It is high time we rid ourselves of the conservative mindset in order to succeed
KARACHI: Women’s empowerment has always been one of the biggest challenges for Pakistan and the prevailing stereotypes have hindered the progress towards this end to quite an extent. However, no one can deny the importance of the contribution of women to the country’s success thus far.
When Malala was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the decision was opposed by a section of the masses as they thought her serious injury in the 2012 terrorist attack and her work for female education are nothing but a ruse to show Pakistan in a negative light. This mindset against our female Nobel laureate reflects the magnitude of the hate and jealousy of our people towards women. We, as a nation, should learn to respect others and appreciate their efforts, instead of discrediting their efforts based on our biased views on gender.
Conservative mindsets are also a reason why we have been left behind in several walks of life. Even though we have adapted to many modern ways of living, many people in our society still consider it an abnormal sight to see a girl riding a scooter by herself, and her character is often questioned. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but this does not grant us the right to question someone’s character. If this regressive mindset persists we are unlikely to make the required progress. We cannot progress by ignoring one half of our population.
It is high time we rid ourselves of the conservative mindset in order to succeed. Despite the difficulties that Pakistani women face, they still make a big contribution to Pakistan’s economic growth and we must be proud of them.
Mahnoor Amjad Munir
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2019.
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