Billion Essays

Tag: Feminism

  • Putting the blame where it’s due.

    A few days back, when the picture of a Pakistani girl riding a bike along her mother trended on social media, I went through different types of comments regarding her. A few appreciated her for breaking a norm, and many criticized her. I became a part of an online discussion where both men and women were discussing her outfit. Many said she should have worn ”more clothes”, and few emphasized on our culture which criticized the ”unethical” act.

    During the discussion, one of the debaters replying to my point of view that it is a woman’s choice to wear what she wants, said:

    “Covering is ONE part … and that too better for women … why will men mind it?
    We enjoy if you wear short clothes *wink emoticon*”
    These words seem to explain everything. The ”enjoyment” of the masculine gender, has forced women to consider themselves inferior. Women avoid breaking the norms because of the backlash they will face after they attempt an act, which is termed “unethical”.

    Walking on a street, there is no women who has not been teased or harassed. Is it always because of their “revealing” outfits? On August 14 a video thrilled Pakistan, when a young man harassed a woman in burqa on a busy road of Karachi. That woman did not wear anything “revealing” or against the culture. Then why was she harassed or “pranked” as explained by the harassers. After that incident, I thought that people would understand that such incidents happen because of the sexual frustration of a person; but seeing people discuss how women should wear ”more clothes” and avoid sexual assaults was heart breaking. People still could not understand that it is not women who “invite” rape by wearing “short clothes” but it is the lust of the rapist.

    Right now, I can see that people lack a lot of awareness. They are still thinking about how they can blame the victim, not the perpetrator. I have also found a reason why sexual assaults are not reported. Firstly, our society doesn’t allow them to take up the case to the courts, and secondly the ”court work” exploits the victims.

    The punishment of rape according to The Constitution of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is:

    1: Whoever commits rape shall be punished with death or imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than ten years or more, than twenty-five years and shall also be liable to fine.

    2: When rape is committed by two or more persons in furtherance of common intention of all, each of such persons shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life.

    With the presence of law, victims still do not find justice in the “democratic” state of Pakistan. The reason is the society and the power loving system. A country is successful only when there is justice. However, justice is given to those who either have social or economic power. Rather than blaming the West for infiltrating such ideas in our society, we must assess our own society which lacks justice for all.

    – See more at: http://blogs.thefridaytimes.com/putting-the-blame-where-its-due/#sthash.gpMZVudE.dpuf

  • How far are family roles equal in the modern industrial societies?

    In the modern industrial societies, equal family roles are arguable.It can be said that family roles are equal to some extent but it cannot be denied that some people still live very traditionally. The dominance of women in the professional fields may not prove that women have equal family roles. Even though women are working, they are expected to do all the household, perfectly. The stereotypical view of a family, is still there in the society. People claim to live lives symmetrically but still there is a huge number of families who are cereal packet families. In such a scenario, family roles turn out to be similar to the ones earlier.
    Yet, their examples of families which either live symmetrical lives or women hold dominance in the family. There is a growing number of house-husbands in the western societies, in which women work and men do the household chores. There are families in which both the man and the woman work, do the household together and take decision together.
    Hence, in a society there are a few places with equal professional and family roles, and a few places who are still struggling to have equal roles.

  • Explain why women find it difficult to find equal rights in the family.

    The major reason for such inequality is the stereotypical image of a female. This stereotype pictures a woman as financially dependent, with no right to take family decisions and only live as a house-wive. Despite the increasing dominance of feminist ideas in the society, the stereotypical image stays there inconspicuously. Even though women have stepped into the working world dominantly,they still have the same roles or position in the family. Women do work, but they are supposed to fulfill the similar gender oriented family role as earlier. With dominance in finances women haven’t gained a dominant position in the family, to some extent. Women have dominance in the profession but still aren’t given the equal right to take family decisions. However, it would be wrong to say that women completely have no equal rights till date, Currently, women are certainly struggling for equal family roles, but they are places in the society where women are the ones leading their families and taking family decisions. There are places where women are the supreme gender of the family.