by admin | Oct 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
Patriarchy is a system of social organization that institutionalizes male power over women and puts male interests and values at the center of social life. Sylvia Walby explains patriarchy as “a system of interrelated social structures which allow men to exploit women.” This definition recognizes patriarchy as being institutionalized subordination and exploitation of women.
The supporters of patriarchal society justify patriarchy by attributing natural biological differences between men and women. They also focus on the influences that hormones have over biological systems. The ‘male hormone’ testosterone is responsible for masculinizing a man, whereas ‘female hormone’ estrogen feminizes a woman. In short, women are considered inferior to men intellectually and physically. According to this social system women role in society is to reproduce and serve men in the household. On the basis of recent studies and researches, it can be rightly said that there is no correlation between skull capacity and brain weight and intellectual power, yet there is still a constant struggle of gender bias in science.
Some theories also discuss patriarchy through a psychological perspective based on gender differences in psychology which are the differences in mental functions and behaviors of the sexes. Such differences are found in a variety of fields, such as mental health, cognitive abilities, personality and tendency towards aggression. Males on average are more assertive and have higher self-esteem. Females were on average higher than males in extraversion, anxiety, empathizing skills, trust, and, especially, tender-mindedness. Women also reported a more intense and more frequent experience of affect, joy, and love but also experienced more embarrassment, guilt, shame, sadness, anger, fear, and distress
Patriarchy is a multilayered, multifaceted social structure that extends across all levels such as personal, interpersonal, social, institutional, in family, in community and in government etc. The pattern of violence within personal relationships and communities grew over time because patriarchy has developed and changed over time. Virtually in practice, all societies are more or less patriarchal in nature, whereas there is no such evidence found in constitutions and laws governing such societies. The factor of patriarchy has itself integrated with the social, moral, legal, political, religious and economic organization of various cultures.
The process by which children acquire the values, motives, and behaviors viewed as appropriate for males and females within a culture is called gender typing. Children develop gender-based beliefs, largely based on gender stereotypes; which reflected in gender roles later. Children adopt a gender identity early in life and develop gender-role preferences as well.
Patriarchy has an immense impact on the lives of women in every field of life. For instance, in state/government women have less formal power and representation. In the household, they are considered a machine who produce the children and raise them. Moreover, they are more likely to being abused physically, psychologically, emotionally, socially and economically. They have fewer opportunities in professional life and also paid less. They are treated negatively in terms of sexuality. They are more misrepresented and used as a commodity in media and popular culture.
Patriarchy is a social system so, all men do not participate or experience patriarchy in the same way. Patriarchy does not necessarily mean that every man has control over every woman in every context. Various groups, most notably the feminist movement, have led efforts to change aspects of patriarchy that they believe are oppressive or inaccurate.
by admin | Oct 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
From mainstream media to entertainment, portrayal of women as ‘damsels in distress’ is a phenomenon all too common
Aroosa Shaukat
But the battle is far from over. From mainstream news media to entertainment industry, portrayal of women as the usual ‘damsel in distress’ is a phenomenon all too common, says White Ribbon CEO, Omer Aftab. “There has been so much reinforcement of stereotypes altering societal attitudes for so long that it almost always puts the blame on women, even when they are the victims,” he says. A campaigner for women’s rights, Aftab says fighting patriarchy is all the more challenging since it exists in varying forms in different strata of the society.
For rights campaigners, sensitisation of mainstream media has remained a challenge for far too long, says Aftab. Citing instances of news coverage of rape and abuse forcing victims to flee their neighbourhoods and even cities, Aftab says, at times, news coverage has amounted to nothing short of a ‘second assault’ on abuse survivors. And it doesn’t end there. With crime re-enactment shows taking much of primetime spots on news channels, the focus has been on sensationalising crime. “Somewhere in that process, the plot is lost. There is indirect condemnation of the victim instead of the perpetrator,” he says.
In 2013, a media code of ethics was developed by White Ribbon following focused group discussions with journalists across the country, which was endorsed by over 150 journalists at its launch the same year. With vows made to re-evaluate news reporting, rights campaigners felt mainstream journalists made an effort to act responsibly. Aftab notes that in the past five years there has been a noticeable change in how media reports such stories, though the same remains questionable in some quarters. Another problem is the tone set in some talk shows, especially by hosts. “What needs to be understood is the influence these individuals carry. We also need to look at the mindset of the people in media itself, and how that shapes public opinion and attitude,” he says.
Mazaaq Raat, a television talk show aired on a private news channel, which featured Mohsin Abbas, recently started issuing disclaimers following the domestic abuse allegations against the actor-singer. The disclaimer stated that the channel has distanced itself from the actor in the wake of the recent allegations since some episodes were recorded prior to the case, they have content that features Abbas. The channel has said that until the actor clears his name, he will not be part of future episodes of the show. The disclaimer was run recently before and during the airing of the show.
Aftab says some major cases of violence were brought to light after these were taken up on social media. Allegations against Abbas were also initially taken up on social media following her wife’s posts on Facebook and Twitter. “Voices that are being raised through social media are difficult to silence,” says Aftab. However, for campaigners the difficulty is in gauging how media weighs out issues of abuse and social injustice against other mainstream stories. For rights activists, convincing mainstream media to continue to focus on these issues remains difficult. “Unless there is an incident, no one is willing to take up the issue till there is a pressure from social media. Wait for another ten days and see how many in the news media continue to talk about abuse or violence against women.”
by admin | Oct 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
While fighting for the freedom of Pakistan Fatima Jinnah and Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan did not know that in the country they are struggling for women will not be free in reality. Pakistan came into existence in the name of Islam and founded by a Muhammad Ali Jinnah who had pluralistic values. He formed Pakistan so that every human being can live freely but still after passing 72 years vulnerable members of our society especially women are not enjoying the True liberty.
People need to understand that women have been created free just like men and they have the right to live without any intrusion of others which is natural and legitimate desire. Because of some cultural values and norms, women are being treated inhumanly in Pakistan.
This year Pakistan will celebrate 73rd of its independence. The question arises that, are women in Pakistan really free? Do women enjoy the same freedom in all aspects of life as compared to men in Pakistan? We realize that In 72 years we could not apply basic human competency and decency completely. We could not eradicate domestic violence, physical, psychological, sexual, economic and emotional abuse, acid attacks, molestation, harassment, child and forced marriages, forced prostitution, honor killings and modern slavery of women. Most of our women do not have access to health, education, and other resources. So the answer is crystal clear “Not”.
According to the Global Slavery Index, 16.8 persons per 1000 population estimated 3.19 million live in modern slavery and Pakistan Ranks 7th out of 10 countries that comprise 60 percent of modern slaves.
Many NGOs like White Ribbon Pakistan have been working to eradicate inequality and injustice against women and create awareness. Many laws have been made because of the efforts of human rights activists and NGOs but lack of implementation of these laws create chaos in society. Government of Pakistan seems serious to deal with the situation and have adopted a number of key international commitments to remove gender inequality and deliver women’s human rights but the feudal mentality and the system of patriarchy are not letting the nation grow positively.
People of Pakistan who believe in gender equality remain mute and sedated. Our moral and social growth is suppressed. So, we have to grow up morally, socially and politically to end the violence against women and eliminate the inequality among genders. We need to resist the dogma and declare ourselves ready for a different world in which we are against the awful things done in the name of honor. We need to work towards acceptance across genders. We need to embrace education so that we can end our collective abuse.
Independence Day is celebrated with extraordinary enthusiasm at the public and private level in Pakistan. We must deal with the issues of Pakistan with the same eagerness and must not remain silent especially when we need to respond urgently as a society. We hope that one day the whole nation regardless of gender, religion, caste and creed will celebrate Independence Day in Pakistan.
by admin | Oct 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
In the Stone Age times, most of the societies were called Hunter-Gatherers. The role of men and women were different in these societies. These roles were defined because of biological difference between genders. Most of the women had the role of gathering and men had the role of Hunter. In the society, man would make hunting tools and hunt and the women would do the rest such as gathering wild plants, seeds, nuts and other things from the wild, cook the food, take care of the children, make the clothes with animal fur and make accessories with bones. Both were working hard to survive but the roles were different.
Human go through many ages after stone age and different kind of societies developed but Historical evidence suggests that patriarchal social structures did not develop until the end of Pleistocene era around 11,700 years ago, in which nearly all of the societies were relatively egalitarian ones, i.e ‘equality for all.’
After the Pleistocene era Agriculture was started and people began to settle down. Then they had properties and resources to be protected and preserved. The system of passing property to the male children was started. For the protection of property physically stronger men brothers, sons, fathers, grandfathers, and uncles used to live near to each other. The custom was started that females move to live with their husband’s family. Men had enough support and power than women and it became the base of inequality among genders. And women almost lost the support from the group they grew up with and start living in oppression as they had no choice.
Patriarchy a system of social organization was developed. The system institutionalizes male power over women and puts male interests and values at the center of social life. In this social system, men hold primary power and predominate women in every role and every field.
Concept of patriarchy is based on masculinity, biological differences and gender roles defined by the social system. Patriarchy and male dominance are always justified by attributing natural differences between men and women. Historically, patriarchy has manifested itself in the social, legal, political, religious, and economic organization of a range of different cultures.
The Greek Philosopher Aristotle portrayed women as inferior to men morally, intellectually and physically. These works saw women as property of men and claimed that women’s role in society is to reproduce and serve men in the household. He used to observe men as being superior and perfect.
About six hundred years ago, the concept of ‘Fatherhood’ emerged as the beginning of the spread of patriarchy. And the theorists of 16th and 17th Century agreed with Aristotle’s views concerning the place of women in society.
These beliefs were questioned by some intellectual authorities, including Diderot’s encyclopedia and by works of Sarah Grimke in the 19th century. In the 19th century, many efforts were made for gender equality but a big change has come after the feminist movement started in the 1970s. Feminist Theory defines Patriarchy as an unjust social system that enforces gender roles and is oppressive to both men and women. According to Boserup, women have inferior positions because they are denied access to training and education. From the perspective of modern Jungian psychology, patriarchy can be seen as an immature form of masculinity and an attack on masculinity and femininity both.
Many activists and scholars have called for ‘Culture Repositioning’ as a method to deconstruct patriarchy, male chauvinism, and sexism. Restoring and strengthening equalit
by admin | Oct 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
White Ribbon marked the White Ribbon Day for Elimination of Violence against Women and launched a nationwide pledge campaign in connection with International Day on Violence against Women falling on November 25.
White Ribbon launched its official theme of the year #iPledge. The purpose of launching this theme is to engage the maximum number of people especially men and boys to take the pledge; Never to Commit, never to support and never to remain silent about Violence against Women.
At the launch CEO, White Ribbon Omer Aftab showed solidarity with victims of violence. Expressing concerns over current condition of Pakistani women, he stressed on the need of immediate steps for the eradication of violence against women. 1 out of 5 women in Pakistan faces domestic violence and the ratio has alarmingly increased by 20% in recent years.
Omer Aftab explained that the objective of the campaign is to raise awareness of women’s rights, strengthen support mechanism for victims of violence and advocate for pro-women legislation. Fulfilment of women rights is an ongoing struggle and all the stakeholders must join hands for this cause, he added.
White Ribbon is men’s movement to end violence against women with a unique approach of addressing the patriarchal mindset of individuals and the society. We believe it is not sufficient to create awareness about women rights among women only but it is necessary that men join along with them; to encourage norms of consent, respect and gender equality; to challenge the unfair power relations which promote gender-based violence.
by admin | Oct 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
Domestic Violence (DV) remains an enormous social problem In Pakistan. Generally, female domestic violence is considered a private family issue without any appropriate focus on assessment, intervention, and solutions in Pakistani society. Women have to bear violence and discrimination on a daily basis due to the misuse of social and cultural values in the Pakistani society.
Pakistan ranks as the sixth most dangerous country in the world for women, with cases of sexual crimes and domestic violence recording a rapid rise. Activists blame society’s patriarchal attitudes for the problem.
According to the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey
- 7% of women have experienced violence during pregnancy.
- 34% of ever-married women have experienced spousal physical, sexual, or emotional violence.
- The most common type of spousal violence is emotional violence (26%), followed by physical violence (23%).
- 26% of ever-married women have sustained injuries. Cuts and bruises are the most common types of injuries reported.
- 56% of affected women never sought any help or talked with anyone about resisting or stopping the violence.
There is legislation for domestic violence in Pakistan and it is enforced too but the conviction rate is very low. According to the recent report, in Punjab, registered cases of domestic violence are more than one-third of all criminal cases but the conviction rate is almost 2.5 person of all registered cases. Remember these registered cases are just the tip of the iceberg because most of cases go unreported.
Victim can go the police to file an FIR and even for protection. In Pakistan situation is not ideal but better from the past now police give protection and send the aggrieved person to the shelter home and take action against the offender. but it does not happen all the time because of the corrupt system and lack of resources. unfortunately, In Pakistan, most of women even don’t know about protection bill and don’t seek shelters from the government.
In case of fear of death and severe injuries an aggrieved person can apply for obtaining a protection order under section 9. If the Court is satisfied that any violence has been committed or is likely to be committed, the Court may pass a protection order in favour of the aggrieved person and direct the defendant:
In the province of Punjab, there is Women’s Toll-Free Helpline 1043 available 24/7. Managed and supervised by PCSW. In the province of Sindh, women helpline 1094 is working to do the same. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a toll-free helpline ‘Bolo’ (Speak out) 0800-22227 is working for women of confronting any distressing situation or condition. Ministry of Human Rights has a help line: 1099 to assist women about the religious and legal protection and right to inheritance.
Social Welfare Department established Dar-ul-Aman in all 36 districts of Punjab to give shelter to the women victims of violence. These homes can accommodate 20 to 50 residents at a time.
Social welfare department is running Dar-ul-Aman in other provinces too but they are less in numbers. Even in Baluchistan The Dar-ul-Aman facility is available only in Quetta.
In Sindh a non-profit organization Panah is also running a project called “Panah Shelter Home” located in Karachi.
In the province of Punjab “The Punjab Commission on the Status of Women” is running a project Transitional Housing for Women. It is envisioned as a residency program that includes support services and is designed as a bridge to self-sufficiency. The objective of setting up Transitional housing for women victims of violence across Punjab is to provide survivors of violence with safe and secure housing so that they are not forced to live in other substandard/unsafe conditions or return to their abusers.
