Pakistan Woman Rights and Development

Pakistan is a Muslim country, so the rights of a Pakistani woman are the rights which are stated in the religion Islam. Still Islamic sayings are not fully practiced in Pakistan. The uneducated society failed to give the basic rights to the women.

Human Rights: Islam considers a woman to be equal to a man as a human being and as his partner in this life. Women have been created with a soul of the same nature as men.

Allah (SWT) says in the Quran: "O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever and All-Watcher over you." (Al-Nisa 4:1)

And in the words of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), "Assuredly, women are the twin halves of men." (Sahih reported by Abu-Dawud (RA)

Pakistani Woman Civil Rights:

There is no compulsion in religion according to the Quran:"There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut [anything worshipped other then the Real God (Allah)] and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower."
(Al-Baqarah 2:256)

A Muslim woman shouldn’t be forced to change her family name to her husband’s name upon marriage. She is always known by her father’s name, as a mark of her own identity. In choosing a marriage partner, her consent to accept or reject any prospective suitor for marriage must be respected. A Muslim woman has the right to seek divorce, if necessary within the laws of Islam.

A Muslim woman is not forbidden from going out in the community, working, or visiting relatives and female friends, if there is no objection from their guardian/husband and they are covered and behave and speak according to Islamic rules and, if necessary, accompanied by their Mahram (a close male relative). However, a woman’s home should be the main base that she works from.

A woman in Islam has the right to knowledge and education. Allah (SWT) encourages women to read and keep up the learning process. He also bestows His mercy upon all who seek knowledge, and gives them high status. In reality, and in Islam, the rights and responsibilities of a woman are equal to those of man, but they are not necessarily identical with them. Equality and sameness are two very different things. Women and men are physically very different from one another, although they are equal to each other in other important ways.

Islam does not prohibit women working outside the home; it does stipulate that the following restrictions be followed to safeguard the dignity and honor of women and the purity and stability of the Islamic society, as the conduct of women after all is the "backbone" of any society.

Quaid-e-Azam said on the role of Women in a society:“I have always maintained that no nation can ever be worthy of its existence that cannot take its women along with men. No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world. One is the sword and the other the pen. However there is a third power stronger than both, that of the women.”

No doubt a Pakistani woman plays a vital role in the development of Pakistan. They should be given proper education as men so they may contribute in nation building. The main qualities of a Pakistani Woman which are of great worth for the development of Pakistan are time management, task orientation, multi tasking and excellent communication skills if they have a solid educational back ground.