For an outsider, the situation of women in Pakistan is as bad as a herd of cattle. After all, they are not even allowed to walk with their faces uncovered. There are so many stories of honor-killing of women who try to marry against the wishes of their clan. There are even reports of women being punished for being ‘raped’. Then there are so many ‘reports’ of humanitarian and feminist societies, associations and researchers, all of whom generally present Pakistan in a way that readily confirms the stereotype of ‘backward looking female repressing undeveloped society’.

And yet, it is a fact that a woman became the Prime Minister of Pakistan in its 60 odd years of history, while a woman is yet to be found good enough to become the President of the United States!

It is an even greater irony that each of the South Asian nations, all of whom are more or less equally backward, undeveloped, poor and typically perceived as repressive of female rights and independence, has had a women at the helm,of their political hierarchy, while many of the developed countries which promise and are perceived to fulfil the promise of equality for genders are yet to experience this phenomenon. There needs to be an explanation for this contrast of extremes, but to be able to see and understand it, one needs to get rid of one’s obsession with the stereotype and understand things from within the society’s historical and cultural perspective, not from the distant, indifferent eyes of an occasional onlooker.

It is true that the condition of women in Pakistan is far from satisfactory. They are definitely not considered equal to their male counterparts on most aspects of life. However, this is not necessarily or solely the result of male chauvinistic society as many would want us to believe. In fact, this has far greater roots in the culture of the society, its long history and to some extent in the traditions that came as a part and parcel of Islam.

South Asia is the last bastion of the traditional ‘family’ as it used to exist in almost every place of the world during all ages till the nineteenth century. In the traditional family that existed, say five hundred years ago, home was the greatest place on earth, family the greatest bonding and children’s health and welfare the ultimate goal of life. In such a society where there were neither any electric rice cookers, nor pizza available by delivery, managing households was as important as growing crops in the field or earning wages by doing work. Typically, in such societies, men and women complimented each other. Their was male dominance, but women always yielded great influence. Their influence on children as mothers was even more than that of father, and within the social hierarchy, they enjoyed their own rights and privileges. For the sake of children, it was considered essential that women’s character be above doubt, as it was only the woman who actually knew who the father of his children was. Thus there was the concept of honor. After marriage, a women shifted to husband’s family and became a part of his larger family, and so she had to adjust to the new home.

During the last two centuries, our households have changed, so have our lives. Social expectations and roles are also changing, but the changes that came to the Western world a hundred years back have begin to percolate to the villages of Pakistan and other developing countries only during the last couple of decades. So while the difference between man and woman has largely disappeared in most developed countries, it still exists in developing countries like Pakistan. It also means a greater complementarity and lesser competition between men and women of Pakistan.

Then there are traditions of Islamic societies like the ‘veil’ or ‘burqa’ or in some places, the ‘head scarf’. Many of these are Islamic practices equally respected and voluntarily practiced by the women. It is difficult to say as to whether it is a violation of their rights. In some cases, specially in recent times, the flourishing fundamentalist - Taliban style machinery has been coming out with ‘fatwas’ denouncing the gradual modernisation of women. Many girls schools and colleges have been destroyed, the veil and other Islamic traditions are enforced rigidly, with threat of body harm or even death. The Western culture is denounced as evil and corrupt, and all reforms are frowned upon. In cities their influence is limited, but in remote villages closer to Afghan border their will is the rule of law. The fundamentalist groups are trying to take the society back to where it was five hundred years ago, and if they made their way, they will take them not to the Punjab, Sind and Balochistan of five hundred years ago, but to medieval Arabian empire.

A woman could become a political head of Pakistan in a democracy because women are not respected less than a man or considered inferior. At the same time, society is yet to get rid of the stereotype role expected of a women. In a changing society, elders are not comfortable, neither are those that consider themselves vested with divine power to guide all ordinary mortals. Women folk are no less confused in this world of multiple hues that allows them to explore new roles and on the other hand warns them not to let the old ideals get lost.

The story of women’s right in Pakistan is not a single or a simple story. It has many turns and twists, only if you have the time and patience to hear it and understand…………………..That, unfortunately, is a little cumbersome. So, till then, enjoy the stereotype!