Can a women be modern without being called rebellious in Pakistan? I begin this article by this question that mostly echoes everywhere across the country like in public debates and classrooms. In a society where culture, religion and tradition are intertwined navigating gender roles has become one of the most challenging conversation of our time. In Pakistan religion and culture are not only belief system they are actually social forces that elaborate about norms, values, identity and behavior. Religion is a part of culture in its wider sense. It might even be said that it is an integral part of culture. Walter Burkert comments that there has never been a society without religion. Pakistan has been created on the Islamic identity and hence it occupies most important and central position in state. Not only political system of Pakistan but also social structures like education, family and so on are build on the basis of Islamic values.
As an Islamic Republic where one would expect gender roles to reflect on the light of equality and dignity taught by Islam. In reality many gender norms are constructed by culture and tradition than by true and spiritual teachings of Islam. Islam at its core gives all rights to women such as right to education, right to property, right to decision making independently and many more such rights. If we took the historical example of women rights the name of Hazrat Khadija RA and Hazrat Ayesha RA are highlighting and the lesson learned from that Islam supports women strongly and promote their rights in any part of life. However, in many regions of Pakistan, practices like early marriages, lack of freedom, lack of access to education are wrongly justified in the name of our religion Islam. This misinterpretation of Islamic teachings leads to rigid social system where patriarchy hides behind in the name of religion. Before going to discuss the other dynamics it is important to separate what our religion actually says from what our culture has forced upon us.
While religion holds a central place in Pakistan's identity, traditional cultural values somehow plays important and dominant role in shaping gender expectation. These traditions passed down from generation to generation often explain strict roles. Men considered as breadwinners while women as homemakers. From dress codes and language to family structures and marriage customs, these cultural norms are deeply rooted in patriarchal system. Many practices such as not allowing for education to girls and early marriage are blended with religion but actually they originate from regional norms and tribal customs. The division of urban and rural create more complex problems. There is no equal distribution of resources as well as opportunities. In urban region women can have access of many opportunities like education, freedom and decision authorities. On contrary, rural region does not allow all these things to women and hence there she would not speak about their rights and mostly they considered women as a symbol of family dignity.
Let the example of Malala Yousafzai from KP where traditional tribal customs often restricted girls' education. Malala's primary objective is education, which her religion, naturally assigns her as a duty, and for this reason, the Taliban attempted to have her killed. In 2008, Malala started advocating for children education on all of the local and national television networks, radio stations, and newspapers. She then started to extend her advocacy and decided to start writing for the BBC. In her diary, she discussed her daily worries, how difficult life was under Taliban control, particularly for females who were not permitted to study. She writes and says, “Education is our right. Islam has given us this right and says that every girl and boy should go to school. The Quran says we should seek knowledge, study hard and learn the mysteries of our world. October 9, 2012, a stranger boarded the bus and demanded to know about Malala as soon as her companions turned their attention to her. Suddenly he fired bullet towards her which struck in the left side of her skull. Her story gained global attention and it was not just about education but it was about challenging traditional belief that women should remain silent, stay at home and accept limited roles in society.
In recent years, Pakistan has slowly begun to witness a shift in how gender roles are understood especially in urban areas. Modernity is powered by education, digital media, globalization and changing social expectations. These factors are challenging old traditional norms. However religion and tradition plays vital role in shaping society but new ideas are gradually bring more equal gender dynamics. One of the biggest driver of this change is education. Now, more girls are going to school, college and university as ever before. As women are getting educated they perform equal role in jobs as well as in decision making. They are not just limited over few fields but they are taking part in politics, business and armed force. The other and most important driver is social media. Women Can raise the voice on digital platforms that cannot easily be silenced. Now a day's women raising awareness by different slogan like women empowerment on social media and growing online community that challenged outdated gender roles. Political participation has also expanded. Benazir Bhutto remains the most iconic example. She was the first lady Prime Minister of Pakistan. Her leadership broke symbolic barriers despite of facing constant resistance.
Remember this shift is not just found among women but young men are also beginning to question about masculinity that how a man should behave. They are assuming that strength is not just physical power but also about respect, kindness and shared responsibility. The challenge for Pakistan is not to reject tradition in favor of modernity but to harmonize both religion and tradition. The state should strengthen implementation of existing laws, expand women's access to education and healthcare and challenge structural barriers that promote inequality. The main task is to navigate the balance and preserving cultural identity while promoting gender equality. In this journey women are not the symbol of honor but are architects of country's future.
