Human rights for women in Pakistan, and the age old customs of Purdah, are at the center of controversy, change, and cultural crossroads.  The 21st century has brought enormous change, pressure, and backlash for some.  In this part of the world, women’s’ rights are slow in coming.  Purdah, meaning “curtain,” is the traditional basis for suppressing human rights in this long war-torn nation.

For most females, being born in Pakistan means you have already survived the very first critical stage.  A few females are killed immediately at the whim of the males or tribal leaders, at birth, for having been born female, but many have already been aborted before this.  It depends greatly upon the region, and the specific authority of that area, but over all, most females are in considered to be inferior to males, and are pressed into servitude and subordination for life.  Male heirs are much preferred for this reason.

For most women the long drawn  “curtain” of Purdah,  is much more like a steel wall which seals them indoors for most of their natural lives.  Mobility is considered shameful. Segregation is enforced, primarily by shaming, and women willingly participate in this segregation as culturally encouraged, as much by tradition, as by religious law.

Honor to the family comes only in those households where women are seldom seen or heard.  Therefore, honor killings, wherein any dispute can lead to a woman being charged with dishonoring the family, are routinely waged against women.  Sexual crimes are especially attributed to women’s loose virtue, not to rapists who are male.  In many cases four witness, and only if they are male, are allowed to help prove rape.  They must all four be Muslim men, and quite often the woman’s modesty, in the form of recognized virginity and chastity, is required to be proven.  Marital rape is not considered a crime,  and arranged marriages between older men and under age girls are common.

Yet the social fabric of the old Purdah curtain is wearing thin in those places where educated women range, and where freedoms of liberated females in the rest of the world, are known about.   The new world is emerging, and the old fabric is being torn, but not without a lot of frayed edges, exposed nerves, and damaged lives.

Women are not allowed to freely come and go as they please, as this is considered non virtuous.  Their financial contribution to the household is usually credited to the males of the family. Only about four percent of Pakistani women hold salaried jobs.

Therefore, the question of human rights for women in Pakistan is more one of when, how, and in what ways human rights can be granted and enforced?

There are of course many Muslim women in almost every nation on the globe, but most Muslim women are not so restricted in customs of behavior, clothing, enclosure, and choices as severely as are Pakistani women. 

In worst cases of abuse rape, incest, child labor, torture, and murder occur.  It is estimated that  honor killings, known as “Ir” are actually increasing.  Estimates between 1,200 to 2,000 per year are reported.  Of course, unreported crimes, not typically categorized as crime occur.  The shame aspect keeps many quiet. In addition to these murders, crimes of throwing acid, disfiguring, stabbing, or burning women are not uncommon. 

Honor killing and maiming stories are becoming more well known due to the internet.  Many photographs are available upon any search on the  world wide web, and many very brave women in Pakistan are speaking out.  Zilla Huma Usman, Mukhtar Mai,  Hina Jilani, and Asma Jehangir among many others, are  some of the martyrs and leaders in empowerment for human rights in Pakistan.  Speaking out for human rights is the right thing to do in every nation, but in places where such violations occur as a matter of course, it is incredibly courageous for these women to come forward.