Kashmir quake leads to more freedom for women
After the tragedy on 8 October, many women started to work for the first time in their lives, breaking with male-dominated tradition. Even the government is for giving them "more freedom".
Muzafarrabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) The earthquake which struck indo-pakistani Kashmir on 8 October flattened Shazia Noreen's daughter and killed her daughter. After her life was destroyed, Noreen defied convention in male-dominated and Islamic Pakistan and went out to search for work. Scraping her meagre savings together, she opened a small shop near the tent where she now lives with her family. "It is our family tradition to keep women in the house, but I'm going to change that," she said.
Noreen is only one of countless Pakistani women whose lives were totally changed by the quake that killed more than 73,000 people and left 3 million homeless. What with many men out of work Noreen's husband lost his motorcycle taxi in the disaster and with families in need, women have taken the situation in hand. Their male relatives, albeit reluctantly, have accepted this turn of events. Noreen said "with no money coming in", her husband agreed to let her open the shop.
"Previously most women couldn't even buy an aspirin on their own," said women's rights activist Taqdees Gillani. "They had to consult their brother, father or husband first, but now the situation has changed." Raja Nawaz, project co-ordinator with the International Human Rights Observer, said: "It's a sudden and vast change. Before the quake, it was difficult to get women to work in the private sector or with NGOs."
The Pakistani government although often criticized for its weakness when it comes to protecting women from injustices now encourages a moderate form of Islam and talks about women's rights. Noreen Arif, minister of social welfare in Pakistani Kashmir, said she was "enthusiastic" about women working, saying financial independence "would give them more freedom". She added: "If a woman is financially strong, she can decide how to live her life. If she has no money, she has to listen to the dictates of her husband."
In many parts of the country, working women are seen as violators of religious and traditional beliefs. A Muslim scholar in Muzaffarabad said a woman could work if her husband, brother or father has no objections and as long as she covers her face and body.
The enthusiasm of many women like Noreen has met criticism from unexpected quarters, like her 12-year-old son who said: "I don't like it that my mother meets strangers."
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09/11/2005
