Shining a light on SHEros

Wherever there has been man, there has also been a woman. More than just making up nearly half of the world’s population, women have faced perhaps as much adversity, if not more, than men in this world and are one half of the gamut which drives all aspects of it. From life to industry and empires. Perhaps their burden is the biggest because not only has their suffering greater but they continue to exercise lesser control on their fate.

This is where ‘SHEros’ come in. They are women heroes who have done something remarkable and fought back against violence or social taboos. Every year, the European Union along with different UN bodies and other rights groups celebrate 16 days starting from November 25, the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women, and culminating on December 10, the World Human Rights Day. This year, this celebration is even more important due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) and the impact the pandemic has had, especially on women.

While people retracted into their homes and locked themselves away from the world to stay safe, one segment — women — found that this was not an option. Violence against women grew significantly because women had no respite from abusive family members. The pandemic also meant that those who were working to help such women were also limited to what they could do. The loss to the economy was particularly tough on women entrepreneurs and business owners.

However, in Pakistan’s context, there have been some crucial SHEros, such as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar who spearheaded a plan to assist the most downtrodden in society with cash grants under the Ehsaas programme. Women make up around half of this country and have done as much, if not more, during this pandemic. Perhaps it is time for us to repay their dedication and sacrifice by giving more seats at the power tables to help pull this country out of its spiral.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2020.

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