BOOK REVIEW

GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMENS

EMPOWERMENT IN PAKISTAN

By RASHIDA PATEL

Name: - Faiq Ahmad

AG : 01
AS : - 071
About Author:

Rashida Patel was lawyer by her first profession and worked as the advocate of
Supreme Court of Pakistan, along with the holding prominent positions in government and
non-profit organizations. She was titled as the champion of womens rights and she wrote
several books on the rights of women in context to religion Islam and country Pakistan. She
died on 21st December 2009.

General Summary of the book: -

Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment describes the situation of the women in
Pakistan. It describes the legal implications as well as the ground realities regarding the
condition of the women in Pakistan. It presents a strong case that how the religious teachings
are misinterpreted through few men and how it effects the life of general women in Pakistan.
The book comprises of five chapters starting from the descriptions of social evils in Pakistan,
then its implications and ended with the recommendations to eradicate these evils and
implement the true teachings of Islam

Authors Thesis: -

As we know Rashida Patel was the womens rights activist, she tried to explain the
injustice done with the women in the Pakistan. According to her violence against women in
Pakistan was increased since the Pakistan came into being. Few religious people gave the
domestic violence a legal cove r on the bases of the wrong interpretations of Quranic verses.
Police department is also not working efficiently in this regard as they ask for the proof from
the women to file her complaint against anyone. Such circumstances gave the enough space
for gape raps and human trafficking to expand. Although there are the legal safeguards for the
women in constitution, still the close relatives of the women are least interested in registering
a complaint just because of the flawed judicial and legal system. According to the author
another major issue is the honor killing, karo- kari, vanni are also the issues that hampered
the development of women in Pakistan. These traditions are still frequently in practice in the
rural areas of the Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan dominantly. In the decade 2000, the
President Musharraf passed the law via supreme legislature of the Pakistan and declared the
Honor killing as the murder. Along with that the traditional Jirga systems and sacrificing girls
for the settlement of the dispute is another menace of the Pakistan society. She gave the
example of Muthra Mai case in which she raised the voice against the Jirga and the supreme
court of Pakistan took the notice. Her case was considered as the example not only for the
depressed women in Pakistan but also for the depressed women of other countries. Author
highlighted some of the key questions regarded the situation of the women in the Pakistan,
which needed to be addressed. There was no standard Nikkahnam in Pakistan which creates
the problems of the legal departments in case of any legal proceedings. Likewise, the training
and education of the marriage is considered a taboo in Pakistan. Even the lady health works
who educate the married ladies were blamed as Yahoodi Agents. In nikkahnama the past
particulars of the wife are recorded but such details of the male are not included which is an
injustice. She gave the recommendations to improve these systems such as the concept of
restoration of Huq Mehar, written statements, centralizing the marriage records in the nadra
and extended jurisdiction for relief of women. Author tried to explain the real concept of
Divorce as according to the true teaching of Islam. According to the author its a
misinterpretation that the three divorces are considered to be given at the same time by just
saying TALAQ,TALAQ,TALAQ. The she explained the concept of divorce to the non-
Muslim wives. She explained the 1939 Act of the dissolution of the marriage which is not
implemented in the Pakistan on practical basis. In the last the author explained the
reproductive rights of the women. According to her, In Pakistan women were considered as
baby born machines and nothing else. The family planning and concept of contraception,
abortion and sterilization are considered as a taboo because of the misinterpretation of the
Islamic teachings. She tried to clear the concepts by quoting the examples of the other
Muslim countries like Egypt and Iran. She quoted some of the famous religious scholars like
Maulana Mauddi that these things are not taboo in Islam.

My reaction to the Authors View: -

According to my view, I agree with the authors point of view. This is the fact that in
Pakistan gender equality and women empowerment is a myth and the way author present the
case is the reality. Since 1947, the laws and bills are being presented and most of them are
passed but this is the fact the real-life implications of those laws and bills is seems to be
impossible in most of the cases. Still in few rural areas of Pakistan the women are considered
a sex-slave, who have no rights to present her choice, her like dislikes. Domestic Violence is
at its peak. If they tried to present, their stance than they are considered as the disobedient
women. With the passage of time in Pakistan, the social, political and financial status of
women in Pakistan is improved. The introduction of the women quotas in services, reserves
seats for the women in the Parliament and provincial assemblies has increased the moral of
the women. Still a is need to be done. The key factors which are needed to be addressed are
women education, women awareness and their moral uplifting. The case of Muktara Mai is
the example of women awareness that she has the knowledge of power of media along with
the high moral. Her these two things set an example for many. Furthermore, the concept of
divorce and khula are need to be elaborated in a better way in the Pakistans society. This is
the fact that still its a matter of question in people that the three divorces given at the same
time are considered to be the one not. Different sects gave the different interpretations, which
is needed to be resolved. Likewise, the mattes of family planning and concept of
contraception, abortion and sterilization are to be explained in the general masses in a better
way on the basis of religious teachings of the Islam.

Summary and General Recommendation: -

The book is well written according to exact facts and figures about the Pakistan. But
as this book was written back in late 2000, Most the things are changed in Pakistan. Most of
the recommendation are outdated as they are already implemented in Pakistan. So, this book
can be referred to someone just for the study of womens situation in Pakistan in Past but not
as the present situation. The references are properly given along with the foot notes.