Women in all strata of society should be treated fairly
KARACHI: There has been a lot of talk about the status of women and how unsafe our country is for the female gender. However, such statements fail to draw a comparison between the urban, privileged women and the rural under-privileged women. The rich urban women are almost on a par with their menfolk. They have freedom of movement; as they drive, attend social gatherings, go to cinema, concerts and exhibitions, with or without any male family member as chaperon. Even unmarried girls move about freely in the company of the young men of their choice. In short, rich women enjoy social freedom — even though they may face certain drawbacks that their male counterparts do not. However, they too suffer abuse and violence. Overall they are far better off than poor rural women. Most of them are treated harshly by their husbands and relatives. Their husbands treat them like chattels. They have to do cooking, washing and other household work. They also tend to cattle and work in the fields.
Women in all strata of society should be treated fairly. Rural women too should be provided education. Women’s education is essential for their economic and social progress. Men should be sensitised on the rights of women in order to change their mindset.
Ansara Azhar
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2019.
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