AMANZIMTOTI, SOUTH AFRICA: Discussing the rights of women in Pakistan is like having a boxing match where one person has one of his hands tied. Your editorial of January 22, titled “Another women’s commission?” points out that problem, but in a more sombre formulation. I agree that things have improved for women in Pakistan, but only marginally.
It is one thing to express dismay at a girl’s birth, but another to discriminate against her afterwards; taking away her right of choice, her freedom of movement and her share of inheritance are some of the things that are widely prevalent in Pakistani society.
I remember that when my German daughter-in-law visited a small town in Pakistan, she asked me: “So, where are women in this town? I have not seen any in the streets.” I told her that they are not allowed to step out of the four walls of their ‘prisons’, otherwise commonly known as homes. In the west, of course, people even take their pet dogs out of the house for a walk, since that is thought to be good for the animal’s physical and mental health.
Sharif Lone
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24th, 2012.
