In the Shakespeare play “The Merchant of Venice” the character Shylock highlighted societal discrimination: “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” The prevalent gender inequality in Pakistan, in the words of Shakespeare, owes to societal discrimination. The gender disparity in Pakistan is abominable. Women alongside transgenders are being treated unequally on multifaceted grounds: social, political and economic.
There is also a growing gap in employment opportunities owing to the glass ceiling. Concomitantly, women in politics remain on the back foot and get elected on quota. Similarly, the lack of health facilities has increased the mortality rate of mothers and children. Therefore, the impacts of gender inequality are immense. Gender-based violence is one of them and it continues to haunt marginalised gender in Pakistan. Pakistan’s rating on the Gender Parity Index speaks volumes about gender inequality; Pakistan stands at 142 out of 146 countries (2023).
The question arises as to why there is such an inordinate figure in the context, despite Pakistan’s strong commitment to adhere to democratic norms. A worm’s eye view of Pakistan’s patriarchal society helps in answering it. Patriarchy prevails from bottom to top in all spheres and is deeply ingrained in society, further posing serious challenges in overcoming gender inequality.
However, not all is lost. Gender inequality can be abated. The silver lining lies in farsightedness. The panacea to this discrimination lies in pragmatism; pragmatism lies in smart choices; and smart choice lies in absolute compliance with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals i.e. SDGs. Concerted efforts are required to abolish patriarchy, empower women and achieve gender parity – for us to rise as a nation.
Ramsha Ashraf
Islamabad
