THE PTI government and the opposition JUI-F may be at daggers drawn but mention women’s right to public protest and, in a rare display of unity, though one reeking of deep-seated misogyny and patriarchy, they vehemently oppose it.

As Aurat March approaches, to coincide with the UN’s International Women’s Day, the federal religious affairs minister and a leading light of the JUI-F have both termed it ‘un-Islamic’. They also cite, ‘our culture, tradition’ to justify their opposition to it.

Their argument would have weight if backed by logic, knowledge or even plain common sense but their driver appears to preconceived, archaic notions about a woman’s place in society and outright misogyny. Women demand equality as a right; not as a favour.

Obscurantist mullahs, long patronised by the state both as a foreign policy tool and a facilitator of their unending political-social engineering projects, gain strength with every passing moment and dictate the agenda. And all of us, the state often included, watch in abject helplessness.

What kind of inexplicable madness drives such men? Killing someone, his own sister, because she’d been wronged by four men.

Well, many women among us are done watching and suffering in silence. And why shouldn’t they be? They are enraged and impatient, having seen and lived with the reality around them for longer than they’d like to remember. A reality no man can experience with the same intensity as a woman.

This reality has existed for centuries. And while many men support women in spirit, only a few are willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with them as they ask for their legitimate rights. On the other hand, those smug about the status quo, often citing faith, are aggressive and obnoxious and endanger protesting women’s rights activists.

Anyone questioning the legitimacy of the women’s rights movement need not embark on a deep study of history or sociology but merely look at a few recent incidents to understand why the status quo is unacceptable, as it is patently unjust.

Editorial: Noorul Haq Qadri's assertion is a dangerous one in a country already dangerous for women

These incidents are just a tiny window into one element of a woman’s existence in our society: constantly living with violence or the threat of violence. Yes, and this one factor alone cuts across all socioeconomic tiers and is not restricted to the deprived sections of society.

Verbal, physical and psychological abuse in the vast majority of cases flows in one direction. That is from man to woman. Qandeel Baloch was murdered for creating a persona on social media that challenged the honour of her brother who killed her.

His honour or ghairat was not challenged when his sister was providing for the ageing parents because he couldn’t. His ghairat did not spur him into making a living and supporting the parents; only his sister’s independence and what she chose for herself provoked him.

Look at the brother whose sister was subjected to the most heinous of crimes against a woman: gang rape. The brother thought nothing of taking a gun and killing his sister. A gang-rape victim, survivor. He was arrested soon after and regretted that that was before he’d killed the rapists.

What kind of complete, inexplicable madness drives such men? Killing someone, his own sister in this case, because she’d been wronged by four men. Tell me if change is not urgently warranted; if society does not need to wake up and tell these representatives of the ‘ghairat brigade’ there can be no bigger shame than their own actions have brought them.

Because of the indomitable courage of Mukhtara Mai, the crime against her became public knowledge and inspired a large number of women to stand up for their rights. But what did the biggest proponent of ‘enlightened moderation’ in the country, who happened to be a man, say about her? It disgusts me so much I won’t repeat it.

This past week another such incident has come to the fore. Two young women, could well have been underage girls, were kidnapped, raped and stripped before being paraded in their village. Their crime: a man from their tribe and a woman from their tormentors’ tribe, eloped and got married of their own choice.

This ‘retribution’ visited these young women because a man from their own tribe and a woman from their rival tribe had the audacity to fall in love and get married. Yes, if the religious affairs minister and the JUI-F’s leading light who has sought his party’s permission to ‘attack’ Aurat March are to be believed this is our faith, culture and tradition.

They say nothing of the dozens of recorded incidents in religious seminaries, even mosques, where minors, girls but mostly boys, who have not even reached double digits in age, have been sexually abused, molested, raped. Whose faith, culture, tradition sanctioned that criminal conduct?

Violence or fear of violence remains a major issue as it endangers a woman’s person but where women’s rights are concerned it is but the tip of the iceberg. Gender equality in the workplace remains a dream; sexual harassment by male colleagues or even co-travellers in public transport is commonplace.

We men would turn murderous if we faced a fraction of what women are subjected to during the course of their everyday life, just walking in the street or shopping or whatever else. Countless women in the family, circle of friends have talked of being groped in public.

A deeper issue is unpaid labour. From caring for the family to cooking, raising children, cleaning, doing laundry and endless domestic chores to helping men in the fields and their businesses, women’s labour is rarely quantified and remunerated. Instead, the slightest of ‘shortcomings’ in these multiple roles incurs the wrath of man.

Oh yes. I do support Aurat March. With all my heart. Have huge respect, admiration for women who take to the streets in an extremely volatile and hostile environment as they have the courage to stand up and be counted for what is right. Wish I was so fearless. As for their PTI, JUI-F detractors the less said the better.

The writer is a former editor of Dawn.

abbas.nasir@hotmail.com

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2022