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Role of Women Before & After the Establishment of Pakistan

By Monaliza S. Tharani & Alyshah A. Sultan.

"No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you. We are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of their houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable conditions in which our women have to live." -- Mohammad Ali Jinnah 1944.

From ages, women have to fight to get their place in the society. Every one talks about the women’s rights but unlike men, women have to struggle to get acknowledgment and empowerment. Undoubtedly, women are not less than men in terms of being ambitious and having lots of potential, but unluckily their efforts and role have always been neglected by the society. Islam has given the women a precious place and a dignified role. Importance and role of women has also been admired and emphasized by the founder of Pakistan on many occasions. On one occasion he addressed that "If political consciousness is awakened amongst our women, remember, your children will not have much to worry about." (Saeed , 2007). Women have proved to be an eligible being to work with the men in all aspects of life. From being a mother to fight for the rights of her child, being a political leader to struggle for the country, being a scientist in effort to give country, a prosperous and acceptable position in a world, being a student to flourish her own and her family’s name in the society or being a brave woman like mukhtara mai, to get her own and other women’s rights in a male dominant society. Women of Pakistan have played an essential role in the establishment and development of Pakistan.

In reality the acknowledgment of the contribution and input of women in Pakistan’s independence movement is inevitable yet it has become the hidden part of the story. Truly said by Hamdani, (2005),“For some reason the women leaders in our national movement have been condemned to obscurity by our official history books.” The most disconcerting and upsetting situation is that the work of the women in the establishment of Pakistan has not been even the part of the course in the education system of Pakistan.

The history of Pakistan consists of a lots of women as leaders, who have open the door of the high spirit for the women generations not only to get their own rights, but to work hard for the development and opulence of the country. Name of the Fatima Jinnah is on the top of that list. She was the sister of the great leader and the founder of Pakistan, Quid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and was an active political leader. She was a dynamic and instrumental figure in the Pakistan independence movement. Pakistan and specially the women of Pakistan have proud on her allegiance and dedication for her work in Pakistan establishment. She was also the primary organizer of the “All India Muslim Women Students Federation”. It was an era when women were the victims of discrimination and inferiority; however it was Fatima Jinnah who put the stone of women leadership and her path is still followed by many other women of Pakistan. According to Professor Mujahid continues, “Her candidature in the 1965 presidential elections settled once and for all, all the tricky questions about whether a woman could be the head of a Muslim state. In the circumstances it was her candidature alone that could have induced a favorable fatwa from Maulana Maududi. And once that was acquired, the controversial issue ceased to exist for all time to come. This represents a singular contribution towards women's empowerment and their participation in public life in Pakistan.” (Kazmi, n.d.) She continued serving the country and mankind throughout her life and continued till she left this world. Hence she was a role model for not only women but for the whole nation of the Pakistan.

Pakistani history possesses many other women in its establishment and independence from British Raj. Women worked and put their efforts from pen (literature) till the practical (political conference). We have a great writer like Begum Shaista Ikramullah, who did not only wrote the famous books but was also first delegates of Pakistan at the UN. Her famous books include, ‘From Purdah to Parliament’ which forms an important document for the study of the feminist movement within the Pakistan Movement. (Hamdani, 2005). Other name of the great Muslim leaders of Pakistan include, Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz, who was the member of the national Defense council by the British government played an important role in the Muslim League’s civil disobedience movement against the Punjab government and worked for the women rights. Furthermore, Sughra Begum, Nusrat Khanum, Mumtaz Shahnawaz and Fatima Begum are those great women leaders, whose contributions to the foundation of Pakistan stood self-governing and independent of the men. They worked side by side of men in order to get an independent nation for Muslims of India. Jinnah always emphasized the Muslim League Women to come out of the restrains and restrictions imposed on them on the basis of religious and feudal system. These women leaders came out of it and fought for the nation without which the achievements and independence of Pakistan would have been difficult rather impossible for the men.

Contribution of women was not confined till the establishment of Pakistan, but it is continuing as the success and development of any nation is possible when the whole nation unites and works hard for it. Pakistani women have made many triumphs and achievements which is a great accomplishment on the trail of the success and development. They have worked on every field to make Pakistan a prosperous country of the world. Any country is considered strong and developed country when it has a strong economic status. In terms of economic development, the role of women is important. But again like other fields, their contribution is overlooked. Women’s work in economic development includes agriculture sector, industrial labor and informal sector. Moreover they work in service sector as the part of technical, professional and administrative personnel. As we know that Pakistan is an agricultural country and work of women in agricultural sector is crucial and a large number of women workforces are employed in it. “According to agriculture census 1980, 42.5% of all owner-cultivators are women, and they constitute all 76% of part time and 25% of full time workers.” (Women and economic development, n.d.).
Women either come out of their house or remain within houses, they have been a great source of economic development, yet ignored and neglected. Informal and within household work is contribution of women in economic development but unfortunately there is no proper research data or study to acknowledge it. “Unpaid are the thousands of brick kiln workers (estimated at 100,000 in Punjab alone), who get subsumed as unpaid family workers.” (Women and economic development, n.d.).). Further more they work in the field of health as doctors and nurses.

Wealth is of no use if there is no health. A healthy nation can only make a wealthy nation. Majority of the nurses are female in our society. This is a female dominating profession. Women hence being attached with this profession is directly improving the health and indirectly improving the wealth (economy) of the country. Moreover the teaching profession is another example in which the role of the women is inevitably acknowledgeable. This is a sign for men and the whole nation that women in any field are not behind them. Rather it would not be wrong in saying that women are more ambitious and hard working and have more contribution towards the development of country. This is due to the reason that it has been observed that those women who are involved in any job or profession or any informal sector, are doing double jobs. They not only earn money but take care of the whole family including children and men of the house which are considered to be the bread earner and sources of economic development. One more important point is revealed over here is that a woman either earn money or not but she is still contributing in the development of the country as she is involved in making a healthy family. A healthy husband can be the present and a healthy child can be a future source of development.

However this does not at all mean that all of the women are in the passive state and today our country does not have the active women leaders. Whenever the names of Pakistani women leaders are recalled, name of Benazir Bhutto cannot be ignored. She was a brave, graceful, hardy personality who born for country, lived for country and even died for it. Although she is not among us now, but her dedication has left her name in the heart of the nation. She was the first women prime minister of Pakistan. She is well known for her struggle in democracy. However her effort for economic and social development cannot be ignored. She worked on the project of power sector which is a great achievement of her. “Benazir's 1994 energy policy was a comprehensive, coherent and futuristic vision of energy needs of the country. The policy met with phenomenal success. 6,500 MW, with an investment of roughly $6.5 billion, largely by foreign private investors, were added to the national grid.” (Khan, 2008).

Apart from political field, women have work on field which in past was considered to be the field of man only. This is the field of astronomy. Women of Pakistan are not only working in this field but making records in the history. How can one forget the name of Namira Salim while talking about the Pakistani women leaders? She is the first woman astronaut of the Pakistan to fly in to space. President Pervez admired his efforts and state that “she is symbol of the abilities and capabilities of Pakistani women to perform well in any field of endeavor.” (Pakistani Astronaut offers services to rebuild Quake-hit areas, 2008). Another such field is the field of air force. Pakistan since decades have the male as the a member of Pakistan Air Force (PAF), but now this trend is going through major change and Pakistan has got first women fighter pilot and Saba khan is that great women leader.

There are other women who have created the history. Dr. Fehmida Mirza is one of them who has became the first ever woman to be elected as speaker of Pakistan’s National assembly. Not only that but she is the first women to be selected in entire Muslim world. If Pakistan has such a great legend then each women of the country should have proud to be the part of it. Besides many women were the part of the present election 2008 and apart from victory, they took this bold step is really admirable.

All the above discussion reflects the idea that women have made a great effort and their contribution in the establishment and development of Pakistan cannot be neglected. Although in the past women’s achievements and efforts were not acknowledged as it is considered a male dominant society. But now the trend is having a drastic change. Although few egoistic men of the society are reluctant in accepting women’s importance, however woman has learned to fight for their rights. But it’s not that she is struggling for her own status, but she puts her family and her country’s development as her priority. She is working hard to make her country, one of the developed and strong countries of the world. These efforts of women are admired by the President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf on many occasion and this is the reason that he has high expectations from the women of Pakistan. “I am pleased to mention that in the recent years there has been a firm commitment and political will at the highest level of governance to enhance the status of women in society and ensure their full and effective participation in mainstream development,” (President supports increasing women’s role in development, 2008). Women have helped the country in all aspect of its development. They have worked in field of science, technology, health, education, agriculture, politics and even informal sector to contribute in the development of Pakistan. At the end I will code importance and few expectations of the founder of Pakistan which he possessed from the women of our homeland.

“Pakistan will be a progressive country in the building of which women will be seen working shoulder to shoulder with men in every department of life. No nation can make any progress without the co-operation of women. If women support their men as they did in the days of the prophet of Islam (PBUH) we should soon realize our goal." (Saeed, 2007)