The private sector should help to empower female farmers
RAWALPINDI: In the past few years, a noticeable improvement has been seen in the lifestyle of urban women. They are more aware of their national, educational and societal rights. A special quota for women is reserved in many government jobs. Their participation in nation building is appreciated but we still have less room to self-congratulate ourselves, as rural women constitute the major population of Pakistan but are vastly unaware of their basic rights.
It is important to recognise the role of rural women in the building of a nation. These women work from dawn to dusk for their families and at the end of the day, are subjected to domestic violence and mental torture. Worst still, they have no way out as they are uneducated and politically unaware. The jobs these women get are menial, underpaid and laborious. Crimes against women are more serious in small cities and villages because there is no justice due to the prevailing ‘wadera system’.
The private sector should help to empower female farmers. Work should be done by the government in order to expand women’s horizons. Also, rural women should be encouraged to learn certain skills that will help them gain financial independence and security.
Heshma Ejaz
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2016.
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