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Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect th

This paper demonstrates a societal status of women and their pondering image in a perspective of social, political and economic contexts in P
rectify the comprehensive mode of subject due to lack of research and policy implementation. This thesis provides an appropriate source in th
gender understanding in Pakistan. Social injustice, economic domination by men and culturally bindings and borders make an oppressed envir
amidst more and broader complications to the uplift of women in various areas of Pakistan. Women in Pakistan are living in critical social scen
study provides a precise shade of women’s situation in Pakistan by connecting to social, political, and economic aspects of discrimination. Res
regarding this burning topic.

Chapter 1
 1.1 Introduction

 Women’s right in the world is an important indicator to understand global well-being. No society can function properly without women. Aristotle
villages”. Family plays a very important role in society, and makes the foundation of the state .Happy families build healthy societies and health

A woman is an architect of society. She forms the institution of family life, takes care of the home, brings up the children and tries to make them

ideal society and an ideal state. In order to build the prosperous and healthy society both men and women demand for equal rights.

About half the mankind consists of women and they are treated as second class citizens all over the world, but especially in developing states
 of the living examples is Pakistan which has been coming across this issue since it got independence in 1947. Women’s lives are controlled an
contribution to the production and physical hardships are not acknowledged. A woman suffers in education, health and gender biased feeding
 In some parts she is considered as commodity owned by her brother and father before marriage and then by her husband. She does not have t
behalf of herself about marriage, education or giving birth to a child.

In this paper I will explain the situation of women with a special focus on discrimination against them in different sections of society. What are
also going to explain women’s rights from an Islamic point of view, since this is sometimes used as an explanation or an excuse, for violating w

The essential teaching communicated to each woman in this patriarchal society where I myself grew up, is to stay a quiet viewer, even as a sile

Women from 48% of the inhabitants in Pakistan. A huge number inhabits in countryside areas, where essential facilities are lacking and women
don’t have access to schools and colleges and usually became victims of honor killings, rape, early marriages and gender discrimination.

In remote areas, women are treated as slaves and remains under their men only as a labor force. Usually their fate will be decided by their husb

They do not have the right to make a decision concerning important aspects of lives. For instance, marriage is also a kind of business among r
is extremely infringing on their rights to exist. In some of the areas the customary act of Swara is largely prevalent especially in Khyber Pakhtoo
instead of giving blood money as “badl-e-sulha”(retribute) an accused family gives their girl or girls in marriage to an aggrieved family as “comp

In this study I have used the concept of Martha Nussbaum ,, capability approach,, According to her the ten capabilities are life, bodily health, bo
Affiliation, Other species, Play, and control over one’s environment. These capabilities are related to one another in many complex ways. It mus

1.2 Aims of the thesis

The topic of this assignment is discrimination, a very broad term which for this thesis have been narrowed down to,gender discrimination in Pa
Pakistan. How they are discriminated in different spheres of life and what are the main causes of discrimination.

1.3 Research Questions

My research question is following.

1. What are the major causes of gender discrimination in Pakistan?

1.4 Methodology and material

This thesis is a qualitative case study of “Gender discrimination in Pakistan” in order to collect qualitative data for this research I have chosen t
relevant articles related to my study. In theory. I have used the book

Women and human development by Martha C. Nussbaum except from course literature. I have used the main book “Al-Quran” and different art
resources such as articles from very conventions sources from internet and data from newspaper have also been used.
 1.5 Chapter Outline

In this paper I start my work with a brief introduction to the field. In the
Pakistan is described briefly and some articles from CEDAW and the co
Furthermore the women status under sharia law has also been discuss
discussess the main reasons of creating discrimination and inequalitie
Pakistan. In chapter 4 I have analyse the topic and then finally I have gi
to the research questions.
1.6 Theory.
Martha Nussbaum’s Capability Approach

Nussbaum presents the important ingredients necessary for living an honorable life. Her concept is derived from the Aristotle notion of human
creature. She thinks that her approach is a defensible theory of justice and although a partial one and calls it the capability approach.

Capabilities are important for the achievement of well-being for everyone. It helps to compare one nation to another. In Nussbaum view, the ca
the capability approach provides a social and political framework to implement the solution to the problems of human welfare. It also provides

According to Nussbaum the ten capabilities are following.

Life. A person must be able to live to the end of a human life of normal length, not dying prematurely, or before ones life is so reduced as to be

Bodily health. A person should be healthy, including reproductive health, to be adequately nourished and to have proper shelter.

Bodily health. Must be able to move freely from one place to another, having ones bodily boundaries treated as sovereign, i.e. being able to hav

choice in matters of reproduction etc.

Senses thought and imagination. Everyone in society has to be able to use the senses, to think, to imagine and reason. To do all these things in
 mathematical training. In order to be able to use thought and imagination everyone has the right to freedom of expression, choice of religion an
in one’s own way( Nussbaum 2000, p-78).

Emotion. Everyone has the right to be attached to things and people outside ourselves, to care and love for those who care and love for us, to g
gratitude, and justified anger. Do not harm other emotions with fear and anxiety.

Practical reason. Everyone in society has the right to plain their own life in a good way without any interference from others.

Affiliation. Being able to recognize and show respect for other human beings, to engage in different forms of social interaction, to be able to un
Further to have the ability for both friendship and justice. Being able to be treated as a respectable human being whose worth is equal to that o
race, religion, ethnicity etc. ( Nussbaum 2000, p-79)

Other species. ,, Being able to live with concern for and in relation to animals, plants, and the world of nature,,

Play. Everyone has to be able to have recreational activities and to be able to laugh and to play.

Control over one’s environment. A. Political. Being able to take part in political activities of their own choices, having the right of protection of fr

B. Material. Being able to hold movable and immovable property, having equal property rights of possession and ownership, having equal oppo

The above items on the list are interrelated to one another in many complex ways. One of the most effective ways of promoting women’s contr
promote women’s literacy. According to Nussbaum a woman who can seek work outside the home have exit option that helps them protect the
related to many complex ways to the practical reason and bodily integrity. As a result this gives us more reason to avoid promoting one at the e

Women do not have a chance to live a valuable life. Nussbaum thinks that this is because of lack of support for basic functions of a human life
political conception and a specifically political overlapping consensus” (Nussbaum 2000, p. 14) . According to her these capabilities are very im
ways. These capabilities must be fulfilled by the government instutions especially in women casese in order to have happy and successfull life
missing in womens lives and leads them to discrimination in different spehers of life.

Chapter # 2

2.1 Women situation in Pakistan

Pakistani society is a male dominated society where women are isolated from different spheres of life which is perhaps due to the traditional n
aspects of life have been highly undermined. Most women in rural areas work in the fields and industries in Pakistan. It is a poor and illiterate m
there is neither reward nor compensation (Mumtaz/ Shaheed, 1987:p-78).
 Most of women in rural areas have to perform double burden of domestic and outside work. Usually they get up first and last to bed. They are t
setting out on their outside work. Although in urban areas the conditions of women are better than those of the rural, yet the old traditions and
women (Mumtaz/ Shaheed, 1987:78).

The women in Pakistan are approximately equivalent to men in numbers. They live in the most diversify site of the tribal, feudal or urban culture
professional or a diffident peasant toiling along with her menfolk.

They have traditionally been expected to live under the constraints of purdah. Therefore, the analysis of women’s life and status in the society c
purdah as a constant element in everyday life in Pakistani Muslim culture.

Mostly women observe ‘Pardha’ while coming out of domestic environs or mixing up with other sections of society. Basically ‘Pardha,’ or veil, is
Women are not prohibited from working but at the same time are supposed to observe strictly the rules of morality (Hanna Papanek, p 517,518

Due to “Pardha” system, most of women have to take up work at home. They involve themselves in dressmaking, embroidery, knitting etc. In th
governed by strict beliefs and behavioral patterns (Fariha Razak Haroon p 5).

In remote areas women do not have rights to say anything in all aspects of their lives including their marriage choice. In populated provinces of
marriage. She can expect support from her fathers and brothers in case of separation and divorce from her husband. In Sindh and Punjab, wom
working on the construction sites shifting material from one place to another.

2.2 State violation of women’s rights in Pakistan


Almost all kinds of crimes are committed against women in Pakistan, including, murder, rape and gender discrimination.

In 1971 Pakistani military took action on the East Pakistan now called Bangladesh in which serious crimes were committed against the civilian
 200,000-400,000 women and young girls.

 In 2002 at 28 years old women Mukhtara Mai was gang-raped in Punjab in front of her village by the “Jirga” (court of village elders) decision fo

 In 2006 in her blog for the BBC, Mukhtara tells another story of a rape victim in Punjab, Shamshad Bibi, a poor woman who was gang-raped dur
to be a case of consensual sex. (Soraya Makhdoom, 2009:1)

To add insult to injury the Pakistani president and Dictator General Pervez Musharraf complained that his country was unfairly portrayed a plac
 an interview with General Pervez Musharraf in which he stated, “A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citize

According to the same paper the Canadian government and human rights activists declared Pervez Musharraf’s assertion as outrageous lie: on
moved to Canada.

That lady doctor was Khalid Shazia, working in Pakistan petroleum in Baluchistan. She was raped by an army captain in January 2005. This inc
against their norms and values. As a result they attacked the gas field. But instead of presenting the rape issue General Pervez Musharraf sent
justice for the rape victim.

Nawab Akbar Bugti said,

“As long as the perpetrators of this heinous crime are not dealt with, there can be no talks”.

As a result General Pervez Musharraf regime killed Nawab Akbar Bugti an eighty year old leader fighting for his country Balochistan in august 2

2.3 The CEDAW convention and Pakistan.

The convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has enriched of Articles regarding “how to eliminate gender disc

Article 2 of the convention states that the state party has the responsibility to assure legal protection and the laws which leads to gender discr
has been stated that the upbringing of children needs shared responsibility which means that a father should also contribute in upbringing the
equal rights as men e.g. they can work with NGOs, they have the right to cast votes, this part has a very vital role as this approach can help a co
rights of women in education, sports, career and health etc. (Article 10 of CEDAW). In article 14 it has been stated that state should overlook th
Pakistan as the rural women come across lots of problems and they do not have awareness how to deal with such problems. Another importa
women to a person of their own choice. In Pakistani society especially in pushtoon (Pakhtoonkhwa) and Balooch (Balochistan) tribes, the pare
(Aniqa, 2010 p-1).

The above articles are mostly relevant for our society,which is also covered by Nussbaum in her apparaches but it is sad to say that any of the
clearly stated that the parties to the convention has suppose to report to UN within a year of signing the convention regarding the progress, wh
once yet (May 2007) (Aniqa, 2010 p-1).

2.4 Women’s rights in constitution of Pakistan

In constitution 1973 of Pakistan from article 8 to article 28 describe the fundamental rights which are to be available to all citizens, men as we
in Pakistan. However the freedoms guaranteed can be curtailed or taken away by the government on the grounds of integrity of the sovereignty
can be challenged in the superior courts. The executive is bound to implement these rights and the judiciary is bound to take notice of violation
article 8 and 28).
 The basis of fundamental rights is laid out in Article 4, which states that it is the inalienable right (i.e., can never be taken away) of individuals (
treated in accordance with the law. It guarantees the protection of liberty, life, body, reputation and property of an individual (constitution of Pa

2.5 Women Status under Sharia Law

In Arabic sharia means, path, It is a position which guides all aspects of Muslim life including daily routines, familial and religious obligations a
practices, sayings and teachings of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

It is a position which covers every aspect of life for both men and women and is incompatible with the standards of liberal Western societies a
law and the protection of individual freedoms. The Shariah code gives equal roles to men and women and not contradictory roles, when wome

” And women shall have equal rights to the rights against them, according to what is equitable (Al Quran Surah Baqara 2.28). However the task
their creator, and the task assigned to them is based on those capabilities. This distinction is natural and not an error which has to be corrected

In different verses in the Quran God has discussed women as well as men’s rights. Allah says, for Muslim women and Men, for believing men a
women, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who guard their charity, for men and women who fast, for men and
great reward. (Al Quran Surah 33.35)

Any kind of discrimination based on gender is severe offenses and are against the teaching of Quran and the sayings of the Prophet (PBUH) te
women as subordinate to men and just follow them without any reason. Women have full freedom as individual and will be asked for her practi
country where culture and traditions have great influence on people lives, they follow it without even caring of sharia laws.

2.5 Sharia law in Pakistan

In Pakistan there is triple legal system. Which consist of the general law (state law) of Pakistan, secondly the customary law and thirdly Sharia
 It provides for the existence of the triple legal system, acknowledges the existence of Sharia law in Pakistan and recognizes the associated co
status and therefore does not extend to the criminal jurisdiction. This is attributed to it by the penal codes that have been adopted at the level o
 matters are the exclusive jurisdiction of federal courts and it is therefore possible to address criminal matters in Sharia courts.


Regardless of the jurisdiction of Sharia courts, it is possible to appeal Z

the grounds that their punishment is inconsistent with the human right

constitution. For instance, Chapter II Article 19 enshrines human dignit
It seems unlikely that the public nature and prolonged pain associated
would be found to be consistent with the dignity provision of the Const
Chapter # 4
4 Reason of Women Discrimination in Pakistan
4.1 Male domination

Pakistani society is mostly male dominated society. The behavior towards women is reflected like women are the males property. She has to re
some areas of rural Sindh and Khyber pakhtoonkhwa ( provinces of Pakistan) a girl cannot decide for her marriage. Her parents have to take de
punished.Household responsibilities are given to them at a very young age. Taking care of others and sacrificing her rights is a part of her life a
against women is considered the right of man. Usually men use their power to beat and abuse women in all spheres of public and private life. I
humiliates, violence and perpetuated fear in women. As women are weak so they usually controlled by men in many spheres of life (Allama, G.A

4.2 Customs and laws

Women’s lives are usually governed by local customs rather than statut
tradition deny women basic rights. Access to legal rights is usually den
killings are highly praised in rural areas of Pakistan.The law of Diyat an
distribution of money) contains discriminatory provisions and ambiguit
encourage the murder of women by making it possible to absolve murd
Another area of discrimination against women in mostly rural areas of Pakistan is linked to the question of the age of puberty. As girls reach to
boys. Therefor they receive harsher punishments for the same crimes in the same age as the boys. For instance if a young boy is found to be g

In Pakistan generally men dictate women in different sectors. They want to dominate them.physical mobility of women is restricted. They are n
that she must be gentle, submissive, patient and forgiving. She is not allowed to go anywhere without the consent of her husband even to her p
believe that women are inferior. They usually marry twice or thrice. This is a culture that denies their social, political and legal rights. It gives the

4.3 Income disparity

 One of the reason of women discrimination is income disparity which has made them economically weak. Improvement in women’s financial s
rights until they are financially strong and economically independent. Women play the main role in national development. But unfortunately the
paid its usually less than men. Women are not given property rights and usually husband has the control of money and property (Allama, G.A. 1

4.4 Role of media

Media play a key role in reflecting the values and norms of one’s society. It helps to change peoples’ views. Media shows that the women are p
electronic media especially television, have been hesitant to highlight the issue, avoiding documentaries and talk shows domestic violence, rap
appear in the regular news bulletin.

The local rural press media have a mixed policy covering women issue not infrequently with negative slant and giving far more space to barbar
areas the patriarchal attitude persists in the newspaper .The media either electronic or print have the same attitude towards sexual harassmen
her beauty or on the the fact the she was in the street at that time, whereas the abuser act is usually justified because he was young, he was dr
play a vital role in gender discrimination in a society (Allama, G.A. 1998,P-26).

4.5 Lack of practical implementation of rules & Regulations

One of the main reasons of gender discrimination in Pakistan is the lack of practical implementations of rules and regulations. The 1973 const
well as women. The executive is bound to implement all the fundamental rights and the judiciary is bound to take notice of violation and provid
the convention covers inalienable rights (i.e., can never be taken away). It guarantees the protection of life, body, protection of liberty, reputatio
Nussbaums capability approach. According to her theses rights are connected to each other in many complex ways and necessary to be satisfi
 of these rights. But as we see that all the above rights are mentioned in the constitution but are not practically implemented in Pakistan (1973

 Pakistan is also a party to the convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women which has enriched of Articles regarding “how to
articles of the convention has been practically enacted in Pakistan.

4.6 Islamic fundamentalism

In Islamic fundamentalists think that the struggle for women’s rights as a western conspiracy. They consider women as inferior and their main

different spheres of life in the name of Islamic culture. According to many Islamic scholars, the customs and traditions are un-Islamic. But fund
 killing which allows male members of the family to kill female members for having sexual relations without marriage. Swara is a custom in the
which girls are given in marriage to men of rival or tribes in order to settle cases of murder and other blood feuds (daughters and sisters of acc
 brothers). The girl is then treated harshly in the rival clan. Islamic fundamentalists never raised their voices against these inhuman and cruel cu
the religious leader. These fundamentalists and religious parties are against the ,Hudood, laws. These were the laws introduced by the military
According to theses horrific laws, a rape victim needs the evidence of four male witnesses in order to prove her claims in the court. If she fails
which means imprisonment for between 5 and 15 years. These laws were made by a dictator for their own interest but in the name of Islam. Ac
1999 to 2002: “95 % of cases registered under the Hudood laws are false. Hudood laws have proved to be instruments of personal interest. Th
society. The rise of fundamentalism is a threat to women’s rights (www.socialistalternati

 / Essays / Sociology