In Articles Marking Women's Day, Pakistani Writers Express Optimism on Women's Contributions to Pakistani Economy

Following are excerpts from Shezray Husain's blog:[1]

"I am amazed at how the Pakistani woman has evolved in the last 20 years… She is well aware of her rights and will not be intimidated by male co-workers. In fact, she is most likely to outperform them and get that promotion! Our mothers fought for options – so that we could choose between staying at home or going out to work. But I feel that it is compulsory for every woman to have some form of part-time, flexible hours work, even if it is not the 9 to 5 rat race.

"Right now, women have fairly low participation in the formatted workplace compared to our neighboring countries. 17% of women work in urban areas in Pakistan while 35% in India work.

"Here's my advice: go teach a course, volunteer at a hospital, or freelance from a home office - but remain a worker. An increase in the number of working women will mean that there are more women to mentor, network, and support newcomers, and also that the lone female maverick will feel a lot more comfortable staying late amidst male colleagues.

"I worked for two years in a predominantly male-dominated environment, and while the boys club made me feel a tad bit isolated at times, I never felt an ounce of discomfort despite pulling in regular long hours; what it did, however, was drastically increase my sports trivia knowledge!

"So go out and work so that we do not have work places where despite the 20 female employees, there is no separate bathroom for women; where crèches in major work places and commercial areas are a norm."

"[The] Rapid Increase in Beauty Salons in the Past Decade is a Testament That Women have More Income at Their Disposal"

"It has been reassuring to see more women entering the work place, be it in the traditional roles of doctor, lawyer, banker, or in upcoming sectors like media, retail, and fashion. This is a positive change both economically and socially. Consider this: the rapid increase in beauty salons in the past decade is a testament that women have more income at their disposal and are willing to spend it as they see it fit.

"If you don't believe me, compare the number of times women today go to the salon compared to their mothers.

"Ready-made women's clothing lines are another sign that the woman of today has a lot more to do than chase tailors.

"Similarly, ready-to-heat food, disposable diapers, and other time efficient products are reaffirmations of the prolific woman who is driving herself around town being far more independent in her lifestyle and opinions than her previous generation."

"Women should Go Out There and Become a Part of Mainstream Eco-social Movement; This is what will help Pakistan"

"A common perception in the workplace is that female employees will quit after marriage or upon the confirmation of the first pregnancy. Unfortunately, this is a correct allegation to a great extent. Familial pressure forces many women to quit their jobs because the mother-in-law does not want to employ a cook and someone has to make fresh chapattis [bread] for the clan at lunch and dinner time.

"But in other situations, yummy mummies forego their prospering careers after Ivy League degrees with the concern that the nanny will end up taking most of their salary home as monthly wages.

"Pakistan is at a precarious crossroads where on the one hand fundamentalists are gaining grassroots popularity, and on the other a small segment of the elite is living a life that is distinctly Californian.

"We need wise women to have a voice. In the words of Bill Clinton, 'it is all about the economy.' This means that if you are contributing to the pie, you can have an opinion on how it should be cut. Women should go out there and become a part of mainstream eco-social movement. This is what will help Pakistan move ahead.

"And while they are doing this, they should try and educate one girl child. Choose a charity or organization of your choice and support one girl child from primary school till college graduation for less than 500 Pakistani Rupees a month…"

"In Pakistan, While We have Seen an Unprecedented Number of Women Entering the Economic Field... Their Rights Remain a Distant Dream"

Following are excerpts from Rubina Saigol's article:[2]

"International Women's Day initially represented a conflict between the imperative for capital to maximize profits, and the need for workers to demand decent working conditions and social justice. With the passage of time, the meaning of the day was broadened to include all kinds of political, economic, and social rights for women. The day now underscores the importance of women's rights and empowerment in all fields and is a reminder that the agenda of women's rights must form the core of the agenda of all governments and nations.

"In Pakistan, while we have seen an unprecedented number of women entering the economic field, mainly owing to market forces and the economic downturn, their rights remain a distant dream. In some cases, women's rights have actually seen a reversal. The limited protection they received in the Women's Protection Act of 2006 was overruled by the Federal Shariat Court, which declared in December 2010 that the Zina Ordinance (a part of the five Hudood Ordinances) had overriding effect, notwithstanding any other law or order. A parallel judicial structure, created by the most obscurantist military ruler [General Zia-ul-Haq], thus moved to deny women the little protection they had won through decades of struggle and mobilization by women's groups.

"While the government of the day continued to verbalize its commitment to women's rights over the past three years, it simultaneously appointed ministers like Israrullah Zehri who upheld the burial of five living women in Baluchistan in the name of tradition, and Mir Hazar Khan Bijrani, who presided over an Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism that gave away five girls, aged two to six, as a peace offering to end a feud.

"The rights of working women have been curtailed without either the government or civil society taking much note of the matter. The Finance Act 2006 increased the number of working hours from 8 to 12 a day, a factor which discourages women from working because night shifts are hard for women working in an insecure environment. Additionally, the compulsory weekly holiday was abolished through amendments in the Shops and Establishment Ordinance, 1969. Furthermore, provisions of the Factory Act that prevented women from working before sunrise or after sunset were also abolished."

"Globally, Roughly Four-Fifths of All Those Who are Gainfully Employed Fall within the Informal Sector, While in Pakistan… Women Workers Constitute Around 75% of the Informal Labor Force"

"While rights in the formal sector of employment are being steadily dismantled, the informal sector is characterized by insecure employment, harsh working conditions, and absence of any of the social protections for which a state is responsible. There is a preponderance of women in the informal sector of employment, which is an unregulated; the unorganized sector comprising flexible and mobile labor… fails to receive the few benefits existing in the formal sector of employment.

"Labor in the informal sector is typically employed on a temporary, casual and contractual basis and can be retrenched at any time without any legal barriers. In this sector, labor normally does not have access to social security, security of employment, health and hazard benefits, regular paid time off, maternity leave or limitation of working hours. Informal labor is the most exploited and vulnerable category of labor in both the rural and urban areas, with a preponderance in the latter.

"Globally, roughly four-fifths of all those who are gainfully employed fall within the informal sector, while in Pakistan home-based women workers constitute around 75 percent of the informal labor force. Pakistan has a very large informal sector in which 20 percent growth was recorded in 2007. According to a conservative estimate in 2007, out of the country's $160 billion economy, the informal sector contributes $32 billion…"

"[Government's] Significant Steps Include Complete… Autonomy to the National Commission on Status of Women and a 10% Quota for Women in Government Jobs"

Following are excerpts from Farzana Raja's article:[3]

"International Women's Day has become an important regular feature in the international calendar of events… Today, without unrestricted participation of women in every sphere of life, no society can make significant progress. Therefore, we are witnessing not only a vibrant role of women, but are also observing their significant contribution to the uplift of forward-looking modern societies.

"We are also aware of the fact that the father of the [Pakistani] nation, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, remained a strong advocate of women's participation in every sphere of life. Similarly, [former Pakistani Prime Minister] Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto emphasized the importance of women's emancipation and it was the visionary leadership of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto that envisaged policies particularly focusing on women's rights and empowerment, aiming at their increased participation for the sake of national development. Unfortunately, as a result of political and social apathy towards the mainstreaming of women, we still cannot benefit from the huge potential of these policies.

"However, we have witnessed some encouraging developments recently, as the present democratic government has successfully revived the legacy of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The signing of the Protection of Women from Harassment at Workplace Bill 2009 by President Zardari is a landmark achievement, aimed towards providing a better and secure environment to working women.

"This legislation will be instrumental in helping overcome a major obstacle in the way of women who want to work. Moreover, it will help in changing our mindset with regard to women in the workplace. It is also worth mentioning here that the present democratic government has also been working on another sensitive and important issue, that of domestic violence. Other significant steps include complete administrative and financial autonomy to the National Commission on Status of Women and a 10% quota for women in government jobs."

"10 Million Women have Managed to Obtain… [Computerized ID Cards Which has] Enabled These Women to Open and Operate Their Own Bank Accounts, Obtain a Passport, and So On"

"Similarly, the launching of the largest social safety net in South Asia – the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) – and declaring women as beneficiaries of the program, could be termed as a leap towards the goal of women empowerment and emancipation. The reason for this is that the program focuses on that segment of society where participation of women in socio-economic activities was, till now, more or less non-existent. At present, 3.5 million families have registered with the BISP and the plan is to double this number.

"The program is helping empower women because many who have taken financial assistance or vocation training as a result of it have been able to set up businesses of their own. Also, there is no discrimination in giving assistance to a family that is headed by a woman. Also, if I may add, around 10 million women have managed to obtain their CNICs [Computerized National Identity Cards] during the last two years, in large part because that is a prerequisite to becoming a BISP beneficiary. This, in turn, has enabled these women to open and operate their own bank accounts, obtain a passport and so on.

"One can only hope that these measures will help facilitate the achievement of the objective of socio-economic empowerment of women in Pakistani society. Inspired by the vision of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, we have made considerable achievements. However, a lot more needs to be done..."