Recently, a media report surfaced regarding the rape of a woman hailing from the Fattupura locality, Punjab, Pakistan. She was kidnapped and subsequently gang-raped by four men. Unfortunately, this type of incident is not one of its kind; rather, it is “normal” in Pakistan. With the growing rate of rape within the state, women in Pakistan are targets of incessant misogynistic behavior at different levels. Pakistan, a nation that was born from the result of a struggle to acquire a distinct identity and justice, remains entangled in a war against an unseen threat: systemic misogyny.
Article 25 on Misogyny in Pakistan
The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees equality (Article 25) to every human being, irrespective of sex. However, the dehumanization of women in both private and public sectors is common in the country. Women are victimized in different places in society. From being killed for the sake of honor or ghairat to being placed in front of the barrel of harassment at workplaces, they are constantly disparaged and belittled. Misogyny in Pakistan is deeply rooted in history, culture, and institutional apathy.
There is no denying the fact that patriarchy harbors misogyny. Pre-colonial South Asia was not free of misogynistic behavior; gender disparities during the British Raj were further exacerbated. After the inception of Pakistan, hope shone for the downtrodden women that the country would safeguard their rights. This hope was dimmed when the country entered an era where General Zia Ul Haq held the reins.
Post-1979, the Islamization of the state further aggravated the situation the women were in already by adding the factor of religion, leading to the accentuation of their plight. The Hudood Ordinances melded adultery with rape, which resulted in mass incarcerations of women. Concepts such as ghairat—honor—became synonymous with controlling and stifling women unprecedentedly, choking their autonomy and reducing them to mere vessels of producing offspring.
Religious Commentary on Misogyny
Furthermore, the misinterpreted form of religion has been a great weapon for misogynists to vent their hatred of women using the religious card. The Quran emphasizes gender equality in Surah 4, Verse 1, declaring, “O humanity! Be mindful of your Lord, Who created you from a single soul, and from it, He created its mate, and through both, He spread countless men and women. And be mindful of Allah—in Whose Name you appeal to one another—and ˹honour˺ family ties. Surely Allah is ever watchful over you.”
However, citation of verses of the Quran in an out-of-context manner is a conventional matter for those who despise the existence of women. To exemplify this, research was carried out that criticized the judgment of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) given in 2016, according to which husbands were given a lenient hand to beat disobedient wives (Ali, 2016).
The manifestation of misogyny is evident at different levels in the societies of Pakistan. Over 1,000 honor killings take place annually, with culprits often exonerated by the family of the victim under qisas and diyat laws. Additionally, only 48% of women are literate, which is discouraging when compared to the staggering 71% of literate men in Pakistan. The low literacy rate is testimony to over-conservative tendencies in Pakistan, leading to the barring of girls from education due to fear of “Westernization.”
Moreover, women constitute 22% of the labor force in Pakistan; nonetheless, gaps in their wages compared to those of men and harassment in the workplace are common dilemmas. An anti-harassment law introduced in 2010 is yet to be enforced properly, as this seems to be unimplemented so far in a proper manner.
Culture plays a role in exacerbating the status of women in Pakistani society. Practices such as vani (giving girls as compensation for crimes) and swara (forced marriages to settle disputes) are stigmas persisting in Pakistani regions. These practices are significant in tribal areas where women are considered objects to the patriarchal system.
Legal Protections
Pakistan has made legislative leaps in order to leash misogynistic behavior in society. In 2016, the Anti-Honor Killing Act was introduced to handle and curb this malevolent practice. Another measure that the government has taken is putting forward the Anti-Rape Ordinance of 2021 to deter criminals from this heinous crime. Aurat Foundation in 2022 claimed that these laws have been introduced to curb violence against women, yet they contain stipulations that provide a window for culprits to escape from the clutches of the law. For instance, the Anti-Honor Killing Act allows the culprit to be absolved of the punishment if the family of the victim forgives. This often leads to the evasion of the killers from punishment.
How Does the Media Control the Narrative?
Media plays a significant role in controlling different rhetoric and amplifying different ideologies. After the 2020 incident of rape on the Motorway, different media outlets started making speculations about the morality of the victim rather than censuring the culprits. On the other hand, the media has provided a ground for female activists and philanthropists who actively utilize different platforms to echo their voices.
The way forward to solving this problem lies in providing education to every individual in society. Certain curricular reforms must be incorporated, focusing on gender equality, instilling critical thinking, and promoting human-friendly behavior. Activists have been trying to underscore the importance of education in changing the perspective. For example, Malala Yousafzai advocates for the transformative power of education and foregrounds the need to foster a quality education in the country.
Furthermore, closing voids in laws governing gender-sensitive rules should be made mandatory. The engagement of men and women together to handle this defiling position of gender inequality is a significant prerogative in fighting this situation. Moreover, supporting NGOs that foreground women’s rights and fight for their entitlements should be mandatory.
Misogyny is thought of as a cultural heritage in Pakistan; however, it is rather a structural crisis demanding urgent action. While legislative reforms and different movements fighting against gender inequality are a ray of hope, an impactful change requires the deconstruction and dismantling of patriarchal behavior present in society. Kishwar Naheed wrote, “We sinful women are not afraid of the weight of censure.” This lamenting sentence underscores Pakistani women’s desire to live in a society where women will live free of fear.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
The author is an M. Phil scholar at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad. He has been writing his thesis for his M. Phil English Linguistics degree. With a keen interest in research writing, he addresses national and international contemporary issues, writing for different news outlets. He has published 10 articles in different HEC-recognized Y-category journals.