Women In Pakistan

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The Pakistani Context Pakistan is a male dominated society where women are considered as no more than secondary citizens (Ferdoos 2005). It is, therefore, evident that women spend the greatest part of their time inside the house and due to purdah (veil) do not have much exposure to male strangers. A confrontation with the ‘male world’ is therefore a traumatic experience they find difficult to face (Syed et al 2005; Shaheed 1990:26). Most women have never been alone in a bank, a government office, or even to a bookshop or hospital (Ferdoos 2005). The inability to interact with male strangers is closely intertwined with the purdah-system, which again is based on the absence of concepts for mixed social interaction, and the perception …show more content…

Women’s labour power is considered inferior because of employers’ predetermined notion of women’s primary role as homemakers (Syed et al. 2005). As a result of discrimination against female labour, women are concentrated in the secondary sector of the labour market where jobs are low paid and there are limited opportunities for upward mobility. For example, the majority of urban female workers are employed in the service sector, followed by the manufacturing sector (Global Gender Report 2011). Similarly, in the public sector, the majority of women are working at basic pay scale grade 9 or below, while not a single women is working in grade 22, which is the highest basic pay scale in Pakistan (Global Gender Report …show more content…

According to the country’s constitution, Islam is the state’s religion. The Objective Resolution, which has been described as ‘the ground norm of Pakistan’, was an introduction to the successive Constitutions of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, of 1956, 1962 and 1973 (Patel 1991). The Martial Law Regime, of President General Zia-ul-Haq, in 1985 made the Objective Resolution a substantive part of the Constitution. It declares that sovereignty over the entire universe belongs to Allah Almighty alone and is to be exercised by the people within the limits prescribed by God (Patel 1991). The Federal Shariat Court, on its own motion or through petition by a citizen or a government (Federal or provincial), may examine and determine as to whether or not a certain provision of law is repugnant to the Injunctions of Islam. Although not formally articulated in the constitution or labour laws until 2010, SH is prohibited according to Islamic shariah, however, there is no explicit provision to implement the law (Ali

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