Women are facing discrimination for thousands of years because of socially constructed systems like patriarchy, male chauvinism, and sexism. Even though we have made huge strides against gender discrimination but it is still devastating throughout the world including Pakistan.
Discrimination with female gender starts too early even before her birth. With the technology of ultrasound, which reveals the gender of the baby during pregnancy, people are indulging into sex-selective abortions of female babies which is called female foeticide. Health minister of Punjab Dr. Yasmeen Rashid announced eight months ago that government was planning to impose a ban on the disclosure of the baby’s gender before birth by understanding the gravity of the problem. The cultural preference for sons causes female infanticide which means the deliberate killing of newborn female children. Throwing away the newborn daughters also happen in Pakistan because they are not wanted. And now human beings are taking fate in their hands by choosing the sex of their babies by using in vitro fertilization (IVF) process. Even in Pakistan some fertility clinics are introducing and advertising IVF it to the parents.
Discrimination with the girls starts from their own family. Preference of boys over girls results in different treatment with boys and girls. Parents spend fewer resources on daughters and more on boys. Allocation of food and healthcare facilities within the household are imbalanced between both genders. Boys are welcomed and supported when they want to pursue their hobbies and passion. When we raise children in this discriminatory environment they have long-lasting effects on their behaviors.
In the early or middle age ensuring the completion of primary and secondary education is our duty. In that matter, girls suffer a lot. Though the gender gap has been closing steadily over the past few decades, still the majority of out-of-school children are girls in Pakistan. Many girls even do not complete primary education. Across the country, it is harder for girls to go to school and boys outnumber girls at every stage of education.
In the age of adolescence, girls face the worst kind of exploitation in terms sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, trafficking, sending to brothels, violence, Vani, child and forced marriages and premature parenthood. They are considered commodities and treated inhumanely.
The idea of shame and honor is also associated with girls, they face more restrictions than boys and face more problems when they do anything which they like but their elders consider it immoral because of false cultural practices, rules and laws. In Pakistan, many women become the victim of honor killing due to the belief that the victim has brought dishonor and shame to the family.
At the time of marriage, Girls have to leave their families they are grown with. Their parents have to arrange dowry for their marriage while the men have fewer liabilities at the time of marriage. No matter how much dowry she gets with her after marriage she cannot use anything without the consent of their husband and in-laws. If the family of the husband is not satisfied with the dowry it may result in abuse (physical and psychological) of the bride.
The next phase of life is married life and motherhood. In this phase, she becomes the property of the husband and used by him as he wants. Compromising and adjusting with the in-laws become a compulsion for her. She faces physical and psychological abuse. She cannot use resources on her own. Sometimes she even does not have access to her parents. She cannot meet someone. She cannot do anything which pleases her. She is considered to perform household duties and make her husband happy and satisfied. She spends her life satisfying expectations of her husband and in-laws.
When it comes to becoming a mother many of Pakistani women have no access to healthcare just because their family does not want them to go to the hospital. Thousands of women die as a result of pregnancy complications and childbirth. Most of the women do not know about sexual and reproductive health and face many health issues throughout their lives.
Most women do not inherit properties from their fathers and they do not get anything from their husband too. Which means they do not own anything and cannot use any resources of the family according to their desire. They spend their lives depending on others first on father and brothers, then husband and then sons.
Somehow Governments, institutions, corporations and the whole society discriminate women. There are Discriminatory laws for women, they have fewer opportunities for jobs, lack of implementation of laws supporting women, the behavior of the society with working women, they are underpaid, their actions are seen different from males etc.
In old age, they face double discrimination on the basis of both gender and age. Many older women are plunged into poverty at a time of life when they are very vulnerable. They don’t get healthcare and sometimes abandon by their children. They live their lives in old age homes and wait for death. Those who don’t abandon their older ladies they treat them like maids. Because Grandmothers, in particular, possess a great deal of knowledge and experience related to all aspects of maternal and child health and care. Instead of getting the knowledge they ask them to take care of the children and perform other household duties.
We are not talking about women’s issue but a social issue. To end the discrimination, first of all, we have to educate ourselves as a society and should change our attitudes. We have to understand that women are equally important as men for the betterment of society. We have to treat boys and girls equally and teach our male children to treat sisters and other girls equally.