Limited Opportunities for Ladies in a so called “Gentlemen’s world”
By Mian Usman • Jul 4th, 2009 • Category: Misc, Worth A Second Look • 18 CommentsThe first major change that was brought forward by Islam was to give equal rights to women to excel in life. Their rights as a daughter, wife, sister and mother are clearly mentioned in the Quran. Despite that we see as an every day news that women beaten up, tortured and denied basic rights by the men and women who are well educated and sensible. Where are we heading? We desperately seek women’s help in re-making of Pakistan as after more than 50 years of Independence, we are still an under developed nation. The fact on the other hand is that we never focused women to be part of a struggle to develop Pakistan. The success stories of Pakistani women are very limited but very inspiring to read, its their struggle in the so called Men’s world which always creates hurdles, troubles and frustration for women.
We are a society with dual standards, we take pride in being Muslims but we cant fulfill our duties as a Muslim when it comes to giving women the rights our religion gave them. Its still the unfortunate like the dark days before Islam that still people repent having a baby girl which is regarded as “Blessing” by our Holy Prophet may peace be upon him. We distribute sweets at the arrival of a baby boy and on the other hand we try not to tell any body if its a baby girl. No every body does it but majority is doing it which is alarming and disappointing.
So the discrimination starts for a girl from the day she is born, then she would face dicrimination again when separate facilities of education are being provided to her brothers and to her. As of today it is considered as waste of investment to spend on girl’s education as more return is expected from investing in a boys education. Girls are normally considered to get married after their bachelor’s or even before that and even if they do Masters and further higher education, the general opinion is that they will not continue studies after marriage or if at job, she will be a house wife.
The government is coming with a right of education for every girl, their target is primary education only, what about higher education? The answer is as confusing as our policies. We had seen a fresh air of change with Ms. Benazir Bhutto emerging as the first female prime minister of Pakistan, she was a lady with broader vision and excellent plans for the females as well. We saw launching of first Women Bank, more jobs for women, more respect to them and above all their representation in the national and provincial assemblies, we had further hopes from her but the most powerful lady in the history of Pakistan was so in secure in the men’s World that after few attempts, she finally gave her life for a right cause, I dont have any political affiliations but I still admire Ms. Bhuto for her struggle against the tides of time and eventually emerging as a winner. But she was not liked by the selfish and mean men, its a loss and an evidence to prove my point that when the most powerful lady in Pakistan is killed by a planned assassination what could become of a common women who does not have the strong financial and family back ground.
I was lucky enough to born in a family where provision of education was considered even more important for females. I have seen my sisters, cousins, aunts studying hard and then coming in to practical life and equally competing with the men and at times performing far better than the men. But there are only hand ful of families who consider it a TABOO to not to give equal opportunities.
We have seen a wave of awareness in the lower to middle class of the society in which females are allowed to study up till graduation and these ladies, its a good things but again they cant go for higher education cause they cant afford it, for that higher education commission should be given more resources to give away a lot of scholar ships or even easy loans with out mark up. Majority of the jobs being offered to females are either as front office executives, receptions, call centre operators, teachers, customer care executives and in the electronic media productions at various positions.
The hour of the need is that we give women more representation in the business sector, she should come up as an entrepreneur of a small and medium enterprise and gradually develop business to become a major company. Women are doing fabulous stuff on the fashion designing and its encouraging to see various brands establishing their presence in all major cities, there a few multi-talented ladies who run their own export houses. majority of the parents whose daughters have secured excellent grades in the academics, wants them to join the job or business sector, but they have the fear of the un-known called” Society”. Unfortunately the Society in Pakistan is heavily dominated by the men who find it difficult to accept the fact if women are performing much better than them, so they try negative tactics which can includes harassment etc. So at times the dedicated women even decide to quit jobs or shut down business operations in mere fear and frustration. We as men have to decide now to give respect and breathing space to women who by financial problems or out of great zeal come in practical life with hope and standards set very high, we have to help them rather than creating hurdles in their ways.
The most stupid argument I have come across so far is who will manage the kids and the family if women continue to work after marriages. My question is where it is written that its only a woman’s task to look after the house. General view of the women especially the mother in laws think that a newly wed has to come n join their family and start working as if she is a paid servant, which is totally wrong and most of the men do not allow their wives to do a handsome job due to immense family pressure mainly mother and sisters. She has to be given a fair chance to pursue her dreams to work using the education they got. Some men’s false ego will not allow her more talented and hard working wife cause they feel she will get freedom and limited reliability on him and might overshadow his presence. The success story of women often us that they were successful cause they had a wonderfully understanding husband. I was seeing the other day Interview of a famous educationist, drama Artist and an equally good mother of his son. In the interview she said my husband was very supportive to such an extent that she does not have to worry about the cooking.
We have millions of talented ladies out there in Pakistan just waiting to get a helping hand to start their practical life through jobs or through businesses and play their much awaited role of contributing to the growth of Pakistan. They need assurances and real time support from us first and then the government. All they need is equal opportunity to study, she is flying fighter jets now what to talk of any minor achievement. She has a world of opportunities before her but she is afraid to enter it and even when she makes an entry of so called our world, she is pushed back by our biased approach towards woman to the world where she has to look after her husband and kids and her husbands family as well and even if she is not married, she sits at home after completion of higher studies looking after parents and brothers and waiting for her turn to get married and suffer even a worst fate, which is to get used to expectations and demands of a totally strange family (if she gets married out side the family) and adjust her life style according to the her in laws (I call them out laws on the loose) requirements.
I know a lot of men would not take this article seriously, but there would be a lot more articles, news head lines, tv programs on Women rights, there would be a change for sure no matter slow but I will always be there to support them through my writings and discussion forums. I have two daughters and a son and I will go all ends out to provide them equally good opportunities for education and to join the practical fields they wish to. This is my toast and salute to all those daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers out there and the message to them is very clear, we would come forward to help them and not try to discourage them. Our changed resolution should be “Equal rights for women” for a change. To days successful women are equally good in managing home and office at the same time, its all about setting your priorities and managing these in the given time. All we need is a good healthy and care free working environment which only we can ensure but we always wait for our government to do it and our government remains too busy in other important matters like how to earn trillions in a day in the form of kick backs and commissions.
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Writing poetry and articles is one my favorite passtimes. I write truth openly in a straight forward manner and dont believe in an indirect hinting towards the truth. Am an ordinary man with an extra ordinary wish to see peace, harmony, justice and equality for common man before I die. For that I have decided to write my inner thoughts on the day to day sufferings around us. Silence can not solve any problem it rather increases it. My struggle will end with me. Am grateful TPS to provide me an opportunity to join a group of very talented writers from whome am learning a lot. Am not a man of letters so you would find my expression not as good as my seasoned and experienced partners who regularly write, my focus is primarily on the message in my articles and TPS is helping me to convey it to a lot of people.
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after all its a man’s world, as the late James Brown would say !
Usman bhai JazakAllah thats a very good article indeed . plz dont worry on how you wrote it its soulful and readable .I would like to say one thing tho, only way to educate a woman in our country is to educate them about … their rights as muslim , human and a girl ,, not just duties but Rights as described in Quran and sunnah and practised by our Holy Prophet.
>>> its really mortifying when we find fine educated men who have no clue about how to treat their mothers,wives, daughters or sisters, as equal fella humans, please remember to discipline your sons, so they don’t become spoiled monsters who end up beating their wives (or women in their lives) or torturing them … this behavior is not OK. its not macho its unislamic and illegal… to ridicule women in words or thru actions.its in hadith that :You commit major-sin if you slander/accuse/cuss about her dignity without a proof.
mr.ibrahim,then again, it wouldn’t just be a mans world ….instead it would be a lonely mans world gone-with-dinosaurs, if you take hazrat Hawa outta equation . I dunno who would care to know what James brown said . i dun even kno who he is .
Women work in all fields and mostly in all classes except in feuds and business class where they want to place their women as barbie dolls.Our women work in fields, in offices, in hospitals, army, educational institute, banks etc.There is hardly any area where women are not present.
Shortcomings are actually in their quality of works for all directions.If working they cant manage their family,if work as proper housewife then even cant go beyond typical house hold chores.Concept of proper saving, good management, poor time management in their routine jobs, etc are their real deficiencies in their upbringing and training .That is the reason they might get right place in their actual fields.
Sista Nazia ,I don’t know even the most educated woman of western society face the gender bias, I would not short change women by saying that they can’t do enough quality work because of their own deficiencies.Women work harder/better on both spheres family or work . Yeah, they can use some training but only when they r not deprived by their families to pursue education and proper training. just cause they are girls. For those who do have it , know how to use it .
Single mothers in western society , get better training management skills and even help from the so called organizations still they re not paid as much as their male coworkers . All I m saying is it doesn’t matter how much properly you save or manage time or resources , things are really hard for women not just in business but also in the job as doctors, bankers etc. they should at least get a proper start by not being psyched as inferiors in their childhood and getting education which they deserve.
women do so much fr society and get so little in return
I don’t agree with Usman. There are equal opportunities for women in the society. It is only the way you take it or look at it. If you allow women to take the opportunities that come they can be as successful as any other business person.
Take a look at Biocon India, it was started by a woman in 1978 when the whole market was not even looking at it. People made fun of her, she was also facing problems with raising finance to run the company. But a few selected people who believed in her, supported her and today the company is a great success.
For women to grow in your society you have to provide them with the basic support, otherwise you will keep on repeating the same line mentioned on top.
Something about Biocon.
Biocon is India’s leading biotechnology enterprise. Established in 1978, the company today is an integrated biotechnology enterprise focused on the development of biopharmaceuticals. The company serves partners and customers in over 50 countries. Within the biotechnology space, the company ranks first in Asia in terms of revenues and market capitalisation and sixteenth globally.
Hi Speak free, my article is specifically about Pakistan and even In India you can not generalise the scenario by the growth of one or two companies headed by Women. You know it and we know that too: women are not given the due rights and opportunities either its Pakistan, India or Bangladesh. I know you will come back to me with a lot of references of working women in India, what proportion of women population is having equal chances of growth and prosperity?
Usman,
It is not the portion of population that get the opportunity, it is about the openness and freedom that women can have to take these opportunity.
Today in India there may not be many women who have tasted growth and success, but at least we have made a effort to open those doors for them. Is it done in Pakistan? or any other Muslim country.
I am not much aware about Turkey, but I am sure about other Muslim countries located in Gulf and Pakistan and Bangladesh, don’t provide equal living right to women, opportunity to grow is a far distant thing.
no speak free
there are very good and secure opportunities in many muslim countries as compared to west or India.Women are every where as per their capacity and intelligence level.Problems are only being seen if women with weak family system comes in working area.From weak family system I mean where ladies dont get respect,support and trust of their family men and here problem starts actually.Nobody in our urban system has any moral courage to create hindrance in the ways of working women.See our results of all exams young girls are competing the boys.It clearly shows our society trends and our govt and islamic laws always support women if she is on right side.
If any woman complain of any biased attitude in working areas then she should look around or see herself that how many competent men are also hit by poor management of some weak managers who get their positions through shortcuts.
Nazia,
If what you are saying is true then why don’t I see women leading business in any of the Gulf countries? Why there are no women in politics at highest level?
Speak free kindly give proper real name to your identity as it looks me odd to talk to people with such an ambiguous identity .Just a friendly advice.
There are no political forces in some Arabic countries as people follow the family dynasty or monarchy therefore you see here what you feel about muslim women.In good Muslim countries, like UAE, morocco, libya, syria, women are showing extra ordinary skills in business ventures and all fields but surely up to some limited range.Actually in islamic societies we women prefer to work in our men’s area due to our culture limitation and as per requirement of family.If you go and visit the important offices in gulf you can find working women everywhere.Even morocco is the first country which has first time hired the service of women preachers in our Islamic history.Here their king married to an ordinary computer engineer and his sisters are doing extraordinary jobs to empower women of their state.Turkey and Iran are also showing same trends and here you can see women have come forward in very positive ways even in field of politics.Same in my country and Bangladesh lots of women of middle classes are occupying good seats in assemblies and in all departments.You can also see many warrior political characters in Palestinians too who are fighting for their rights with their men.
We really don’t need any foreign hand to strengthen our professional profiles as we have good govt laws ,we just need support of our family and love ones and then opportunities.One important factor is also there that pure professional muslim women avoid her projection in media and prefer to stay behind scenes that is why I think west is not really knowing actual strength of muslim women.As in third world opportunities are diminishing due to global down fall so you cant generalize it only for women commuinty as men are also being targeted by such economic crises
Nazia,
The cultural limitations are also there in Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and many other cultures, but that does not stop them from taking up opportunities. Also regarding the family requirement, it is there in every culture that cannot be a excuse.
speak free
Cultural limitation and family requirement are not excuses but a cordial agreements between genders and as women of islamic society feel more responsible toward family building and restoring like many other Asian cultureS so women look standing behind their men.For knowing the exact status of working and successful women of Islamic world you can read on aljazeera network that gives special pro grammes on such bright muslim women.Except for saudis, Arabs have better and liberal traditions for their womenfolks as compared to culture of south asia.
Nazia,
I don’t accept the reasoning. It is also the same when it comes to Hindu culture where women have to first look at family and then anything that they can do.
So that is only reason in south Asian countries that women are being seen behind their men and family but their actual contributions are more than normal Asian men.What is you real point ?our Muslim women are every where availing the opportunities of work as per their capabilities but primary factor is always there and it is moral support of their family is requisite for their bright professional career.
My point is simple Nazia, she can do all this and still achieve her dreams and goals. Taste success, growth, glory in today’s world. No one will and should stop them from doing that if they are able to manage both the tasks without issue.
whole world knows that 2 sentences ” Islam” and “rights for woman” exist at infinite distance. actually there are huge opportunity in this world for ladies except Islamic world. you search for most influential ladies in Google and you won’t find any one from Islamic world despite of the fact that there are the highest number of Islamic countries. no religion hinders girls from education except Islam (i don’t say it,your religious leaders say it). why don’t you engage your ladies in terrorism? at least we will see the beautiful face of death before death. all you know is how to make this world hell………………………….