A degree for marriage market

A daughter is too often treated not as an individual with dreams and agency, but as a commodity whose value is measured by how well she can be 'settled'. Her education, particularly in the medical field, is often viewed as an investment to enhance marriage prospects. She becomes most 'desirable for marriage' when she earns the title of 'doctor', not because of her ability to heal or serve society, but because it enhances her worth in the marriage market.

Daughter is a consignment to another household - a belief often expressed in the saying, beti to paraya dhan hoti hai. Before marriage, she is considered the responsibility of her father; after marriage, she is handed over to her husband's family. Her career and professional identity are thus treated as secondary to this perceived transfer of responsibility.

Ironically, fathers often justify spending millions on their daughters' medical education by claiming they want them to be independent, secure and capable of serving the nation alongside men. They support years of intense study, followed by exhausting hospital training, often in under-resourced public hospitals, where students confront the harsh realities of the healthcare system. Despite this immense investment, all gains are diminished once the daughter is married, as her professional identity is often sidelined in favour of household and marital responsibilities.

The weight of new expectations quietly replaces her long-cherished goal of becoming a doctor: to be a devoted wife and an ideal daughter-in-law. Responsibilities within the household take precedence over professional aspirations. Is it not unfair that those years of dedication, sacrifice and ambition vanish with a change in marital status and social roles?

In other cases, daughters who are allowed to complete their medical education and earn a degree are still viewed primarily as investments. Among many suitors, the one who eventually marries her often treats her as an asset. While she may carry the title of 'doctor', in reality, she is valued less as a professional and more as marital capital that enhances social status and prestige. Her qualifications are celebrated not for the service she can render to society, but for the advantage they bring to the household she marries into. This way, she is permitted to be a doctor in name, yet denied the autonomy and recognition that the profession truly demands.

In many cases, female medical students are forced to abandon their education midway through after marriage. Parents-in-law often prohibit them from continuing their studies. Completing education and practising medicine becomes a rare privilege rather than a right. Even those who graduate are frequently discouraged from working, as public hospitals are considered unsuitable places for women due to interaction with male colleagues and patients.

Consequently, only a small number of women practise as full-fledged doctors, and the majority remain confined to their homes despite years of study followed by house job. The derogatory term 'doctor bride' is used to suggest that she pursues a medical degree only to secure better marriage proposals, making her a more desirable choice in the marriage market.

Females now make up approximately 65-70 per cent of medical students in Pakistan, yet a significant proportion of female medical graduates are not practising. Of the estimated 104,974 female medical graduates residing in the country, only about 65 per cent are working in medical facilities, while the rest are out of the labour force due to social and structural barriers. These figures are often used to blame women for Pakistan's low doctor-to-population ratio, which remains below the WHO benchmark.

However, such blame ignores the unjust social order that restricts women's choices. Family expectations, gendered norms around marriage and career, restrictions on mobility and lack of institutional support are all responsible for women's exclusion from the medical workforce.