Socio economic empowerment of Pakistani women and peace

Table of ContentsIntroduction.........................................................4Argument:............................................................5

Literature Review....................................................5Research Questions...................................................6

Significance of issue................................................7Research Methodology.................................................7

Theoretical framework................................................7Structure of the paper...............................................7

Empowerment..........................................................9Social empowerment..................................................9

Economic empowerment................................................9Women Empowerment...................................................10

Role of UN in Women empowerment.....................................11Establishment of UN Women..........................................11

Empowerment of Pakistani Women:.....................................13Timeline of Women Empowerment in Pakistan:.........................13

Constitutional Provisions regarding Fundamental Rights:............16Pakistan’s International Commitments on Women Rights and Gender Equality:..........................................................17

Present status of Pakistani women:..................................17

Constraints in Socioeconomic empowerment of Pakistani Women........20Social...........................................................20

Cultural.........................................................21Religious........................................................21

Role of NGO’s in socioeconomic empowerment of Pakistani women......22Empowerment leads toward Peace......................................23

Meaning of Peace....................................................23

1

Positive and Negative Peace........................................24Structural Violence.................................................25

Violence against women in Pakistan..................................27Deprivation of Social and economic rights as a form of Structural violence...........................................................28Violation of economic rights.....................................29

Violation of Social Rights.......................................30Positive Peace in Pakistan..........................................31

Recommendations:....................................................32Conclusion:.........................................................33

Bibliography........................................................34

2

Introduction Empowerment is the process of enhancing the capacity of

individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices

into desired actions and outcomes.

3

Social empowerment is understood as the process of developing a

sense of autonomy and self-confidence, and acting individually and

collectively to change social relationships and the institutions and

discourses that exclude poor people and keep them in poverty. Poor

people’s empowerment, and their ability to hold others to account, is

strongly influenced by their individual assets (such as land, housing,

livestock, savings) and capabilities of all types: human (such as good

health and education), social (such as social belonging, a sense of

identity, leadership relations) and psychological (self-esteem, self-

confidence, the ability to imagine and aspire to a better future).

Also important are people’s collective assets and capabilities, such

as voice, organization, representation and identity whereas the

economic empowerment is to allow poor people to think beyond immediate

daily survival and to exercise greater control over both resources and

life choices. In the socio-economic context, development means the

improvement of people’s lifestyles through improved education,

incomes, skills development and employment. It is the process of

economic and social transformation based on cultural and environmental

factors.

Women’s empowerment is a process of giving ability to the

neglected women to evolve the future strategy in their lives. This

ability ensures access to material and social resources; to agency

where decision making is processed and achievements that are the well

outcomes.

Peace means the elimination of all kinds of violence from the

society. For the durable and positive peace, removal of all kinds of

structural violence is necessary. Deprivation of any kind of rights

comes under structural violence and in the presence of any kind of

4

structural violence positive peace is unattainable. Protection of

women rights is necessary not just for the development and justice in

the society rather it is essential for the elimination of structural

violence and nourishment of positive peace in society. Women rights

are being protected by the constitution of Pakistan but practically,

they are mostly violated by the different segments of the society. For

a country like Pakistan, where peace is a big question, socioeconomic

empowerment can play very important and effective role in the peace

building process.

This paper intends to build a linkage between the socioeconomic

empowerment of women and establishment of peace in society that how

socioeconomic empowerment of women will help in establishing positive

peace particularly in Pakistan. The paper will focus specifically on

the positive peace rather than negative peace and introduce the new

dimension towards the durable peace in Pakistan. The paper will

examine the current status of Pakistani women at economic and societal

level and the violation they are facing. It will also find out the

major constraints in socioeconomic empowerment of Pakistani women. In

the end, paper will conclude that how this socioeconomic empowerment

will lead towards the positive peace in Pakistan and what are the

measure which must be taken into account to eradicate structural

violence and to build positive peace.

Argument: Socioeconomic empowerment of Pakistani women is vital for the

elimination of structural violence which will lead towards durable

peace in Pakistan.

5

Literature Review There are many women rights activists like Farzana bari, Aasima

Jehangir, Tehmina Durrani etc who are solely working for the

socioeconomic empowerment of Pakistani women they have written much

about empowerment of Pakistani women. On the other hand, many national

and international NGO’s like Aurat foundation, APWA, Women's Action

Forum which are actively working by not only helping the victims

rather they are providing quantitative and qualitative data by making

reports regarding women issues in Pakistan. In order to understand the

perspective, a review of some literature is present below

The book ‘Peace building: Women in International Perspective’

written by Elisabeth Porter clarifies some key ideas and practices

underlying peace building; understood broadly as formal and informal

peace processes. Elisabeth Porter highlights positive examples of

women’s peace building in comparative international contexts. Drawing

on feminist ethics, the book develops a politics of compassion that

defends justice, equality and rights and the need to restore victims’

dignity. Complex issues of memory, truth, silence and redress are

explored while new ideas on reconciliation and embracing difference

emerge.

Many ideas challenge orthodox understandings of peace. The

arguments developed here demonstrate how peace building can be

understood more broadly than current United Nations and orthodox

usages so that women’s activities in conflict and transitional

societies can be valued as participating in building sustainable peace

with justice. Theoretically integrating peace and conflict studies,

international relations, political theory and feminist ethics, this

book focuses on the lessons to be learned from best practices of peace

6

building situated around the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on

Women, Peace and Security.

The article ‘Johan Galtung: Positive and Negative Peace’ by

Baljit Singh Grewal is a well written article in which author

explained and defined the concepts of peace in a very confined and

clear manner. He discusses the Johan Galtung’s concept of positive and

negative peace.

The Paper ‘How Do Women Decide to Work in Pakistan?’ By Zareen F.

Naqvi, Lubna Shahnaz and G. M. Arif attempts to identify household-

related factors leading to women's participation in economic

activities and relates such participation to their economic

empowerment. A Probit and a Multinomial Logit model, respectively, is

estimated to look at women's participation in economic activities and

to evaluate the determinants of decision-making regarding own

employment, using the Pakistan Integrated Household Survey 1998-99.

The results are indicative of the observed bi-modal distribution of

women's participation in the labour force. At the upper end, educated

women are more likely to be involved in economic activity, whereas at

the lower end the chances of a woman to be involved in economic

activity increase if she lives in rural areas, if the head of the

household is illiterate or employed as an unpaid family helper. We

find that women who are older, better educated, head the household, or

come from smaller, better-off urban families are more empowered to

take employment decisions on their own. The results reinforce the

importance of educating women to improve their economic participation

rates and their economic empowerment.

7

A report, ‘Women Empowerment in Pakistan’ a report by Aurat

foundation and USAID defines women empowerment in multiple dimensions.

Women's empowerment is a complex, multi-dimensional, fluid and

emerging concept within feminism and development literature. It has

economic, political, social, cultural, religious, personal,

psychological and emotional elements. Empowerment appears to be

context-specific and has multiple determinants. Women are capable of

empowering themselves while external actors and agencies can create

supportive environments. This report aims to address the present

condition of Pakistani women and constraints which are present in the

way of socioeconomic empowerment.

Research Questions What are the major constraints in socioeconomic empowerment of

Pakistani Women?

How socioeconomic empowerment can be achieved?

How socioeconomic empowerment will end structural violence and

will lead towards peace?

Significance of issue A lot has been written on the issue of protection of women

rights and women empowerment as well as for the durable peace in

Pakistan, much has been available in literature but the linkage of

women empowerment and peace is missing in this regard. Much work has

been done related to peace building but less or negligible work is

present on the positive peace dimension. I have made an effort to

introduce new perspective towards durable peace in Pakistani society.

8

Research Methodology The methodology I’ll adopt for this research is qualitative in

nature and I will use primary as well as secondary sources for the

collection of data. The secondary sources include literature and

context from books, magazines, reports and online articles.

Theoretical framework Theoretical frame work is one of the integral part of the

research paper without which research is incomplete and insufficient.

Theoretical framework is the foundation of research paper on which the

whole research is based on. It is necessary to define the perspective

and dimension on which the whole research has based.

This research paper has based and revolves around the theory of social

constructivism. Social constructivism is a sociological theory of

knowledge that applies the general philosophical constructivism into

social settings, wherein groups construct knowledge for one another,

collaboratively creating a small culture of shared artifacts with

shared meanings. In an attempt to make sense of the social world,

social constructionists view knowledge as constructed as opposed to

created1.

Socioeconomic empowerment of women is related to the social setups of

the society and hence become a part of sociological norms. It is often

considered as a slogan of feminism but in reality it is social

constructivism theory which helps to explain the linkage between

socioeconomic empowerment of women and peace.

1 Tom Andrews, “What is Social Constructionism?” Issue 1, June 2012, Volume 11http://groundedtheoryreview.com/2012/06/01/what-is-social-constructionism/ accessed on Jan10, 2015

9

Structure of the paperIntroduction

What is meant by socio-economic empowerment?

What is meant by socio economic empowerment of women?

Role of UN in empowerment of women

Empowerment of Pakistani women

Protection provided by Pakistani constitution and its implications

International conventions signed by Pakistan and its implication

Present status of women in Pakistan; social as well as economic

Constraints in women empowerment

Religious

Cultural

Social

Role of media and NGO’s

Empowerment leads towards Peace

Meaning of positive peace

Meaning of structural violence

End of structural violence

How positive peace can be achieved?

Conclusion and recommendations

10

Empowerment Empowerment means giving individuals power to makes choices and

desired decisions about their life. It can be defined as the process

of enhancing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and

to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes. Central

to this process are actions which both build individual and collective

assets, and improve the efficiency and fairness of the organizational

and institutional context which govern the use of these assets.

Empowerment encompasses access to options, information, education and

resources; decision-making power and authority; and control over one's

life.2

Social empowerment Social empowerment is a process of developing a sense of

independence and self-confidence, and acting individually and

collectively to change social relationships and the institutions and

discourses that exclude poor people and keep them in poverty. Poor

people’s empowerment, and their ability to hold others to account, is2 “Women’s Empowerment”, Medium Term Development (2009). Framework 2005–2010, http://www.planningcommission.gov.pk/mtdf/In 2009.dex/Index.htm accessed on Jan13, 2015

11

strongly influenced by their individual assets (such as land, housing,

livestock, savings) and capabilities of all types: human (such as good

health and education), social (such as social belonging, a sense of

identity, leadership relations) and psychological (self-esteem, self-

confidence, the ability to imagine and aspire to a better future).

Also important are people’s collective assets and capabilities, such

as voice, organization, representation and identity.3

Economic empowerment Economic empowerment is thought to allow poor people to think

beyond immediate daily survival and to exercise greater control over

both their resources and life choices. For example, it enables

households to make their own decisions around making investments in

health and education, and taking risks in order to increase their

income. There is also some evidence that economic empowerment can

strengthen vulnerable groups’ participation in the decision-making.

For example, microfinance programs have been shown to bolster women’s

influence within the household and marketplace. The evidence also

suggests that economic power is often easily ‘converted’ into

increased social status or decision-making power.4

Women Empowerment Women empowerment is a complex term to define and constantly

being defined and clarified by different scholars. It is deeply

interlinked with the feminism and gender equality which seems to be

the ultimate goals of women empowerment. The empowerment of women is

3 http://www.gsdrc.org/go/topic-guides/empowerment-and-accountability/social-and-economic-empowerment accessed on January 6, 2015.4 http://www.gsdrc.org/go/topic-guides/empowerment-and-accountability/social-and-economic-empowerment , accessed on January 6, 2015

12

associated with the entire transformation of the societal structure

which includes land reforms, educational opportunities, equal

employment rights etc. The empowerment is not something to impose

rather it is a phenomenon of independent choice and free will and it

may differ in the mindset of different societies.

The aim of Women Empowerment is equal distribution of power

between the sexes without any discrimination. Both men and women

should be provided equal economic, social, legal, and political

opportunities for their development. To get empowerment, women should

increase their self-esteem, self-confidence, and understanding of

their own potential, appreciate themselves and value their knowledge

and skills. Women should obtain equal distribution of power and

involvement in decision making at home, in society, economy, and

politics through women empowerment5. Women empowerment reduces maternal

mortality and fertility. Women violence prevents the welfare of women.

Women empowerment is measured through dimensions of knowledge, health,

resources, decision making and employment

Socio economic empowerment of Women means giving women equal

opportunity to live their life according to their desired goals and

enjoy all the benefits from their society equally. Social norms

overlap with development outcomes throughout a woman’s life-cycle:

they will determine whether she has any opportunity to forge her own

pathway to empowerment and to contribute to the empowerment of her

community or not.

The United Nations Development Fund (UNIFEM) represented a

comprehensive framework to define women’s empowerment and the

5 R.L.Panigraphy and DasarathiBhuyan. Women Empowerment. India: Discovery Publishing House, 2006

13

principles on which it is based which includes; high-level leadership

for gender equality; respect and for human rights and

nondiscrimination ensuring health, safety and well-being of all

workers; promoting education, training and professional development

for women; implementing enterprise development, supply chain and

marketing practices that empower women; and promoting equality through

community initiatives and advocacy. According to UNIFEM

Economic empowerment includes women’s land rights, livelihoods

and labor rights in formal and informal sectors.

Social empowerment includes; equal access to education, health

and all other social activities to women

Political Empowerment includes the share of women in electorate

and their participation in political system and process

Role of UN in Women empowerment UN has been playing very effective and efficient role insocioeconomic empowerment of women all over the world. It is provingnot only legal legislations rather the platforms as well for the womento excel in every sphere of life. Role of UN in socio economicdevelopment of women cannot be denied.

Establishment of UN Women In July 2010, UN Women; the entity for Gender Equality and the

Empowerment of Women was created by UN General Assembly. It was one of

the historic and practical steps taken by member states for the

execution of Organization’s goals on gender equality and the

empowerment of women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of

the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for

greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four

14

previously distinct parts of the UN system, which focused exclusively

on gender equality and women’s empowerment6:

Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW)

International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement

of Women (INSTRAW)

Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of

Women (OSAGI)

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

The main roles of UN Women are:

To support inter-governmental bodies, such as the Commission on

the Status of Women, in their formulation of policies, global

standards and norms.

To help Member States to implement these standards, standing

ready to provide suitable technical and financial support to

those countries that request it, and to forge effective

partnerships with civil society.

To hold the UN system accountable for its own commitments on

gender equality, including regular monitoring of system-wide

progress.

UN has made substantial progress in advancing gender equality,

including through revolutionary agreements such as the Beijing

Declaration and Platform for Action and the Convention on the

Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Gender equality is not only a basic human right, but its achievement

has enormous socio-economic benefits. Women empowerment helps in

6 http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/about-un-women retrieved on January 14,2015

15

economic growth and development but unfortunately gender inequalities

remain deep rooted in almost all the societies of the world.

Women lack access to decent work and face professional

discrimination and gender wage gaps. They are too frequently denied

access to basic education and health care. Women in all parts of the

world suffer violence and discrimination. They are unrecognized and

did not give any part in political and economic decision-making

processes. For many years, the UN has faced serious challenges in its

efforts to promote gender equality globally, including inadequate

funding and no single recognized driver to direct UN activities on

gender equality issues. UN Women was created to address such

challenges. It is a dynamic and strong organization for women and

girls which will provide them a platform at the global, regional and

local levels to hear their un-heard voices. UN Women, among other

issues, works for the:

elimination of discrimination against women and girls;

empowerment of women; and

Achievement of equality between women and men as partners and

beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action

and peace and security.7

Women’s Empowerment Principles:

Empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all

sectors is essential to build stronger economies, achieve

internationally agreed goals for development and sustainability, and

improve the quality of life for women, men, families and communities.

7 http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/about-un-women

16

The private sector is a key partner in efforts to advance gender

equality and empower women. Current research demonstrating that gender

diversity helps businesses perform better signals that self-interest

and common interest can come together. Yet, ensuring the inclusion of

women’s talents, skills and energies—from executive offices to the

factory floor and the supply chain—requires intentional actions and

deliberate policies.

The Women’s Empowerment Principles offer practical guidance to

business and the private sector on how to empower women in the

workplace, marketplace and community. Developed through a partnership

between UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact, the Principles

are designed to support companies in reviewing existing policies and

practices—or establishing new ones—to realize women’s empowerment.

In brief, the Principles are:

Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality

Treat all women and men fairly at work—respect and support human

rights and nondiscrimination

Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men

workers

Promote education, training and professional development for

women

Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing

practices that empower women

Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy

Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender

equality8

8 ibid

17

Empowerment of Pakistani Women:

Timeline of Women Empowerment in Pakistan: Muslim reformers such as Sir Syed Ahmad Khan brought reforms in

education and tried to empower women through education. Quaid-e-Azam

Muhammad Ali Jinnah had a positive attitude towards women. After the

independence of Pakistan, Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah tried to eliminate

socio-economic disparities against women in the country. Before 1947

there was a tendency for the Muslim women in Punjab to vote for the

Muslim League and women were organized into large-scale public

demonstrations.

Pakistani women were granted the suffrage in 1947 under the Pakistan

(Creation of Pakistan) Ordinance, and they were reaffirmed the right

to vote in national elections in 1956 under the interim Constitution.

The provision of reservation of seats for women in the Parliament

existed throughout the constitutional history of Pakistan from 1956 to

1973.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Government

The democratic regime of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1970-1977) had liberal

attitudes towards women. All government services which had been denied

to women earlier were opened to them. About 10 % of the seats in the

National Assembly and 5% in the provincial assemblies were reserved

for women, with no restriction on contesting general seats as well.

Gender equality was specifically guaranteed in the Constitution of

Pakistan adopted in 1973. The constitution says that “there shall be

no discrimination on the basis of sex alone.” Additionally, it affords

the protection of marriage, family, the mother and the child as well

18

as encouraging “full participation of women in all spheres of national

life.”

Zia-ul-Haq's Military Regime

The martial law regime of General Zia-ul-Haq (1977-1986) took some of

the steps for women’s development

The establishment of the Women's Division in the Cabinet

Secretariat,

The appointment of Commission on the Status of Women.

A chapter on women in development was included for the first time

in the Sixth Plan.

In 1981, General Zia-ul-Haq inducted 20 women as members in the

Majlis-e-Shoora

In 1985, the National Assembly elected through nonparty elections

doubled women's reserved quota (20 percent).

However, Zial-ul-Haq initiated a process of Islamization through

discriminatory legislation against women. He banned women from

participating and from being spectators of sports and promoted

purdah. He suspended all fundamental rights guaranteed in the

Constitution of 1973 including the right to be free of

discrimination on the basis of sex.

Benazir Bhutto Government

During her election campaigns in 1988, Benazir Bhutto voiced concerns

over social issues of women, health and discrimination against women.

She announced different plans to set up women's police stations,

courts and women's development banks. She also promised to repeal

controversial Hudood laws that curtailed the rights of women. However,

19

during her two incomplete terms in office (1988-90 and 1993-96),

Benazir Bhutto did not propose any legislation to improve social

status of Pakistani women. She was not able to repeal a single one of

Zia-ul-Haq’s Islamisation laws which were protected both from ordinary

legislative modification and from judicial review by virtue of the

eighth constitutional amendment.

Nawaz Sharif Government

In 1997, the Nawaz Sharif government proposed a fifteenth amendment to

the Constitution that would entirely replace the existing legal system

with a comprehensive Islamic one and would override the “constitution

and any law or judgment of any court.” The proposal was approved in

the National Assembly (lower house), but, it was strongly opposed by

women’s groups, human rights activists, and opposition political

parties. They demanded that Hudood legislation must be repealed as it

discriminates against women and conflicts with their fundamental

rights.

The improvement of women's status was stated as one of the 16 goals

listed in the Pakistan 2010 Program (1997), and is a critical policy

document. Later on the document omitted women while listing 21 major

areas of interests. Likewise, another major policy document, the

“Human Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy” (1999), states

women as a target group for poverty reduction but lacks gender

framework.

Pervez Musharraf's Regime (1999-2008)

On September 2004, the Ministry of Women Development was

established an independent ministry.

20

On July 2006 General Musharraf signed an ordinance for the

immediate release on bail of around 1300 women who were currently

languishing in jails on charges other than terrorism and murder.

In late 2006, the Pakistani parliament passed the Women's

Protection Bill, repealing some of the Hudood Ordinances.

The Cabinet had approved reservation of 10% quota for women in

Central Superior Services. Before this, there was a 5% quota for

women in all Government departments.

President Asif Zardari Government (2008-2013)

The government’s highest priority is to address discriminatory laws

against women, which includes

Adoption of Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace

Act 2010.

Criminal Law (Amendment) Act.

Acid Control and Acid Crime Act and Prevention of Anti Women

Practices Act.

The National Commission for Human Rights Act 2012 has been

enacted to monitor the overall human rights situation.

The Women in Distress and Detention Fund Act 2011 has been

promulgated to provide financial and legal assistance to

deserving women.

Moreover‚ 26 Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Centers for women have been

established in various districts to provide immediate relief to

female victims of violence. Around one million women are

receiving direct assistance under Benazir Income Support Program,

while the National Commission on the Status of Women has been

strengthened to monitor the violation of women’s rights. A

21

proposal is under consideration to give more representation to

women in the judiciary.

Nawaz Sharif Government:

Nawaz Sharif, also being a state party to the Convention on

Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), lead

the government to take measures to ensure women’s rights as envisaged

in the CEDAW where as it is still taking multiple reforms to enable

women to participate in all walks of life. Nawaz Sharif has started

Prime Minister’s Youth Loan to help the youth of Pakistan build a

brighter future for themselves, in which 50 percent of the scheme has

been allocated to women to help encourage women to setup their own

businesses and thus allowing women to have equal rights.9

Constitutional Provisions regarding Fundamental Rights: Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan provides equal rights

and the chapter on Principles of Policy underlines the principle of

equal rights and equal treatment to all citizens/persons, without any

distinction including on the basis of sex. Following Articles of

Constitutional of Islamic Republic of Pakistan broadly cover the women

rights10:

Article 3 calls upon the State to eliminate all forms of

exploitation.

Article 4 provides for the right of individual to enjoy the

protection of law and to be treated in accordance with the law.

This applies to the citizens as well as “to every other person

for the time being within Pakistan” without distinction. This

9 http://www.pcst.org.pk/wst/wst_hwep.php, retrieved on January 7, 2015.10 Ibid.

22

article also clearly states that certain rights cannot be

suspended.

Article 25 ensures equality before the law and equal protection

of the law and states that there shall be no discrimination on

the basis of sex alone.

Articles 25(3) and 26(2) allow the state to make special

provisions for the protection of women and children.

Article 26 & 27 provide for equal access to public places and

equality of employment in the public and private sector.

Articles 11 & 37 (g) prohibit trafficking in human beings as well

as prostitution.11

Article 32 makes special provisions for the representation of

women in local Government.

Article 34 directs the state to take appropriate measures to

enable women to participate in all spheres of life and social

activities.

Article 35 asks the state to protect the marriage, the family,

the mother and the child.

Article 37 (e) directs the state to make provisions for securing

just and humane conditions of work ensuring that children and

women are not employed in vocations unsuited to their age or sex,

and for ensuring maternity benefits for women in employment

Articles 51 & 106 provide for the reservation of seats for women

in the legislatures.

11 http://wdd.punjab.gov.pk/women_rights retrieved on January 6,2015

23

Pakistan’s International Commitments on Women Rights and

Gender Equality: Pakistan has accessed and ratified a number of conventions on

women rights and gender equality; some major International Commitments

are as under:

Pakistan and the CEDAW:

Pakistan acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms

of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) on 29th February, 1996, being

the 174th State-Party while declaring that accession by Government of

the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the [said Convention] was subject

to provisions of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

and entering a reservation on Article 29(1), “The Government of

Islamic Republic of Pakistan declares that it does not consider itself

bound by paragraph 1 of article 29 of the Convention"12.

Present status of Pakistani women: In 1944, Pakistan’s founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah

said in a speech,

“No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side

by side with you; we are victims of evil customs. It is a crime

against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of

the houses as prisoners.”13

The Pakistani women make more than half the population of the

country, but sadly they are not treated well and are not playing any

efficient role in the development of the country. The current status12 http://wdd.punjab.gov.pk/women_rights retrieved on January 6,201513 ibid

24

of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment is quite disappointing in

Pakistani society14. Not only Pakistan is suffering from this but also

it has become the issues of those countries which are developing

countries. This has been defined by United Nation in their report that

there is an unequal access to power and decision-making; limitations

on rights and freedoms which are not imposed on men, particularly the

marriage institutions; the feminization of poverty i.e., women

constitute the majority of the poor; the incidence and escalation of

male violence against women; the gender stratification of careers;

unequal employment opportunities and the marginalization of women in

the formal sector; and male control of women’s reproductive choices.15

It is quite difficult to explain the present status and role of

Pakistani women as it is a complex structure with which it is

associated like social class structure, provincial demarcations and

rural and urban divisions. The examination of these structures would

enable us to understand the placement of women. However, women of all

sections face same or little bit different kind of hurdles in their

development. It may sound unfair but in societies like Pakistan,

economic status defines the social prestige, in the community and

educational and professional level is lesser in priority. Similarly

the rights and empowerment of women also varies from one class to

another class. Mostly the upper class women are generally educated

with strong financial position and available resources as compared to

the lower class. However women of both classes face structural

violence of different forms. The middle class women to a certain

14 Rashida Patel “Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Pakistan” Oxford University Press,201015 http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/followup/responses/Botswana.pdf accessed on Jan13,2015

25

extent are unable to raise any effective voice against the violation

of their rights, which normally comes from a certain mindset of the

male family members. Hindrances are created when it comes to higher

education and choosing a profession. It is not surprising that these

prejudices against woman exist in this class as it is under strong

influence of orthodoxy and this class claims to be the custodian of

existing cultural and religious dogmatic values of the society.

The most vulnerable are the woman of the lower strata, as she

neither has resources to resent against unjust treatment, especially

domestic violence, nor she is aware of her basic rights. A country

briefing paper on Pakistani women by Asian Development Bank (2000)

stated “Pakistani women are trapped in a web of dependency and

subordination due to their low social, economic and political status

in society. The majority of women suffer from all forms of poverty. In

order to change women’s position and societal views of their

inferiority, structural changed need to be brought about in the social

and economic order that shape our social world”16.

To examine the status and position of Pakistani women, it has to

be divided in two divisions; rural and urban. The setup and nature of

work is relatively different for the urban woman, as compared to their

rural counterparts. In rural set-up, women are supposed to live in the

four walls of house and their core responsibility is to perform all

household and upbringing of children. In the case of farming

community, women are supposed to do all households as well as work in

the fields and have to contribute towards the income of their family

but unfortunately this contribution is hardly recognized. Therefore

16 http://www.country-studies.com/pakistan/the-status-of-women-and-the-women'smovement.html accessed on Jan13, 2015

26

they still are at the mercy of their men even for the fulfillment of

their basic necessities. More often these women are victims of

domestic violence and physical and psychological abuses. Furthermore,

they are largely marginalized, when it comes to the social and

economic decisions of their family. However, it is only when they

become older (mothers of grownup children or even grandmothers), that

they are able to exercise certain control over their household

decisions. This status of women becomes worse when we move to the

rigid tribal setups of Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtoon khuwa

(including FATA areas), where the tribal system is deeply rooted in

the social structure, in a way that women mobility outside their home

is nearly impossible and they are bound to operate within the tribal

customs. In such areas, “slightest deviation from this code has

disastrous consequences”. An imprudent word with a member of the

opposite sex to whom one is neither married nor betrothed, for

instance, will result in the swift death of both man and woman”17

In urban areas, the conditions and role of women are

comparatively better due to women’s exposure to education,

print/electronic media, and the various awareness programs, introduced

by civil society organizations. These all elements have played a

pivotal role in the transformation of women’s position at social,

political and economic fields. Despite of these privileges enjoyed by

urban women, the role of women is often confronted and criticized at

domestic as well as at societal level. The working women of urban area

often suffer harassment at work place and economic discrimination.

According to a report of NGO White Ribbon Campaign (WRC) Pakistani

women are subject to increasing abuse. Increased cases of violence are17 Mumtaz, Khawar, and Farida Shaheed. 1987. Women of Pakistan: two steps forward, one step back? London: Zed Books.

27

being reported each year in Pakistan. According to the report, “sexual

harassment at the workplace, abuse, beating, and rape were some of the

forms of violence against women.”18

Urban as well as rural, both women face discrimination and

deprivation of their rights. They are deprived of even their basic

social and economic rights therefore unable to perform any practical

step toward the development of their country.

Constraints in Socioeconomic empowerment of Pakistani Women Pakistani women are continuously facing threats to their rights

and freedom. In Pakistan, women are considered inferior to men and

central to religious, social, cultural biases. In many communities of

Pakistan, women are considered as earning tools and often used to

settle disputes. Besides the provisions provided by the constitution

of Pakistan, there are numerous constraints in the socioeconomic

empowerment of women. Three major constraints are

Social

Cultural and

Religious

SocialWomen in Pakistan are even deprived of their social rights they are

not allowed fulfill their wishes and take active part in social

development. One of the most quoted and discussed hurdle is

patriarchal mind set of the society. It is a very well-known fact that

a patriarchal mindset is dominating in Pakistan society with the

dominance of male over female not only in the family set up but at the

18 Fahmina Arshad, “Women Empowerment in Pakistan”, http://woman-of-pakistan.blogspot.com/2012/10/women-empowerment-in-pakistan.html accessed on Jan13, 2015.

28

societal level as well. This is one of the biggest hurdles in

socioeconomic empowerment of women it not only limits the

opportunities for women but also supports discrimination against

women. Men as a dominating entity feels proud in violating women

rights and don not even consider it a crime. Dr. Khalid Muhammad of

Kifayat academy, a well know women related NGO, highlights the abuse

against women by stating, “women in Pakistan face the threat of

multiple forms of violence including sexual violence by family

members, strangers and state agents; domestic abuse, including spousal

murder and being burned, disfigured with acid, beaten and threatened,

ritual honor killings; and custodian abuse and torture”19. According to

the Pakistan National Reports in 1995, 1997 and 1998, the basic

reasons of gender discrimination and abuse against women are

oppressive patriarchal structures, rigid orthodox norms, and stifling

socio-cultural customs and traditions20.

The discriminatory legislation and negligence of executive

bodies to implement the existing laws, on women related issues are

also one of the important constraints in women development. Since

independence, various ordinances, legislative bills and amendments in

the constitution took place to provide equal status to women but this

legislation remained in letter not in spirit.

All kinds of violence against women have increased in all

sectors of the society due to discriminatory laws and improper

implication of provisions provided by constitution. In these

19 M Jafri, the Other Discrimination against Women. Karachi: Royal Book Company,200420 Shehzadi Zamurrad Awan, “Role of Civil Society in Empowering Pakistani Women”, South Asian Studies A Research Journal of South Asian Studies Vol. 27,No. 2, July-December 2012, pp.439-458

29

circumstances, The empowerment of women have become a challenge for

Pakistan, especially for those, who belong to the middle and low

classes, partly due to inadequate financial resources and less

exposure to higher education. Even the achievement of women are not

socially recognized and often considered as a part of any

controversial or contradictory theory.

Cultural Pakistani culture had also played very important role in

violation of women rights and is one of the important hurdles in socio

economic development of women. In male dominating Pakistani society,

women are not allowed to choose profession freely and move in the

society as they are consider as the lower entity which must be

dependent on the males of their family. It is not considered a good

thing if women want to work for her wellbeing most of the women who

work are appreciated rather degraded and not often labeled badly.

Women at work often face different forms of harassments by their

colleagues and employers. As a result, many a woman suffers

professionally and economically. Even when choosing a carrier, women

are restricted to certain kinds of professions. Even when there is a

question of personal matters like marriage, women or girls are not

given the permission for their choice marriage as they remain under

the dominance of male members who are to exercise absolute power in do

most affairs of life. Thus women experience sheer injustice at the

hands of parents. As a result, women have been chained in cultural

chains which restrict their personal freedom.

Religious The rigid and misinterpretation of Islam is also one of the

notable constraint in the socioeconomic empowerment of women. Islam,

30

which is followed by 97 percent population of Pakistan, is often

misinterpreted. Despite of the fact that Quran and Sunnah recognizes

the equal status of women but unfortunately, the rigid interpretation

of Islamic injunctions by the orthodox and semi-educated scholars has

played its role to restrain the women’s role in socio-economic and

political affairs.

Historically speaking, Islamic history is full of examples about

the women freedom professionally as well as personally. Bibi khadeja

the first wife of the Prophet was a business woman. She used to run

her business not only in Arabia but also some other countries. It

means Islam had permitted women for being professional and the Prophet

Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) was her employee who used to visits the

different countries by virtue of business. She is the one who proposed

Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW) for the marriage but now proposal from women

side is consider as a social crime. Several examples can be provided

from Islamic history where women were at par with men in all

activities of life, including during the battles and wars. There have

been many women personalities, which are regarded equal and at times

more in status and their contributions21.

However, in various verses of Quran and the early Islamic

practices, equal status of man and woman is acknowledged and

confirmed. To give one example, 4:19 verse of the Quran says: “O ye

who believe! Ye are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor

should ye treat them with harshness that ye may take away part of the

dower [money given by the husband to the wife for the marriage

contract] ye have given them, except where they have been guilty of21 Wajahat khan, “State of women in Pakistan”, http://wajahateducation.blogspot.com/p/state-of-women-in-pakistan-introduction.html, accessed on Jan 13, 2015

31

open lewdness; on the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness

and equity”22.

Islam was the first religion to recognize the equality of sexes

and granted women rights 1400 years ago. Women were given that

respectable position in the society which no other religion had given

before. There is no such thing in Islamic jurisprudence which hinders

socioeconomic empowerment of women but the problem aroused due to the

intermixing of Islam with culture. In Pakistani society much of the

cultural norms are being adopted from Hinduism due to the long history

of subcontinent and now cultural and religious values are so much

intermixed and interwoven together that it’s nearly impossible to

distinguish them.

Role of NGO’s in socioeconomic empowerment of Pakistani

women Women rights activists and NGO’s are playing very effective role

in the socioeconomic empowerment of women. There are more than 100

NGO’s working efficiently for the women rights in Pakistan. Besides

NGO’s, electronic and print has also played very active and notable

role in bringing awareness about women rights at all societal levels.

However, the contribution of NGOs, working for women and the

impact of print media is quite limited on women population of

Pakistan, due to following reasons. First, larger numbers of NGOs are

confined to major urban centres and have failed to make a breakthrough

for the uplift of rural women. While supporting this argument,

Dr.Tahmina Rashid, an expert on gender issues remarked, “the

22 Shehzadi Zamurrad Awan, “Role of Civil Society in Empowering Pakistani Women”, South Asian Studies A Research Journal of South Asian Studies Vol. 27,No. 2, July-December 2012, pp.439-458

32

activities of the large majority of women’s organizations are confined

to certain ‘posh’ pockets of major urban centres, yet in a few slum

areas, considerable grassroot activity can also be observed, where

lower class women are evidently struggling against heavy odds to make

ends meet”23.This restricted impact of women NGOs is also acknowledged

by women rights activist Farzana Bari, who presents a realistic point

of view behind this truth by stating that “the activists strongly feel

for women issues but they are not yet very active and effective.

Moreover, the diversity among women in Pakistan is a barrier to

formulate a common agenda for activism and there are cultural

variations amongst various regions that make it difficult to

incorporate all voices”24 Second, according to 1998 census of Pakistan,

the female literacy rate is only 36.8 percent (female literacy ratio

of rural women is 20 percent), which is very low as compared with

male’s, which is 61.3 percent. Moreover, this gap exists all over

Pakistan, which further helps to support the argument that there is a

widespread gender inequality in the country.25

Due to the low literacy rate of women, the reading materials

related to women issues, in the shape of articles, published

discussions and reports in newspapers, magazines and journals of

different NGOs, mostly go unnoticed and only few educated women get

benefit. While further elaborating this notion, Rashid stated, “the

literature is mainly published in English or Urdu though the female

literacy rate in Pakistan is very low. The large majority of women are

23 Tehmina Rashid, Contested Representation: Punjabi Women in Feminist Debate in Pakistan. Oxford: 2006.24 ibid25 Shehzadi Zamurrad Awan, “Role of Civil Society in Empowering Pakistani Women”, South Asian Studies A Research Journal of South Asian Studies Vol. 27,No. 2, July-December 2012, pp.439-458

33

unable to read either of these languages. Moreover, most women are

located in rural areas so their access to these organizations and

their published material is limited and above all, they lack the

financial resources to purchase this literature”26.

Despite of all the constraints, the impact and effectiveness of

media and NGO’s cannot be ignored they not only have highlighted the

orthodox structure and behavior of society in fact they have played

very important role in bringing awareness in women about their social,

economic and political rights. Moreover they often acted as pressure

group for the policy and decision makers to formulate policies

regarding protection of women rights.

Empowerment leads toward Peace

Meaning of Peace There are no specific words which can define peace perfectly

rather just like other theoretical terms such as happiness, harmony,

justice, and freedom, peace is something we often recognize by its

absence. Traditionally peace has been generally defined as the absence

of war although various definitions are present .In terms of

Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides following definitions

of peace

1: a state of tranquility or quiet: as (a) freedom from civil

disturbance, (b) a state of security or order within a community

provided for by law or custom <a breach of the peace>

2: freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions26 Tehmina Rashid, Contested Representation: Punjabi Women in Feminist Debate in Pakistan. Oxford: 2006.

34

3: harmony in personal relations

4: a state or period of mutual concord between governments b: a pact

or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or

in a state of enmity

5: used interjectionally to ask for silence or calm or as a greeting

or farewell – at peace: in a state of concord or tranquility27

While Oxford dictionary defined Peace as “A state or period in which

there is no war or a war has ended”28

Term Peace is quite ambiguous in this regard as all scholars define

peace in their own context but generally we can say that peace refers

to the state of tranquility and harmony or the absence of conflicts

and war. Some of the scholars refer peace to the development and

prosperity.

Johan Galtung have given the modern definition of peace and

defined it in broad spectrum beyond conflicts and wars. According to

him “Peace is the absence/reduction of violence of all kinds”29 and

“Peace is nonviolent and creative conflict transformation.”30

Furthermore he divided peace into two forms positive peace and

negative peace According to him “By positive peace we mean a

cooperative system beyond ‘passive peaceful coexistence.” While

“Negative Peace is the absence of violence of all kinds.”31 The

27 "Peace." Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed December 30, 2014. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peace.28 "Peace." Oxford Dictionaries, Accessed on December 31, 2014, http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/peace 29 Johan Galtung. “Peace by peaceful means: peace and conflict, development and civilization”, Sage Publications (1996): 9.30 ibid31 ibid

35

definition given by Johan Gultung clearly identifies that peace is not

just the absence of war and conflicts rather it is a complete

elimination of violence of all kinds.

Positive and Negative PeaceBefore going into the detail of achieving negative peace and

eliminating all kind of structural violence lets know about the

difference between positive and negative peace. Negative peace

primarily means the absences of war. In 20th century, French scholar

Raymond Aron gave the idea of negative peace by defining peace as a

condition of “more or less lasting suspension of rivalry between

political units”.32 This is more appropriately the realist perspective

about peace which considers peace is the absence of war and other kind

of direct or state organized violence. All proclamations of Pharaonic

Egypt, the Philanthropa regarding peace were actually comes under

negative peace which said that the expressions of benevolence from a

stronger party toward those who were weaker. An alternative view to

this realist (or Realpolitik) perspective is one that emphasizes the

importance of positive peace and that has been particularly advanced

by Norwegian peace researcher Galtung and others. Positive peace

refers to “a social condition in which exploitation is minimized or

eliminated and in which there is neither overt violence nor the more

subtle phenomenon of underlying structural violence”33. It means that

the continuing presence of an equitable and just social order as well

as ecological harmony can bring positive peace.

The characteristics of positive and negative peace can be summarized

as 32 Raymond Aron. 1966. Peace and War. New York: Doubleday.33 Johan Galtung, Carl G. Jacobsen, and Kai Fritjof Brand-Jacobsen. 2002. Searching for Peace: The Road to TRANSCEND. London: Pluto Press.

36

Positive Peace: Absence of all kinds of violence, social justice,

optimism, preventive and peace by peaceful means

Negative Peace: Absence of war and direct violence, Pessimism,

curative, Peace by force

Structural Violence Traditionally violence has been defined as the use of force

against others which can be physical, psychological or sexual. Merriam

Webster defines Violence as “the use of physical force to harm

someone, to damage property, etc” or “the great destructive force or

energy”34 While the world bank defines violence as "the intentional use

of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself,

another person, or against a group or community, that either results

in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death,

psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation."35

Johan Gultung provided a broad spectrum not only about the

explanation of peace but also explained the theory of violence as

well. According to Galtung, “Violence is present when human beings are

being influenced so that their actual somatic and mental realizations

are below their potential realizations.”12 The opposite of violence is

peace, which encompasses “peace with nature, peace between genders

[sic], generations and races, where the excluded are included not by

force, and where classes, nations and states serve neither direct nor

34 "Violence", Merriam-Webster.com,http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violence, Accessed on January 13, 2015.35 http://www.who.int/violenceprevention/approach/definition/en/ accessed on January 13, 2015

37

structural violence.”36 Galtung furthermore divided violence into

following categories; direct, structural and cultural violence.

The concept of concept of structural violence was introduced by

Johan Galtung in his article "Violence, Peace, and Peace Research"

which was published in 1969. According to him, Structural violence is

“a form of violence where some social structure or social institution

may harm people by preventing them from meeting their basic needs”37.

Examples of structural violence include; Institutionalized elitism,

ethnocentrism, classism, racism, sexism, adultism, nationalism,

heterosexism, and ageism. According to Galtung, structural violence is

an "avoidable impairment of fundamental human needs"38.As it is

avoidable, structural violence is a high cause of premature death and

unnecessary disability. Because structural violence affects people

differently in various social structures, it is very closely linked to

social injustice.39 Structural violence and direct violence are said to

be highly interdependent, including family violence, racial violence,

hate crimes, terrorism, genocide, and war.40

36 . Johan Galtung, “TRANSCEND: A Philosophy of Peace—And One Way of Enacting It,” in Searching for Peace: The Road to TRANSCEND, 2nd edn., eds. Johan Galtung, Carl G. Jacobsen, and Jai Frithjof Brand-Jacobsen (London and Sterling, VA: Pluto Press, 2002), xiii.37 Johan Galtung,"Violence, Peace, and Peace Research" Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 6, No. 3 (1969), pp. 167-19138 Johan Galtung, "Kulturelle Gewalt" (1993) Vol. 43 Der Burger im Staat p. 106 in Ho, Kathleen "Structural Violence as a Human Rights Violation" (2007). Essex Human Rights Review Vol. 4 No. 2 September 200739 Farmer, Paul E.; Nizeye Bruce; Stulac Sara; Keshavjee Salmaan (October 24, 2006), "Structural Violence and Clinical Medicine". PLoS Medicine 3 (10): 1686–1691. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0030449. PMC 1621099. PMID 17076568. Retrieved January 13, 201540 Galtung, Johan. "Cultural Violence," Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 27, No. 3 (Aug., 1990), pp. 291-305

38

James Gilligan defines structural violence as "the increased

rates of death and disability suffered by those who occupy the bottom

rungs of society, as contrasted with the relatively lower death rates

experienced by those who are above them."41 Gilligan largely describes

these "excess deaths" as "non-natural" and attributes them to the

stress, shame, discrimination, and denigration that results from lower

status. He draws on Sennett and Cobb, who examine the "contest for

dignity" in a context of dramatic inequality.42

41 James Gilligan, Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic [New York, Vintage: 1996].42 ibid

39

Violence against women in Pakistan While human rights violation and direct violence is being faced

by both men and women, there are particular types of violence whose

subject is women more than men. Women are facing various kinds of

violence all around the world due to number of factors. Suppression of

women is a kind of social control that limits the freedom and ability

of women in every aspect of life. Direct violence against women

includes rape and physical abused while structural violence includes

suppression of women in social and economic terms. Domestic violence

is also one of the most common and unacknowledged violence against

women which is very much common in every society.

Structural violence is one of the most common violence against

women which is not even recognized as violence most of the time.

Structural violence hits women severely in most of the developing

countries even the women of developed nations are facing structural

violence of many kinds. Women are facing problems of malnutrition,

inadequate food availability, lack of education and economic

opportunities etc. Conditions of women in third world countries are

even worse.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has been voicing the

unheard voices of those individuals who are and were subjected to

separations and infringement in all kinds of different backgrounds. In

year 2012 HRCP led a yearly examination as per which 913 young ladies

and ladies were executed for the sake of honor in 2012. These included

no less than 99 young girls43. Notwithstanding this, 74% of the young

ladies offered in Charsadda and Mardan areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in

43 Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 2012

40

2012 were under 1644. The critical establishments made amid the year

incorporated the Twentieth correction to the constitution that

presented various changes in the articles identified with constituent

matters, the Act that made the National Commission on the Status of

Women self-ruling, the Act that accommodated the foundation of a

national commission for human rights, the Drug Regulatory Authority

Act, and the law to accommodate free and necessary instruction in the

government territory to kids matured 5 to 1645. As indicated by media

reports, out of 1,976 persons who submitted suicide in 2012 the nation

over 626 ladies. Of the 873 persons who attempted to take their own

lives yet fizzled 382 were ladies. The ladies in the nation were

dually influenced by climbing fanaticism and destitution. In 2012, 626

women conferred suicide, a figure which offers a look into the utter

weakness felt by women46.

Deprivation of Social and economic rights as a form of Structural violence Deprivation of Social and economic rights of women is very common

form of structural violence against women especially in third world

countries like Pakistan. Pakistan is facing a serious issue of women

rights violation which is leading towards the unstable society. Women

are the integral as well as the most active part of the society whose

participation in the society is vital for the social growth.

Socioeconomic empowerment of women is not only essential for the

social and economic development of the society rather it is necessary

for the durable peace as it is a kind of structural violence and for

44 ibid45 ibid46 ibid

41

the peace and prosperity, elimination of all kinds of violence is

necessary.

A country like Pakistan, which is struggling for the peace and

fighting a war against terrorism, elimination of structural violence

besides direct violence is also of vital importance. As without

elimination of structural violence of all kinds, goal of durable peace

cannot be achieved. In Pakistan women are often deprived of their

social and economic rights. This form of structural violence is quite

common as well as unacknowledged form of violence which is often do

not even recognized as the violence. Most commonly it’s been

considered that women are inferior entity and are not allowed to

question and their entire rights and responsibilities revolve around

their home and they have no share in any societal or economic

activity.

Violation of economic rights Economic rights of the Pakistani women are often violated and

neglected. Women are subjected to severe employment discrimination in

Pakistan. The low female literacy rate is one of the notable obstacles

in women taking part in the workforce. In addition, today females make

up only 15% of the formal labor force in Pakistan, and although this

is almost triple what is was 20 years ago, this is still a very

miserable amount.47

Women tend to get menial and low paid jobs even though they may be

more time and energy consuming. Most women are unaware about

opportunities, assets and services and are even deprived of their

47 Isobel Coleman, “Gender Disparities, Economic Growth and Islamization in Pakistan”, http://www.cfr.org/asia-and-pacific/gender-disparities-economic-growth-islamization-pakistan/p7217 accessed on Jan13, 2015

42

ownership rights over resources. Women mobility is restricted, their

skills are not recognized and their voices remain unheard.

The lack of gender disaggregated data makes it difficult to get a

true picture of women’s economic empowerment, as women’s work is

invisible and their contribution to the GDP remains uncalculated.48 The

federal bureau of statistics on women empowerment through labor force

is failed to collect adequate data on their contribution to

agriculture or participation in the informal sectors of the economy49.

The unemployment rate is higher for women of all group ages as

compared to the men. They keep on being the first ones to lose their

employments in a monetary downturn and are regularly given the

slightest need in contracting. Indeed the working conditions in formal

parts of job are discouraging for women. The lack of unionization by

women and the absence of women’s cooperatives, means that their voices

remain unheard. Women lack the means to collectively bargain for their

rights in the labor market, and are hampered by social and cultural

consideration, insecurity, fear of job loss and social censure.

Violation of Social Rights Women in Pakistan are often deprived of their basic social rights

including right to education, freedom of speech, right to health

facilities and other social and political rights. Pakistani women are

even unaware about their social rights and mostly face their violation

by their own family members. Women mobilization in the society is

48 “Women’s Empowerment”, Medium Term Development (2009). Framework 2005–2010,http://www.planningcommission.gov.pk/mtdf/In 2009. dex/Index.htm accessed onJan13, 2015

49 ibid

43

limited and women face significant challenges in society, the economy

and face a slow lower courts judicial system in order to get justice50

Women in Pakistani society are considered as a lower entity and

subordinate to their men and men are supposed to be the guardian of

women. Women are not allowed to make decisions freely and according to

their own will rather they are bound to obey their men in every aspect

of life.

In Pakistani society, the story of a woman’s deprivations starts

even before her birth, because the girl-child is not a mostly 'wanted'

child. She is solely forced to accept certain bare facts of life once

she grows up to be a woman. According to Hina Jilani, Lawyer and Human

Rights Activist, "the right to life of women in Pakistan is

conditional on their obeying social norms and traditions."51

According to a report by Amnesty International released on June

15, 2000, several hundred women and girls die each year in so-called

'honor-killings' in Pakistan, in a backdrop to government inaction52.

Women who report rape or sexual harassment come across a series of

hindrances. These include not only the police, who resist filing their

claims and misreport their statements but also the medico-legal

doctors, who focus more on their virginity status and lack the

training and expertise to conduct adequate examinations. Furthermore,

women who file charges open themselves up to the possibility of being

prosecuted for illicit sex if they fail to 'prove' rape under the 197950 Owais Jafri, "Crime against women: Man given 2 life terms for acid attack on wife". The Express Tribune, May 24, 2014, http://tribune.com.pk/story/712277/crime-against-women-man-given-2-life-terms-for-acid-attack-on-wife/ retrieved on Jan13, 201551 Hassan Riaz, “the status of women in Pakistan”, October 10,2012, http://womenrightinpakistan.blogspot.com/ retrieved on Jan 13, 201552 ibid

44

Hudood Ordinance which criminalizes adultery and fornication.

Consequently, when women victims of violence resort to the judicial

system for redress, they are more likely to find further abuse and

victimization. As far as domestic violence is concerned, it is the

most under-reported crime because it is generally condoned by social

customs and considered as a private family matter53.

Positive Peace in Pakistan In this era of globalization and technological advancement, one

cannot simply ignore the importance of structural violence in the

society. Now media is advanced as well as very much active in

reporting any kind of violence present anywhere in the world and one

cannot hide its deficiencies and evils from the world due to the

presence of free media. To be an active part of international system

and to retain positive image at international level, states must have

to take steps to eradicate all kinds of violence from their society

especially structural violence which is one of the root cause of major

direct violence and other evils of the society which are jeopardizing

peace.

Pakistan is facing many evils which are injurious to Pakistan’s

peace and prosperity. Therefore many steps are being taken to counter

extremism and terrorism in Pakistan. Policy makers have formulated

policies regarding it and government is keen to fight against

terrorism in order to bring peace. Although there are many practical

steps which are being taken time to time in order to curtail evils

which hinders peace and bring direct violence. Much work has been done

to counter direct violence but negligible work has been done for the

53 ibid

45

elimination of structural violence from the society and bringing

positive peace. Despite of the importance of direct violence, the role

of structural violence cannot be neglected as structural violence is a

root cause of many social evils. Especially a country like Pakistan

where society is being surrounded by many evils, elimination of

structural violence is of vital importance without its removal,

durable peace cannot be achieved.

Deprivation of social or economic rights to women is one of

the forms of structural violence. Pakistan, where half of the

population composed of women, is deprived of even their basic social,

economic and political rights. This large population cannot simply be

ignored and their active participation at both economic as well

societal levels is necessary for the growth and development of the

country. Eliminating this kind of structural violence will be very

effective in bringing positive peace in the country. Socioeconomic

empowerment of women is essential for the eradication of structural

violence from Pakistani society which can leads towards the durable

peace in Pakistan.

Recommendations:Following are the recommendation for the socioeconomic empowerment ofwomen for peace in Pakistan.

Public awareness should be created about the role of women in our

national socio-economic life and about the need to teach positive

attitude in society towards their participation in activities

outside their household.

46

The mass media should be used effectively to raise the nation’s

realization about the importance of women’s role and their

potentials for the contribution in the development of society and

economy. It has two aspects for achieving the objective; the

first lies in increasing the number of women in media and the

second through the establishment of media training institute for

women training in media production.

Greater efforts should be made for gender sensitive programs.

Serious Measures should be adopted for increasing the access of

females to primary education especially in rural areas. Serving

of mid-day school meal free or at subsidized cost has been tried

successfully in some countries as an incentive and the government

may consider introducing similar facilities in certain selected

areas in the country.

There is a need to build setups for vocational training and

technical education exclusively for women which can be useful in

getting better job opportunities according to their specific

skills. Moreover, special attention has to be paid to the needs

of new emerging rural occupations as a result of development

taking place in rural areas.

The facilities of technical and trade level courses for women

should be expanded in urban areas as well, which can help in

enabling them to pursue modern trades and technologies e.g.,

electronics, town planning, architecture, electronics, radio/TV

production and maintenance, hotel management, interior

decoration, cosmetology, pharmaceutical, banking, commercial

arts, advertising, precision mechanics, photography, paramedical,

garment-making, etc.

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The new employments in the modern sector of urban areas and non-

farm occupations in rural areas should be recognized and

established in order to provide them new avenues for raising

their income and social status.

The legislative process is the most effective form of

institution, which can safeguard that the women become socially

empowered. Those laws, which discriminate on account of gender,

or institutions that obstruct women’s contribution in economic

and political process should be amended.

In order to have active participation from women, they must be

given flexible working hours so that they can fulfill their other

responsibilities as well.

Women should be granted loans at lower interest rates so that

they are encouraged to start their own business and develop their

skills.

Institutions should be developed for providing equal resources to

men and women.

Policy action should be taken to lessen gender inequality.

Religious scholars should help society in understanding the

status of women in Islam and should also explain the rights given

by Islam they can also help in public awareness by talking about

it in Friday sermons.

Actions should be taken against those mullas who misinterpret

Islam especially related to women’s status in Islam.

Women should have the right to own their property.

Women must have simple business registration procedures.

Discrimination in wages must be apprehended and punished. Both

men and women must be given equal salary for the same amount of

work.

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There should not be any discrimination in assigning work to

people based on gender. Both men and women should be given equal

opportunities.

Safe working conditions should be provided to both men and women.

Women should be encouraged to join the fields of work which have

been considered as fields for men.

Different policies must be formulated to counter the threats of

structural violence and furthermore, these policies must be

implemented to bring positive peace in the society

Researchers and scholars also need to pay attention towards the

importance of structural violence and should provide necessary

recommendations to curtail it.

Conclusion: Socioeconomic empowerment of women means giving women social and

economic rights without any discrimination and empowers them to

exercise their rights freely not for their betterment but for the

growth and development of the society where they live in. One cannot

simply ignore socioeconomic rights of this large population of the

world. UN and other international organizations are working hard to

fight against the women discrimination and violence of all kinds but

they are facing serious hurdles in their goals of providing equal

social and economic rights to this deprived section of society.

Deprivation of basic social and economic rights is a form of

structural violence and is a serious threat to peace more specifically

positive peace. In order to achieve durable peace in the world,

eradication of structural violence is vital and particularly against

women who are facing all kinds of structural violence whether at home,

at work place or at societal level.

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Women in Pakistan are facing serious threat to their socioeconomic

rights due to many visible and invisible factors. Women in Pakistan

comprise half of the population of the country. Pakistan being a weak

state cannot afford to ignore the rights of half population of the

country. The women’s contribution in social and economic field is very

important for the growth and development of the country. For the

betterment of future in terms of peace and prosperity, this population

needs to utilize as an effective work force. Violation of

socioeconomic rights of women in Pakistan is a very common issue that

it is not even consider as a human rights violation by many sectors of

the society. Deprivation of socioeconomic rights is the most commonly

practical form of structural violence which needs special attention.

Pakistan is currently facing many serious threats to its peace and

development. Besides counter measures which are taking against direct

violence, many steps and policies must be proposed to fight against

evil of structural violence. Thus the argument is proved true that

“Socioeconomic empowerment of Pakistani women is vital for the

elimination of structural violence which will lead towards durable

peace in Pakistan”.

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