Unintentional gender discrimination

Unintentional gender discrimination

unintentional gender discrimination towards female in Gilgit-Baltistan; sometime the discrimination occurred but people don’t know that they discriminate female. Gilgit-Baltistan is situated extreme north of Pakistan and is mountainous area. The people of the area are hard workers and live a simple life.

Education sector:

 They unintentionally discriminate female mostly in education sector. They preferred theirs sons instead of daughters eg; they send their sons in well-known institutes in their respective areas but, their daughter got their education from government schools.  In the village, generally the parents deal with their male and female child separately regarding their education. The sons are preferred over the daughters because they are supposed to be the helping hand for the parents. Parents tend to think that whatever they spent on sons is an investment where as spending over daughters is a waste, because they are considered as liabilities, as there is a concept of not being dependent on daughter. Being a patriarchal community, the decision making power is held by the male members of the family.

In majority of the houses the males are the heads of the households. Fathers, brothers, uncles or the husbands have authority to make decisions regarding their females’ education, where to study and how much to study. Normally the male decision makers stop the females of their families from education earlier because they are more conscious about the “purdah” and the concept of “izzat”, which is linked with the females. If a female have to make the decision regarding education of the girls, she may not stop them as early as the males do.

Honour killing:

The another main example of gender discrimination in GB is honour killing. Some girls got court married against the wishes of their parents/family members but, unfortunately most of them are killed in the name of honour.  The culprits of such incidents are not given exemplary punishment which encouraged people for further attempts.

There is forced marriage custom in GB. Females across Gilgit-Baltistan got married according to the wishes of their parents. Nobody can’t ask about her wishes that what she want.  They thought that they are their parents and they made decision for well being of their children.

Inheritance:

The women in GB are being deprived of their inheritance. Parents preferred their sons in the property of their forefathers hoping that the son would support him in their old age. They also thought that sister is depending on her brother.  Although according to Islamic Law, the women and girls are entitled to inherit the land and property, in which they get half of the male's share and the Pakistan's secular or judicial law also advocates women's share in the property, but the traditional practice established in the village deny them from their legal share in land according to which women are supposed to hand over their share of land in favor of their brothers. The common perception is that the girl is given her share of property in the form of dowry, and if the girl is given her share of land, then she'll take it to her husband's family and the family's property will go out of the hands of the actual owners. Many people think that a woman should be offered her share in the property, but she should not take it, because if she would not take her part in the land then her brothers and parents will take care of her throughout her life. In case of any disaster or catastrophe like the husband's death or maladjustment with the husband or in-laws resulting in separation or divorce, she has to go to her parents and brothers, who support her throughout her life. The girls are groomed and brought up in such a way that they stay victims of inferiority complex in comparison with the males around them, throughout their lives. They are made to feel that they are unwanted; as whenever a girl is born, nobody celebrates her birth, whereas when a boy is born, it means great joy and celebration.

Jobs/ Work:

There is discrimination of women in jobs. The women are limited to their household work. They can’t allow to do job out of their house. Most of girls are not allowed to do the job with male. Parents/ husbands still feel that teaching/nursing/ and medical are the safer professions meant for girls. There exist stigmas against women who are working in offices. Male as well as female look down on them. It is the result of our male dominated society which does not want to accept women working equal to them. They don‘t feel that their daughters or wives are safe while working in offices.   

The females are kept economically dependent on males because they work to contribute to the family's income. This aspect is also linked with education and awareness in the sense that majority of girls are kept inside the house, their access to the outside world is limited (they can only watch television or radio) and so they cannot contact directly with the markets in the urban areas.

There are no. of evidences that women after marriage leave the job if their husbands don‘t allow them. If not at that time than when they start having children they have to be at home if somebody is not there to take care of children. So leave the job seems easy solution. Or even if they continue, it becomes quite stressful for them. Male bosses find them easy target for any lapses and husbands also criticize them at home. This situation makes them to lose interest in jobs.

Mobility:

Girl’s mobility is restricted and she is confined in the private domain i.e. the house, while her brothers are given free access to the outside world so that they can acquire skills of their choice. She is made to depend on her parents, brothers or elder relatives for the fulfillment of her requirements like clothes etc. Many girls want to go to down country for further education and acquiring professional training, but cannot do so because of the restrictions on mobility.

The man is dominant at home and he does what he. He is decision maker at home. But, on the other hand, his wife is follower of his orders. She can’t do anything without permission of her husband.

Although they can study further privately, but that too is not allowed by most of the male members of the Family. Although the mobility of girls, especially the adolescents, is restricted, even then it was observed that they participate in the ceremonies like marriages and engagements. When and if they have to go out, like on marriages or to school, they are not permitted to go out alone and must be accompanied by someone and that too in complete “purdah”. The girls at this stage though don't go very often to meet friends, relatives and neighbors, but women and young children keep on coming to their house. In this way contact of girls with the rest of the society is maintained indirectly. The fear of outside world and sabotage of their "izzat" (honour) is infused in their minds. Therefore first of all they do not dare to go out alone, and those who break these rules; the male members of their family may give them even a physical assault