Working Women: Baji, aadmi aye hain

Posted on October 19, 2010
Filed Under >Mehr Un Nisa, Economy & Development, Women
26 Comments
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Mehr Un Nisa

As much as I’m proud of my culture, the unnecessarily sharp lines drawn between the roles of men and women, is something I can never imagine myself defending. And no matter how liberal an environment you’re living in, the distinction keeps on surfacing in ways that are almost imperceptible.

Women work Lahore rickshaw labor labour

Petty example: Have you ever noticed how the Director Security at every big event or conference is invariably a male? “Come on, it IS a guy’s job – you can’t make a fuss about that now”, if these aren’t the first words coming to your mind after reading the example, we’re friends.

A more interesting observation that says much about the status of technical training in Pakistan as well as where we stand with respect to the progressive ideals we claim to have is the following: we have absolutely no professional female maintenance workers in Pakistan. It is not unusual for a girl to be kicked out of her room where repair work is to be done, with this innocuous statement, “Baji, aadmi aye hain kaam kernay.”

It leaves you wondering whether the idea of a female plumber, electrician or a carpenter is really as ridiculous as some people would have you believe? What is it in wiring some circuits, basic plumbing or fixing a cable that requires a man’s strength? Women do these jobs in so many countries in the world, after all.

So, why not in Pakistan?

There is the inevitable question of whether our society is ‘ready’ for it or not. As far as I have observed, the educated elite has always been appreciative of measures aimed at women’s independence and empowerment. But of course, the educated elite cannot be taken as an accurate representation of the majority of the population, so let’s look at the villages.

But there in the Pakistani villages, as opposed to the picture painted by your fifth grade Urdu textbook, you see women working in the heat of fields as well as brick-kilns and even as road-side vendors. The word ‘mazdoor’ has no gender in these places.

It’s mainly in the urban middle-class and in feudal systems where men feel this need to assert their masculinity and subdue women in face of the ‘corrupting influences’ of modernity. Unfortunately, the number of people

with the regressive mind-set that needs to be challenged is huge. The challenge to these regressive forces, therefore, has to be well-organized, government-enforced and focus on changes within Pakistan’s technical education system.

The government could establish vocational training institutes where women along with men are especially educated to work as mechanics, electricians, rescue workers, plumbers etc.  Such a place would actually be an excellent respite for the poor who cannot afford to pursue academics but definitely want to learn a skill that could earn them money and run their households.

Moreover, the notion of being formally trained or educated would add to the self-esteem these women (and men); and in general this may be a step towards giving the blue-collar workers the respect that they deserve in our society. Also, the presence of female industrial workers could actually take us a long way establishing ourselves a progressive society, by forcing people to change their attitudes. And who knows, the enhanced work-force could even be an incentive for the government to move towards developing indigenous technology and cut down on our habit of importing every little pin that the country needs.

My views may sound very idealistic and may even be flawed at more places than one.  But one thing I’m sure of is that inducting a few female pilots, paratroopers and traffic wardens in this country’s elite institutions while good, is not enough. Women empowerment in the poor working-class still needs to see the light of the day. Change – in order to carry any meaning at all – must seep into the masses.

26 responses to “Working Women: Baji, aadmi aye hain

  1. Watan Aziz says:

    Meanwhile,

    ROME — Just how mini can a miniskirt be?

    If the mayor of a small Italian town has his way, law enforcement officials, and not fashion gurus, will be the ones to decide.

    The mayor of the southern seaside town of Castellammare di Stabia wants to ban football games in public parks and squares, blasphemy out loud, and “very skimpy clothes.”

    The rules are expected to be approved by the city council on Monday.

    Conservative Mayor Luigi Bobbio said that miniskirts and other provocative outfits will still be allowed as long as they are not too revealing.

    “It’s a matter of common sense, of common decency,” he said.

    A group of local female politicians is planning a protest in front of the town’s city hall during Monday’s vote. They have invited attendees to wear miniskirts.

    The measures also include a ban on playing football in public spaces — Bobbio says these games often turn into fights — sunbathing or undressing in town, blasphemy and foul language in general. Men cannot go around shirtless, the rules say.

    Violations can be punished with a fine of up to €500 ($700). If passed, the measures go into force immediately, Bobbio said.

    Why is that there is never a dull moment in gender related stories?

    Be it Pakistan or anywhere else. I say, people (men and women) should have the freedom to do what they please as long as no one preaches and imposes their will on the other. And to simply this, there should be a clear and explicit dress code, a code of conduct and work ethics that support the choice of work each gender has taken up. With active support and enforcement.

    But back to the story, if there are any supportive Italian men, they should should up in Scottish kilts!

    Where is my kilt?

  2. Malika says:

    It is a sad fact that most men in our society have not learned to treat women as equals. There is a lot of respect for mothers, sisters, daughters or a wife. But when it comes to an unrelated woman, as is the case mostly at work, the respect has to be justified by calling the coworkers “bhai”. Every time someone calls me sister or bhabi, I am intrigued. I wonder why this justification is needed.
    Working women in Pakistan show an immense amount of courage. They are stared at constantly, their every move observed. They are not included in work related discussions mostly. Having worked in Pakistan for 10 years, I know that any profession that requires a women to work in a premises that is not visible to all is a risk to the so called “reputation” of a woman because there is plenty of wild imagination running rampant in ever observing “bhais” heads. I cannot imagine a woman electrician risking to go inside a home. (hai hai…who knows what happens in this home ?!). If it was a shop…and people could bring their appliances to get repaired..maybe it is a possibility.
    I have experienced a great difference in the attitude of men whose own mothers, sisters etc work. They treat female coworkers in a balanced way. If the gentlemen comes from a family where women are not allowed to leave house unescorted, they highly likely to take the role of “ever observing bhai jans”.
    What to do about it? Educating this group of men and encouraging them to “allow” their female family members to join the work force may change the attitude of the society over a few decades. Even talking to them directly sometimes has helped me.

  3. I am all for encouraging women to work alongside men in all professions. However, I am in the military where women integration has just started. The attitude of my female co-workers is helping anyone but them. They often get easy hours, get exempted from duties, get better housing too! In their defense all they can say is that “We are Women!”
    Inducting women in armed forces is great but they should also realize that they need to equally shoulder all responsibilities with men! You cannot ask for everything and then offer only half of what is demanded of you. Thanks.

  4. @Mehu Un Nisa: The women who do hard labour in poor parts are forced to do it. However, forcing others to work as plumbers and in other menial jobs is not the way to go. A lot of these jobs entail humiliation; I have seen a woman changing garbage in the west and she was doing it wearing sunglasses, hiding the embarrassment she was going through.

    As far as equality is concerned, there is no such thing. Comparing men and women is like comparing food and water. Men and women are different physically, biologically and in a lot of other ways. Women excel at certain things and men excel at others.

    Some time ago in a western country, some women ran topless to support their equality claims, citing that if men can go without shirts, then women should also be allowed the same. These are the same feminists who create a fuss over the swimsuit round in beauty pageants. Are feminists hypocrites or simply confused?

  5. Amir Liaquat says:

    I believe women can work equally as good then men so they must be given equal representation everywhere in the country. A secular state can surely change the future of Pakistan for the better.

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