The struggles of women in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest
province by area, were well evident in the posters of this year’s #AuratAzadiMarch
(Women’s freedom march) on International Women’s Day across Pakistan. Despite
backlash, their participation in the marches in different parts of country was a milestone. But, much before this year’s march, a number of
incidents since March 2020 showed women’s important role in social and
political grounds of Balolchistan, although they were also victims of violence.
March 2020 brought unprecedented changes after COVID19
lockdown hit the world. Like other provinces, educational institutions were all
closed down. This meant, young women and girls who were either in schools or
working had to stay home. Many of these women who were in cities like Quetta,
Karachi and Islamabad for higher studies had to return home in different parts
of Balochistan. Closure of institutions also meant that they now had to share
larger burden of caregiving work at homes with other women family members, as
it is widely believed to be the responsibility of women and girls.
In June 2020, the HEC (High Education Commission) in
Pakistan decided to have the universities start online classes amid COVID19
crisis. Since most of Balochistan has no internet accessibility, a large number
of Baloch students including young women protested against the decision. Many
of these protesters including female students were detained by the police but
later released.
“The reason why female students were active in large numbers
in June 2020 protests is because of inaccessibility of internet in most of
Balochistan. Male students could still travel back to Quetta and other cities
but we had to stay home in our villages. Hostels were all closed, male student
could rent separate rooms outside hostels to continue online classes but for us
closure of hostels meant we could not return,” says Zakia, a student in Balochistan
University and previous president of Baloch Student Action Committee Quetta
Zone. “It was when we had to take a stand for ourselves and
many other young women whom the government decision did not even once think
about.”
But these protesting young women, including Zakia were few
of the only 18 percent of the overall educated women of the province. This
means only two out of every ten women in the province are educated, which is
lowest in the country. And this does not necessarily say that all these 18
percent women have accessed higher education or are part of the labour force and
are economically empowered.
On the other hand, among young girls of primary-school age, only 35 percent
are enrolled in Balochistan as compared to 96 percent in Pakistan’s capital
Islamabad. Severe disparities exist in access to education even within the
province, as majority of this 35 percent of young Baloch girls come from
province’s cities, and towns but very few of the rural Balochistan’s girls have
access to education. To this Zaitoon Kareem, lecturer at a College in
Balochistan explained, “People may or may not be aware of the
importance of girls’ education, but issue is, they have to decide between
education or food on the table, most chose the latter. In contrast, early
marriages especially of girls is still prevalent across Balochistan. Now, it is
also state responsibility to prioritize education. But that too comes after
state has delivered other basic necessities like food and shelter.”
Beyond doubt, educational and economic empowerment gives women more bargaining power. That says, it increases possibilities for them to make decisions for themselves and their families. But when they are not
educated enough, economically empowered or have no access to state support systems,
they simply lose authority over their own lives.
Recent examples set by few of the educated young women in
Balochistan are making new waves of resistance and collective voice to gain
solidarity with other women of the province. It was also evident in the
aftermath of the murder
case of Malik Naaz. In May 2020, Malik Naz, mother of 4-year-old Bramsh was
shot in her own home in Dannuk, Turbat by robbers in the middle of the night.
This incident gave rise protests across Balochistan with a
very strong online campaign, #JusticeforBramsh for the next two months.
These campaigns and protests, many of which were attended by large numbers of young Baloch women, questioned absence of law enforcement, unauthorized support
for armed gangs in the region and authorities that have been abusing their
powers.
But unfortunately, in September 2020, Shaheena
Shaheen, an aspiring young Baloch woman, an artist and journalist was
murdered by her husband in Turbat. While the cause is so far unclear, the
case is unquestionably an extreme form of gender-based violence. Her murder
once again gave way to another series of protests across the province. While
justice is yet to be served, Shaheena is today remembered as a young
independent woman but at the same time, a victim of violence.
There is very little to no data on gender-based violence in
Balochistan and hence very little efforts made to counter the issue, while many
even deny the existence of the very issue in Baloch society. That does not mean
that it does not exist, but the cases are hardly reported.
Not necessarily linked with the case of Shaheena Shaheen, but in October 2020, the
department for Women’s Development in Balochistan announced the approval of the
“Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Policy”.
Member of Balochistan Assembly and Parliamentary Secretary
for Women Development, Mahjabeen Sheran says, “This policy was
aimed toward helping women report gender-based violence and harassment cases,
providing women with helpline services, access to legal support and promoting
socio-economic development of women. We have already started several of the
interventions through the policy which were never thought of before, for
instance, initiation of day-care centers for working women. Though, there is
still a lot under way.”
Where there is little work done for the policy
implementation, there is a long list of issues that still need policy change,
for instance; early marriages of young girls in the province. Nearly six out of every ten girls are
married before the age of 20 and the law in Balochistan so far does not
criminalize marriages of girls under 18 years of age. This further risks lives
of young girls, as the maternal mortality with 785 deaths per 100,000 in
Balochistan is the highest in region as compared to 272 per 100,000 for
Pakistan as a whole.
With all these existing issues, the end of 2020 gave rise to another wave of protests. This time, it was not only in Balochistan but in different parts of the country and the world. After a prominent Baloch women leader Kareema Baloch was found dead abroad. Active since early 2000s, she was one of the very first Baloch woman political activists. Women attended and led the protests after her death like never before. But, the protests and sit-ins in front of the parliament houses in Quetta and Islamabad even in the last two months of 2021 have continued with many women waiting for their loved ones.
“Women in Balochistan are under a two
dimensional oppression, at one end it is the law and order and on the other
hand, it is the patriarchy. There is very little for these most marginalized
and oppressed women, their most basic needs are ignored at state and at societal levels.” suggests Jalila Haidar,
a lawyer and Human Rights Activist from Balochistan.
While this cannot be a complete list of the events since
March 2020, but this does point toward a picture of violence and inequalities;
from the normalized patriarchal social setting, women have lived in for centuries and the
discriminatory policies and absence of a just legal system.
These deep rooted social and political injustices, discrimination and vulnerabilities at one end have oppressed the women, but at the same time, now as more women are educated (as compared to past), self-aware about their rights and injustices around them, they are speaking, writing and rising like never before. But, there is still a very long way to go.
Here, the first step in order to solve these problems, is indeed the acknowledgement of their very existence rather than a denial. A social and political will for inclusive and equal laws, policies and
initiatives are today needed like never before to make lives easier for the
women of Balochistan and beyond.
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