by JayJay
The life of a Pakistani woman is not easy. It is not a hidden fact that she is subjected to discrimination and harassment, within and without the so-called sanctuary of her home. However, harassment and bullying becomes more intense and blatant when she steps out of her home for work or education. From catcalls to verbal innuendo to physical harassment, she has to endure it all, mostly at the hands of strangers, on the streets and on public transport. This harassment does not stop, or rather become more palpable in many cases, at her place of work. The act of harassing women, with sexual tones and motives, by fellow employees or supervisors/managers is referred to sexual harassment. Wikipedia defines sexual harassment as:
Harassment or unwelcome attention of a sexual nature. It includes a range of behavior from mild transgressions and annoyances to serious abuses, which can even involve forced sexual activity. Sexual harassment is considered a form of illegal discrimination in many countries, and is a form of abuse (sexual and psychological) and bullying.
An editorial from The News on October 1 has summed up the issue well, by pointing out to the absence of appropriate legislation to deal with this growing phenomenon. Offering some the broad suggestions, the editorial reads:
As a first step, the government and the private sector should join hands to start a campaign in which sexual harassment in the workplace is defined. This will make working women understand what is acceptable and what is not acceptable behavior in a workplace. The second step in this national exercise would be to ask employers to put into place a proper policy that defines sexual harassment and clearly spells out what action is to be taken against someone found guilty of it. In addition to this, employers need to have a mechanism which enables any employee subjected to such harassment to approach an appropriate forum for filing a complaint. The complaint should be treated confidentially and investigated, and if guilty the offender should be punished according to the employer’s code of ethics for employees. Of course, given that many companies have an environment which is more or less male-dominated and where men are in most decision-making senior roles, it may be a bit much to expect that things will change overnight. However, to do nothing would also be a sign that we as a nation are not willing to evolve and provide justice to those who are victims of this menace.The menace of sexual harassment at the place of work has been comprehensively and effectively addressed by the West where workplaces are no longer the sole domain of men. Pakistan has a lot to catch up on this matter, and quickly so, as more and more women are entering workforce. It makes economic sense both for employers and the government to have an effective and clear legislation and corporate policies to protect women against harassment. Not only skills and talent of education women can be brought to use more effectively by attracting them in a safe workplace but it has been seen worldwide that presence of women in offices helps boost productivity, besides infusing fresh ideas and way of thinking.
While enacting a piece of legislation and formulating policies is most critical step, a concerted awareness campaign is necessary to influence general attitudes and social behaviors. Without bringing about change to prevalent perception of working women in Pakistan, there is little chance of success in overcoming the problem of sexual harassment. The fact of matter is that most women in Pakistan brave into men-dominated workplaces out of economic necessity, rather than to fulfill career aspirations. The position of women in workplace in Europe, North American and even South East Asia has become entrenched, still it is not odd to come across a public service announcement to press the message on the issue. Such public service announcements are even more necessary in a society like Pakistan where we leg behind even comparable countries in accepting the role of women at work.
For the poster who said he doesn’t understand why laws installed in the West are considered a viable solution…..
um, because they work?
Life was not great for women in the West either 100 years ago. Women wore very heavy, constricting garments that covered the whole body and still were considered fair game and their safety depended on the social status of their families. A lot has changed and I don’t think any woman wants to go back there. But the laws had to be changed in the courtroom and we can trace the emancipation of women through the legal process. It really does work, believe it or not.
I am interested in the viewpoint of those who think sexual harrassment is “normal” in the West or that Western behaviors contribute to the harrassment of women. I can only share my personal experience.
I lived five years in Germany and was never once approached by a man. Men approach women in the dating venues, i.e. clubs and bars. I don’t go to clubs and bars and no man just walks up to women on the street. Not only is it considered crazy to do so, it is illegal.
In the United States and Canada (three years) I have been only very rarely approached by men, and then only in terms of “Hi, would you like to have a coffee with me?” Again, it’s understood that you don’t persist where you are not wanted. However there are a lot of Americans who don’t drink or go to clubs because they are religious, but they still have to find their life partners on their own. So they may speak to a woman at work or who they meet socially. And you can’t blame them for that or call it harrassment.
Pakistan and India are the only two places where I have been groped/bumped/had my breasts touched or grabbed and the danger of same is a constant every time I go out, if I am alone an incident is virtually guaranteed. Once a very elderly man chased off three young men who were following me and trying to touch me. Why is it like this? This is not a problem which can be traced to the West in any configuration. In the West you can’t do that!
I was seriously harrassed in the state of Texas once and the man who was following me and another woman turned out to be Palestinian. You can make of that what you will. But he was arrested and charged with stalking, and that appears to be the only thing that really puts a stop to it.
In Pakistan the environment is fertile for these excesses for some reason. Men beat up anybody who teases their sister and then chase the sisters of others on the street. I don’t know, for all my thinking about it no answer comes to mind. I think the statement of the man who said that no woman he knows wants to return to Pakistan is very sad. Ultimately this is very bad for the country, too. Expats don’t want to return with their skills if they are women or their wives/daughters don’t want to come.
Qndeel writes..in West women have no fear of her Rights…hahaha….
i agree…35+..and a damp room of an old home..with no family and children…before that a public property was there on 35$ per hour..this is right given to her by west …!!!!!
women place is her home..not social butterfly contest in the society….
leave islam…or ahadees or quran ..and act on your desires ..of fooling yourself..to be equal to men…men always make you fool..sometimes in name of independency..sometimes..feminism..sometimes liberty..but still she is not willing to stop her foolishness !!!!
Some of the remarks here I found appalling, but I’m grateful to Adonis’s final comment for preventing that feeling from turning to disgust.
If I’m interpreting correctly, some people seem to be suggesting that MTV etc is solely responsible for sexist attitudes and that the abolishment of “fahasha” media outlets is the long-awaited miracle pill that’ll cure all the problems facing our women. Not only is this borderline insane but it sounds to me like a loud tout for Talibanisation!
First, do we agree that women in Pakistan are considered and treated as secondary citizens? Yes. Second, do we agree that the institutions in place in our society legitimize (directly or indirectly) the subordinate status of women? Yes. This is the issue and the first step is to ACCEPT that this is an issue. Do NOT put the cart before the horse by claiming that we can find parallels in the West or that it’s all the fault of Western/Indian media. These arguments are counter-productive and they only help to maintain the status quote – all because they’re not focused on the key factors.
How do I know this? I’ve lived in Pakistan and the West and let me tell you first-hand (so that there is no doubt left in your minds) that there IS a vast difference in how I’m looked on as a woman in these two societies. There are enough rap videos and pornography to potentially instil sexist attitudes or create sexual tension in the West – i.e. the media-effect is there. Yet women are not being leered upon, women are not having to walk on eggshells constantly worried about what they’re wearing, doing, watching, saying, etc etc, and most importantly, women in the West are not living under the fear that there rights aren’t protected. Usually in Pakistan a women’s cry lands on deaf ears. There is no SECURITY, there are no RIGHTS for a woman.
These facts need to be realized and accepted, especially by the Pakistani males. After which, a top-down or bottom-up approach needs to be implemented. That is, make the policies, make the pressure groups who’d enforce these policies, and at the more basic level, parents at home need to create the right kind of environment for their children by allowing them (boy, girl) equal opportunities and schools should have, as Human suggested, social ethics program etc.
Rafay Kashmiri
totally agreed….
This issue is being exploited by the secular and the so-called elite of Pakistan and by pseudo political and religious leaders to get some political mileage. We have other more important things to worry about.
People who consider themselves as modern and moderates by following the west blame religion for such issues. The fact is that these people have little or no understanding and knowledge about Islam. Islam has solutions to all these problems but like I said before we don’t want to adopt those because we don’t want to give up the way we live and the things we do. We have Islamic solutions but we want different ones.
Its hard for me to comprehend why people so blindly follow the west and consider whatever the west does as “modern”. Why a women who barely has her body covered considered “modern”. And I don’t understand that why the laws made by the west to curb their own social evils is considered as a viable solution to the problems in our society that is totally different from a western society.
The so-called elite and modern and secular minority of Pakistan need to reconsider their entire philosophy. The solution to all these problems are not in less Islam but in more Islam.
Why cant both sides of the debate keep religion aside once and think about the issue here?
As usual, the religion bashers are criticizing the ‘maulvis’ for this harassment of women. Seems like maulvis are the favourite whipping boys for this ilk and can be blamed for everything from illiteracy to global warming. Seems like the fact that sexual harassment in non-muslim countries like india is equally rampant would not dent their furore against maulvis.
On the other hand, defenders of the faith are blaming it on ‘fahashi’, another favourite mantra. They conveniently ignore that in western countries, where ‘fahashi’ is much more common and potent, women are not teased in public places like it is done in our region.
Lets focus on the real causes of the problem which are cultural and environmental. I have seen two exactly opposite
attitudes about women in our society. There are families in which women command a great deal of respect. It is considered a huge disgrace to lay hands on and beat up a woman. Women are considered worthy of preferential treatment. Thats why seats are vacated for them on public transport and ladies do not have to wait in lines in banks and other places. Most people displaying this attitude belong to educated (either liberal or religious) middle class as well as uneducated but largely religious poorer masses.
On the other hand, there is a smaller section of population that I personally consider only slightly above animals as far as their behaviour is concerned. They treat women as a commodity and they are the real source of mistreatment of women in our society. Such people mostly belong to either the so called ‘high’ society and nouveau-riche or to the extremely poor and totally uneducated and unouth segment of the society.
The solution of the problem is to ‘humanize’ the later group by a combination of education (and by emphasizing on the stress Islam has placed on treating the women well) as well as by enacting and implementing strong laws against such behaviour.
Salamalikum
SM, as usual too many holes in your story. I’m not going to respond in detail because this discussion has taken place already; plus when I do respond it seems like both you and I get moderated out.
You missed the point. The point was any fahash influence whether it comes from a TV, VCR (i.e. the ghaleez Indian “family” movies), CD player, reading or people contact should be curtailed. The rise in the so-called “sexual tension” and acting upon it is due to people being badly influenced by fahash sources…from day one, no matter what the exact source was or when cable came to Pakistan. Also, satellite came way before 1999 (when supposedly cable came to Pakistan). Madaaris mushroomed or not, but those ugly satellite did mushroom on the roofs of Pakistani houses in early ’90s.
However, I agree with you on one thing: There are two many unregulated madaaris on every street corner where the level of teaching is poor and only nazara or hifz takes place. The actual Islamic teaching like aqida sciences, fiqh, hadith, tafseer, etc. don’t happen there. But, in other major institutions and madaaris the real teaching does take place and those “Mullahs” are anything but illetrate. Also, due to their lack of knowledge, those dime-a-dozen moulvis you find in several neighborhood mosques have no impact on the educational or political environment—they don’t think outside of their mosques.
However, the question is why these moulvis are hired in the neighborhood mosques in the first place? The answer is that the “educated” people are even more illiterate than the said moulvis about Islam. So, for them anyone who “looks like a aalim” and can recite more Quran than them is designated as a scholar. So, the real blames lies with the likes of you and me, who think Islamic knowledge comes just from being “wordly”.
Lastly, fyi, many “rich” or middle-class people also send their kids to madaaris (but the real ones) and not just the poor, and more and more are doing so. The situation to a small degree has been imporving especially for the past decade…both in East and the West.