Hannan R. Hussain

Getting gender empowerment right

Gender empowerment in Pakistan is a work in progress, and both the ‘work’ and ‘progress’ demand close attention.
For the latter, a sizeable share of the country’s female population is the subject of substantial empowerment commitments in select sectors, with initiatives aimed at shattering glass ceilings, overcoming under-representation, and providing buffers against societal pressures. Look to the increasingly low penetration of women into Pakistan’s tech market several years ago. Recent reporting corroborates a gradual change in pattern.
This is partly because female change makers and leaders in commanding positions are better positioned to own and advance rights-based initiatives, while can scale across communities and render change attainable. On the higher education front, the gender representation gap is both pronounced and narrow across various urban centres, and the rural half of that challenge finds comfort in more gender responsive policies targeted towards academic reform, student engagement, and learning outcomes for women and men, girls and boys in equal measure.

But the central question is: is this groundwork enough for a 220-million strong population? Here we must dig deeper on the ‘work’ in progress aspect of things, because substantial challenges merit attention for lasting change. Begin with the understanding that representation of women and transgenders is swathes of Pakistan’s rural terrain is still considered a mirage from a societal perspective. It shows in a sustained and largely unaddressed wage gap. Same is the case with some of the society’s preconceived opinions surrounding the ‘gendering’ of jobs, roles and occupations.

Make no mistake: all of these realities could do with some sincere, long-term interrogation. The fact that these discrepancies exist, and still popular leaders insist that the success of women is the success of Pakistan, gives hope to fostering inclusive conversations around undifferentiated opportunities – economic, social, and educational – for all genders. Representation alone does not drive empowerment. But a process of structural reform with gender responsive attributes is critical to the pursuit of the latter.

Evidence from the Middle East reinforces that view, and shows what is possible in the long-run. In the United Arab Emirates and its surrounding neighbourhood alone, activism is on the rise and all genders in unity are considered a golden force to drive entire development visions and cultivate multi-generational leadership capabilities forward. In short, what a sight this is.

It will be wishful thinking to presume that Pakistan’s treasured minorities and its own lifeblood – the sizeable female population – will witness a sea change in rural areas where discrimination against fundamental rights is all, but enshrined in practice. The key is to cultivate enough representation and capabilities for women and transgenders in positions of power so they can contribute considerably to the cause of rural-urban integration from a rights-based perspective. In the words of our Quaid: “No nation can rise to the height of glory, unless your women are side by side with you. We are victims of evil customs.” It is our societal responsibility to ensure that no gender is subject to adverse exposure by virtue of circumstance, law, traditional pressures, or one’s decision to exercise free will.

The second opening for fostering inclusive spaces is to define what meaningful integration of all genders truly means. Let be clear, Pakistan’s transgender community has done wonders: activism from veteran leaders has made landmark legislation possible, and despite the perils of unequal opportunity in the informal economy, their patience and perseverance escapes no one.  It is our job, as opinion-makers and attentive listeners, to do justice to their sense of perseverance. A starting point is to simply learn from the passage of landmark legislation within Pakistan, and  understand that the opportunity for acquiring widespread policy support for their rights is far more than we mistake ourselves into believing.

A case in point is the 2018 Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act. It carried a range of key rights determinants that have been long due, but firmly recognized as a valuable debate on equal treatment and self-identification came to a close. Make no mistake – 2018 was a challenging year for many of Pakistan’s underrepresented communities, and no less for transgenders. And yet, there is space to produce meaningful change – that is the central takeaway.

The second point of consideration is that the same Act gave formal defense against discrimination by both employers and private business owners. That effectively gave legal force against the systemic and increasingly normalized practice of sidestepping transgender opportunities, at a time when the nation demands the absolute opposite. The need of the hour is to build on the Act’s blueprint, and produce follow-up legislation for all genders, including those that generate awareness about how entire communities can learn and exercise their rights to freedoms. “In fighting for this [transgender] bill, we were not fighting for those transgender people who have already lived 40 or 50 years,” said veteran transgender activist Bindiya Rana in 2018. “We have been fighting for the next generation of transgender Pakistanis.” Hence, the power of change should mean promising a scalable effect – not just for one individual or community in a fixed moment – but for entire generations.

To Pakistan’s credit, conversations on empowerment are slowly opening up and are embracing a more sensitive and appreciative tone by those who wish to undergird them. A widely seen driver of tangible empowerment is economic mobility. It is here that the passage of rare legislation in the face of societal pressures, and improving female penetration into fast-growing employment industries is a point of appreciation. It confirms that large scale success remains difficult, but attainable in the long-run if Pakistan’s resources and government support remain concentrated where the needs are, and our mindset on gender inclusivity reflects it.