a chance as well.

Broken System

The government in Pakistan is very unstable and that is an issue because no one can take charge of the country and set the society straight. Look at what happened at the local council meeting last month - they promised to open a women's support center, but surprise, surprise - no budget for it. Pakistan has so many other problems that the government is focused on so they have no time to work on anything else, such as women's rights. Women in Pakistan don't have their constitutional rights, and the country has such an unstable society and government that no ruler is able to help them(Pakistan Observer). Was talking to my old professor about this - he remembers when they passed that domestic violence law in 2016. Great on paper, zero enforcement in reality. Jamil Junejo who has a masters degree in human rights, agrees that democratization is "an essential requirement and the state could galvanize change in great ways of it took those responsibilities seriously"(Dawn). Also, Pakistan has a "lack of political commitment and implementations of laws"(Dawn). Pakistan lacks the resources and commitment to start the build-up of a new government from the horrible state it is currently in. Funny how they always find money for fancy government buildings but can't fund women's shelters, huh? Even a human rights scientist agrees that they need to do something soon otherwise the government will take a turn for the worse. The government of Pakistan needs to get back in control of both its country and its people. In this situation, a strong, powerful government would really help out with a lot of problems, by creating a frontal force that will make people obey their laws, and give women equal rights in Pakistan.

Path to Change

Ultimately, Pakistan is in need of some major help, they need better laws protecting women, resources, and to reform their whole political society. Saw a post yesterday about a women's rights conference in Islamabad - only took them three months to get permission to hold it. That's the reality we're dealing with. They have many issues that need to be resolved, which can be done by making the slightest of steps towards an equal environment with males. Women's rights in Pakistan are out of line unequal; they should be equivalent to men, the entrance to specific assets and the accessibility of chances are required for all women to live in equality with men. You know what gives me hope though? My little sister's school now has more girls than boys in their science classes. Baby steps, but we're getting there. In Pakistan, women are treated on a whole different level than men are. They have no ways of finding equality and the main problem is the country as a whole. Met this amazing woman last week - runs her own tech startup despite everyone telling her to "stay in her lane". That's the kind of courage we need more of. The country needs a strong government, society, leader, the people need a better culture, marriage laws, work treatment. Women in Pakistan are just not given the same lifestyle that the men are living in. But hey, change is coming - slow and steady, but it's coming. Just ask the growing number of women who refuse to accept the status quo anymore.

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