Why education is the key to a safer Pakistan? by Farheen Atif
Our bodies produce, from what is just a cell, a fetus – A fetus we deliver as an infant –we learn to shower love and care upon them, like none other, so that one day they grow into the one who will lead. So what makes you better than us? This question lingers in the minds of thousands of women out there; those who are facing abuse, who are not allowed to talk for themselves, who are treated as lesser beings, who are treated as if they do not possess a brain, those who are silenced from voicing their opinions, and those who are treated as dolls for marriage, those who are discriminated for their race, and many more.
In Pakistan, it’s unfortunate to say many women face this. It’s dispiriting to say that Pakistan remains amongst lowest in terms of gender equality. She ranks as the sixth most dangerous country, moreover, according to the statistics collected by well recognized NGO: White ribbon Pakistan, in time 2014-2016, more than fifteen thousand women faced abuse of sorts. It would be wrong and unfair to say that no effort have been made to stop these cases. Governments of different times did little or more for women in Pakistan. Women Police stations, banks, transportation services, and courts have been set in multiple cities. However, the problem, as highlighted by Mukhtaran Mai is, majority of the violence cases take place in villages. Mai have further stated, "In rural areas, feudal landlords call the shots; the administration and police are subservient to these feudal chieftains who view women as commodities. So how can justice be delivered in such cases?" The issue lies in lack of education of both women and men.
When I asked a few women about what they think empowerment is, it was not surprising to see how many of them had no answer to what I consider a very normal and common question. Urban areas, such as main city of Lahore, Karachi, Capital Islamabad, for example, have many women and men working day and night for the refused rights of women. We are taught about how a women should be treated by a woman and how she should be treated by a man. We don’t realize the importance of this education. This date way back to when British arrived in subcontinent. At that time people other than nobles were refused of education and scholarship. Most people learnt through experience, when much educated British took over, people viewed literacy as something that is against them and their rights, hence, people disagreed with Sir Sayed Ahmed Khan’s protests in favor of teaching their children. This mindset is still living in the minds of rural people. Their uneducated women, believes and teach their son about how they are superior, and teach their daughters of their so called inferiority. These son, as men, resort to violence and abuse and these daughters, as women believes that it’s their duty to submit to these abuse. This is a never ending cycle. What can stop this loop is us educated people. We need to step up, and teach these children.
This is a practice that will take years and years to show the results, but it will be worthwhile. This is where we highlight how Islam have empowered a woman, and how wrong are we in believing the opposite. It is disappointing but then again not unexpected to see how most women have no idea what Islam offers them. The historical evidences and documentation have proven that Muhammad have consulted women and weighed their opinions seriously. Umm-e-Warqa was female imam appointed over her household. Women contributed significantly to the canonization of the Quran. During Caliphate
of Umar, woman contributed by correcting dowry rights of women. Women were involved in hadith conveyance (Ayesha RA, narrated 2,210 hadith), gave sanctuary to men, engaged in commercial transactions such as trading – Khadijah RA was a highly successful and one of the richest business person in Arab, were encouraged to seek knowledge, and were both instructors and pupils in the early Islamic period. Many Muslim Women had learned about the herbs and basic medicinal knowledge. Ayesha RA, the last wife of holy prophet, had sanction in medicine, history, and rhetoric.
In light of these successful ladies, we should preach about such to the people unaware of basic knowledge. What’s left is for women to know what the law offers them. There are many laws against abuse in constitution, and one should know them be it male or female. Knowing these laws by heart will be beneficial when standing in a place such as courts and police stations. It is less likely to be deceived by corrupted if you know what you require, and you demand what you require.
I am aware of how bad the situation seems to be in the country, but what could save it from drowning is the individual effort you will make when you believe in yourself as a women and as someone who is standing along all the women mistreated. Anne Hathaway have once said: “I believe I have always been a big believer in equality. No one has ever been able to tell me I couldn’t do something because I was a girl.” And once you believe that what your ender is doesn’t matter but what matters in awareness, education and upbringing, you will change, and so will what surrounds you, “ we cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.