Caring for mothers

The annual mothers’ index, prepared by the respected US-based NGO Save the Children ranked Pakistan 77th.

The annual mothers’ index, prepared by the respected US-based NGO Save the Children, was released in conjunction with Mothers’ Day and the results, at least for Pakistan, make for grim reading. The study, which measures health and social conditions for mothers and children, ranked Pakistan 77th out of 79 less-developed countries.

Our neighbour, Afghanistan, was firmly at the bottom of the list while the Scandinavian countries were considered among the best, with Norway topping the rankings among developed countries. On just about every metric used to devise the index, be it female life expectancy, maternal morality or access to health care for women, Pakistan was considered among the worst in the world.

There are a host of measures the government can take to improve the lot of mothers in this country. For starters, legislation should be passed mandating generous paid maternity leave for all women. This is particularly needed for women who do back-breaking work in the agricultural sector and in factories. Then there is the harder task of ensuring all women have access to health care. One of the reasons Pakistan has a high infant mortality rate and so many women lose their lives during pregnancy is that often women are forced to give birth in unsanitary conditions without a doctor or midwife present. This, too, needs to change.

Above all, there needs to be a change in society’s attitudes towards mothers. It is no surprise that four of the top five countries in the mothers’ index are progressive Scandinavian countries while more traditional societies rank among the bottom. A society that treats women as nothing more than child-producing machines is one that fails not only women but all of society. We should also keep in mind that societal inequality affects women more than men. It is they who are denied education, a voice in government and equitable pay. Legislation alone is not enough to remove these structural inequities. This year many of us brought gifts and cards for Mothers’ Day but precious few of us pondered the plight of mothers in this country. The odds are already stacked against women; it is time to try and level the playing field.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2011.