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A country which seldom talks about the rights given to women, also proclaims that it is a secure safe-haven for them. Yes, we’re talking about Pakistan. Due to the never-ending patriarchy in the country, women have been subjugated in ways that one cannot imagine.
A detailed study carried out by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, in its Women Peace and Security Index, has stated that Pakistan is the fourth worst country for women to live in, in the entire world. The sad truth about the study is that even India is ranked better than us, even though rape and sexual violence run rampant across the border.
Among the 153 countries in the Index, Pakistan is ranked at 150 — just above Yemen, Afghanistan, and Syria, who are ranked as the worst three places for women survival.
According to the study, Iceland has been labeled as the safest and best country for women to live in, with a rating of 0.886, while Pakistan has been allotted a rating of 0.441. Apart from the ratings, it is very alarming that India has been given a better score than Pakistan, where people proclaim that their women are safe and happy.
Most of the social vices that prevail in the country are usually targeted towards women, be it the honor killing, rape, sexual harassment, Karo Kari, acid attacks or taboo practices such as Watta-Satta. The patriarchal mindset of Pakistan revolves around the man being the head of the family and the women being nothing but a household ornament, who has lesser rights and privileges.
In order for Pakistan to rejuvenate itself in the Index, these social vices and the layman mindset needs to change drastically. According to a study, 93% women in Pakistan face sexual violence at least once in their lives, while the majority of the women only receive 5 years of schooling, spending the rest of their years inside a house, first their father’s, then their husband’s. As per the study, Discriminatory norms against women is estimated at a staggering 73 percent while son bias (male to female birth ratio) stands at 1.09.
With thousands of cases of different vices reported against women every year in Pakistan, for the ratings to change, Pakistan has to first change its mindset and treatment of women.
