ISLAMABAD—The women of Pakistan are very diverse, from the clothes they wear, to the kind of home they live in—mud, marble, or brick—to their level of education. Many are in the midst of navigating their way through a transition in roles; from exclusively wife and mother to persons able to work and contribute more broadly to society.
Currently 45–50 percent of females in Pakistan are literate, compared to 70 percent of males. While more opportunities exist now for girls in Pakistan than a generation ago, it is still very hard for the average woman to make her life alone without a husband.
The following are snapshots from the lives of three Pakistani women who live in and around cities in Punjab Province. Their stories show the strengths and fears of Pakistani women, and the pressures they face.
Currently 45–50 percent of females in Pakistan are literate, compared to 70 percent of males. While more opportunities exist now for girls in Pakistan than a generation ago, it is still very hard for the average woman to make her life alone without a husband.
The following are snapshots from the lives of three Pakistani women who live in and around cities in Punjab Province. Their stories show the strengths and fears of Pakistani women, and the pressures they face.
Razia Beebee, 72
Razia, now widowed and living in a town in Punjab, was born and raised in a Punjab village where she was first married at age 11. After her first husband divorced her at age 19 to marry another woman, Razia was forced to marry again at the age of 21 because as a young, attractive girl, she was harassed and taunted by men in her community.
She wanted to become a doctor but that dream never came true because she did not have enough emotional or financial support from her family. Instead, she trained and became the most well-known and highly paid midwife in her area.
She gave birth to three daughters and supported her second husband when he became too ill to work. She took in seven orphans and saw three of them grow to become accomplished adults, the other four died in childhood.
Razia never charged poor people for her midwifery services, and paid the tuition for children and young adults in her family and community to attend school.
She has worked since age 25. For a Pakistani, especially with her level of education, she has made a substantial living. In addition to midwifery, she has bought and sold properties, using some of her hard-earned income to build houses for many of her family members.
She said her favorite thing about her life is the fact that she can help the poor, and especially women, with their health needs. She has also loved being able to send all the children she could to school, so that they could make something of their lives and become self-reliant.
She said it is hard for women in Pakistani society to be without husbands or male figures in their households.
In her work, she felt that men did not take her seriously, and so she developed a hard exterior, although she said she really has a very soft heart. She said that she had learned to act like a man in order to survive after her husband got sick and even more so after his death 15 years ago. “I always had to be on my guard so men would not try to take financial advantage of me because they saw me as a passive lady ready to be fooled into some deal.”
She said she would like to see her granddaughters “treated as equals with boys, especially in the area of education and careers. I would like to see women be independent financially.” She said she has seen many women become victims of circumstance because they feel powerless and don’t have the ability to support themselves.
She wanted to become a doctor but that dream never came true because she did not have enough emotional or financial support from her family. Instead, she trained and became the most well-known and highly paid midwife in her area.
She gave birth to three daughters and supported her second husband when he became too ill to work. She took in seven orphans and saw three of them grow to become accomplished adults, the other four died in childhood.
Razia never charged poor people for her midwifery services, and paid the tuition for children and young adults in her family and community to attend school.
She has worked since age 25. For a Pakistani, especially with her level of education, she has made a substantial living. In addition to midwifery, she has bought and sold properties, using some of her hard-earned income to build houses for many of her family members.
She said her favorite thing about her life is the fact that she can help the poor, and especially women, with their health needs. She has also loved being able to send all the children she could to school, so that they could make something of their lives and become self-reliant.
She said it is hard for women in Pakistani society to be without husbands or male figures in their households.
In her work, she felt that men did not take her seriously, and so she developed a hard exterior, although she said she really has a very soft heart. She said that she had learned to act like a man in order to survive after her husband got sick and even more so after his death 15 years ago. “I always had to be on my guard so men would not try to take financial advantage of me because they saw me as a passive lady ready to be fooled into some deal.”
She said she would like to see her granddaughters “treated as equals with boys, especially in the area of education and careers. I would like to see women be independent financially.” She said she has seen many women become victims of circumstance because they feel powerless and don’t have the ability to support themselves.
Bukthmeena Beebee, 33
Bukthmeena grew up in a village in northern Pakistan where she was married at the age of 16. She and her husband moved to a town north of Islamabad where they had three daughters and three sons. Two of Bukthmeena’s daughters are married, while her youngest daughter and all her sons live at home. Her husband is a manual worker and did many years of heavy labor, digging, planting, and in construction, until he had a heart attack and had to do less physically demanding jobs. Her eldest son who is 16, is employed by people who live near her. She herself does light cooking and cleaning for a women who lives near her. The woman often helps Bukthmeena’s family when their finances are tight.
Her family keeps chickens for eggs and goats for milk, and also sells the young goats to make some extra cash. Their house, which has taken four years to build at this point, has two rooms. Her unmarried daughter helps with household chores and the boys help with the animal chores.
She says the best thing about her life has been her husband; his support, and the caring that he shows when she is ill. She said he works hard for the family.
She says the hardest thing for her about being a woman [and being poor], is not being able to help her children when they are sick. Is it because she cannot earn money to pay the doctor? There have been many times when one of them was sick and the family could not afford the doctor’s fee or medicine. “All I could do was worry and pray that they would get better.” Her family has also had desperate times when they would have to sell some of their bedding, sheets, quilts, blankets, and mattresses, to pay for medical care.
When asked about her hopes for her daughters she says, she always wanted her daughters get a good education, but the oldest two had no interest, and the family does not have the means to send the youngest. Now Bukthmeena places her hopes in her granddaughter who is 6. “She is very smart and my wish is for her to study and become a workingwoman so she can have a better life and help her family.”
Her youngest daughter said she would like to study to become a doctor but does not have time because she is needed to help out at home with cooking and cleaning.
Read More...Pakistani Women
Her family keeps chickens for eggs and goats for milk, and also sells the young goats to make some extra cash. Their house, which has taken four years to build at this point, has two rooms. Her unmarried daughter helps with household chores and the boys help with the animal chores.
She says the best thing about her life has been her husband; his support, and the caring that he shows when she is ill. She said he works hard for the family.
She says the hardest thing for her about being a woman [and being poor], is not being able to help her children when they are sick. Is it because she cannot earn money to pay the doctor? There have been many times when one of them was sick and the family could not afford the doctor’s fee or medicine. “All I could do was worry and pray that they would get better.” Her family has also had desperate times when they would have to sell some of their bedding, sheets, quilts, blankets, and mattresses, to pay for medical care.
When asked about her hopes for her daughters she says, she always wanted her daughters get a good education, but the oldest two had no interest, and the family does not have the means to send the youngest. Now Bukthmeena places her hopes in her granddaughter who is 6. “She is very smart and my wish is for her to study and become a workingwoman so she can have a better life and help her family.”
Her youngest daughter said she would like to study to become a doctor but does not have time because she is needed to help out at home with cooking and cleaning.
Read More...Pakistani Women
Tallat Zahoor, 28
Tallat is single and works for a cell phone company as an accountant and department manager. Her family is ethnic Pashtun, a tribal group that live in Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. Pashtun are often seen as oppressive to their females, who are seen as dependent and passive.
Tallat’s family challenges that stereotype. She is the eldest of five children and her parents are very supportive of all her siblings, allowing them to pursue their choice of careers. Her sisters are all professionals; one is a doctor, one an engineer, and one an economist. Her mother is not educated but can read, and has always put a lot of value on education.
Tallat says she has relatively a lot of freedom for a woman, “I live with my family but have the choice to move to another city for a job.”
She thinks the hardest aspect of her own life is the pressure she has faced to get married young and become a good housewife. “It is very hard for a woman to pursue a career and establish herself and her independence, because all of the families want to find a young woman for their sons and want someone who can still be influenced and molded,” she said. Also, she says in her profession, the workload can be very demanding with work coming in at quitting time, and then she has to do it, no questions asked.
She says she has a certain authority in her workplace but that the majority of her colleagues are males, and that over the course of her career she has learned to ignore the jokes and sexual innuendos in her male colleagues’ banter, and keep focused on her work. She says she sees more and more women entering the workforce because “our Pakistani economy requires that everyone do what they can to earn an income for the family, though most women tend toward human resource work and lower management positions.”
“I don’t know what is the most urgent to change for women because I know there are a lot of organization both local and foreign who are working for women’s rights. From my own perspective I feel the environment is really ripe for anyone to create opportunities for themselves. I feel things are changing for the better for women and things are progressing well,” Tallat said, adding that now there are also rural women in Pakistan’s national Assembly. In 1956 there were 10 seats for women in Pakistan’s 300 seat Assembly, now there is a quota system whereby women are nominated by their parties, instead of being directly elected. Currently women hold 70 out of the 342 Assembly seats.
Tallat said Pakistani society as a whole, needs more development, “I think there is a need for better infrastructure, education, health care, etcetera, not just for women but for all Pakistanis,” she said.
She added that this development cannot be solely external, and that both women and men must “develop and improve their own characters and then no one can call them weak.”
“You can create opportunities for yourself,” Tallat added.
Tallat’s family challenges that stereotype. She is the eldest of five children and her parents are very supportive of all her siblings, allowing them to pursue their choice of careers. Her sisters are all professionals; one is a doctor, one an engineer, and one an economist. Her mother is not educated but can read, and has always put a lot of value on education.
Tallat says she has relatively a lot of freedom for a woman, “I live with my family but have the choice to move to another city for a job.”
She thinks the hardest aspect of her own life is the pressure she has faced to get married young and become a good housewife. “It is very hard for a woman to pursue a career and establish herself and her independence, because all of the families want to find a young woman for their sons and want someone who can still be influenced and molded,” she said. Also, she says in her profession, the workload can be very demanding with work coming in at quitting time, and then she has to do it, no questions asked.
She says she has a certain authority in her workplace but that the majority of her colleagues are males, and that over the course of her career she has learned to ignore the jokes and sexual innuendos in her male colleagues’ banter, and keep focused on her work. She says she sees more and more women entering the workforce because “our Pakistani economy requires that everyone do what they can to earn an income for the family, though most women tend toward human resource work and lower management positions.”
“I don’t know what is the most urgent to change for women because I know there are a lot of organization both local and foreign who are working for women’s rights. From my own perspective I feel the environment is really ripe for anyone to create opportunities for themselves. I feel things are changing for the better for women and things are progressing well,” Tallat said, adding that now there are also rural women in Pakistan’s national Assembly. In 1956 there were 10 seats for women in Pakistan’s 300 seat Assembly, now there is a quota system whereby women are nominated by their parties, instead of being directly elected. Currently women hold 70 out of the 342 Assembly seats.
Tallat said Pakistani society as a whole, needs more development, “I think there is a need for better infrastructure, education, health care, etcetera, not just for women but for all Pakistanis,” she said.
She added that this development cannot be solely external, and that both women and men must “develop and improve their own characters and then no one can call them weak.”
“You can create opportunities for yourself,” Tallat added.
Naureen Hafeez, 42
Naureen was married at age 28 in Islamabad and has two children, a boy and a girl. She grew up in the city of Karachi where she studied political science and got her master’s degree from Karachi University.
She has worked as an elementary school teacher and principal, and college professor. She said that when she works, she gives it her all and doesn’t let minor illnesses, like her pollen allergy, keep her down; she attributes her successful career to this attitude, “I believe it is for this reason I have advanced and received promotions,” she said.
Together with her husband, who is also a teacher, she started an organization called SOUL, School of Universal Leadership for which she did all the administrative work and her husband did the public speaking and facilitating during conferences. They are currently in the process of opening a university. On their own, just the two of them? (YES, they would be the founders of it but others would work for them.) The work they love to do is to promote leadership in Pakistani youth.
Naureen said that the best things in her life are her work and her family. She said she enjoys helping others and knowing she is making a difference toward the better, and that she also takes a great deal of satisfaction in caring for her home and family. She says she can’t see anything better then helping her children build their characters.
When asked what difficulties she faces as woman she said, “I think that I am fortunate because I had many opportunities available to me when I was growing up, and my parents were pretty liberal. But not every girl has my situation, and there are inequalities between girls and boys in Pakistan. I think for most women it is hard to have an identity outside the home, there are not enough opportunities for girls to gain a sense of themselves and nurture their talents.”
She has worked as an elementary school teacher and principal, and college professor. She said that when she works, she gives it her all and doesn’t let minor illnesses, like her pollen allergy, keep her down; she attributes her successful career to this attitude, “I believe it is for this reason I have advanced and received promotions,” she said.
Together with her husband, who is also a teacher, she started an organization called SOUL, School of Universal Leadership for which she did all the administrative work and her husband did the public speaking and facilitating during conferences. They are currently in the process of opening a university. On their own, just the two of them? (YES, they would be the founders of it but others would work for them.) The work they love to do is to promote leadership in Pakistani youth.
Naureen said that the best things in her life are her work and her family. She said she enjoys helping others and knowing she is making a difference toward the better, and that she also takes a great deal of satisfaction in caring for her home and family. She says she can’t see anything better then helping her children build their characters.
When asked what difficulties she faces as woman she said, “I think that I am fortunate because I had many opportunities available to me when I was growing up, and my parents were pretty liberal. But not every girl has my situation, and there are inequalities between girls and boys in Pakistan. I think for most women it is hard to have an identity outside the home, there are not enough opportunities for girls to gain a sense of themselves and nurture their talents.”
